If you spend a lot of time on your feet, or if your day involves a lot of sitting, you may suffer from tired, aching legs. And it’s hard to relax and unwind when your legs are sore! In this article we reveal how to relieve tired legs and, what are the most common causes and the best treatments.
Why do my legs feel heavy and tired? Most common causes
Generally tired legs are caused by decreased blood flow from your legs up to your heart, or weaker leg muscles. This is more common in pregnant or older women but can also be caused by spending too much time sitting or standing.
- Jobs that require standing or sitting for long periods of time such as office jobs, hostesses, waitresses or sales assistants.
- Muscle cramps: Overuse of your legs can lead to muscle cramps, what can cause your legs to feel tired.
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Hypokalemia: Hypokalemia occurs when you have low levels of potassium in the bloodstream. This can cause:fatigue
- weakness
- cramping in the legs
- constipation
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Varicose veins
You may have tired, heavy, or aching legs if you have varicose veins. These occur when your veins don’t work properly and begin to collect blood. This causes your veins to enlarge and swell.
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Poor circulation
Your legs may feel tired or fatigued if your blood isn’t circulating through your body properly. Poor circulation often affects the lower part of your body since it’s harder for blood to flow upward toward your heart. Sometimes blood can collect in your legs, ankles, and feet.
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Pregnancy
Swelling in pregnancy can be caused by:
- hormones
- fluid retention
- increased pressure on veins
However, tired legs can also be a sign of other underlying health conditions, so if you’re experiencing them frequently you should visit your doctor to make sure nothing more serious is going on.
How to relieve tired legs? Effective treatments
1. Take a bath!
A warm bath is a great excuse to rest your legs and is very relaxing and soothing. If you use epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) in your bath you might also be replenishing your magnesium levels, as low levels of magnesium can contribute to muscle cramps. Some studies have indicated that magnesium levels in the body can be replenished through soaking in epsom salts.
2. Enjoy a massage (the best treatment for tired legs)
Massage can be very helpful for relieving the symptoms of tired legs. Deep tissue massage can help drain, reducing tightness and puffiness caused by fluid retention. This will make your legs feel lighter and relieve pain.
While visiting a professional massage therapist is a great way to get a deep tissue massage it can also be expensive and time-consuming. You can now enjoy a fantastic deep tissue massage at home by using the Glo910, which has a powerful motor and interchangeable massage heads, giving you a range of great massage treatments.
3. Stretch out!
Stretching is a great way to keep our legs healthy, and leg stretches can help improve posture, which will, in turn, reduce aches and pains from sitting and standing. Stretching the muscles in your hips and buttocks can be very effective, and a gentle yoga class can offer a wide range of stretches.
4. Brush!
Dry brushing can help circulation and improve lymphatic drainage, but using a standard brush can be hard work and can take a long time. The Glo910 has a Body Brush Scrub Massage head which makes easy work of dry brushing and will invigorate your body and improve your circulation and lymphatic system in no time.
5. Get moving!
Often tired legs are caused by poor circulation and exercise will help improve your circulation and make you feel better. If your day involves a lot of sitting or standing, try and go for a short walk every so often, so you’re not stuck in one position for too long. Other exercises can help too.
When sitting or standing you can lift one leg and roll your ankle (draw a circle with your toes). You can also put a tennis ball under your foot while sitting roll it under your foot. Jumping jacks, jogging on the spot and doing squats are also quick and easy exercises you can do almost anywhere.
6. Cool your legs!
Cold therapy is really good for soothing muscle pain and when combined with massage the benefits are even greater. A simple ice pack will provide some relief from swollen legs and feet but you can get even more relief by using the Glo Cool Legs head on your Glo910. Store the head in the freezer and then you can have a deep cool massage whenever you want. The cool massage reduces fluid retention and makes your legs feel light and active.
7. Stay hydrated!
We all know how important it is to stay hydrated for our general health and wellbeing, but it can also help reduce muscle cramps. So don’t forget to keep sipping water all day.
8. Put your feet up!
And finally, don’t forget to relax and put your feet up at the end of a long day. Not only will it make you feel more relaxed but it will also help reduce swelling and make your legs feel more refreshed. If you can raise your legs above the level of your heart this will help your circulation by using gravity to move the blood from your legs to your heart.
