Leg Symptoms You Should Not Ignore
As a teacher, you spend countless hours on your feet during the school day. This is important, as it allows you to move freely through the classroom and maintain the attention of your students during instruction.
However, long periods of time on your feet contributes to poor circulation and venous disease. You may notice symptoms such as:
- leg fatigue, heaviness, and pain
- itching or burning sensations
- visible, bulging veins
- thin blue, red, or purple spider veins
- leg swelling
If you have these symptoms, some simple lifestyle changes can go a long way to help you improve your leg health and circulation. Even if you do not currently have the above symptoms, these lifestyle changes can help you prevent varicose veins, spider veins, and blood clots.
Teachers Guide To Achieve Better Veins For Life®
Our Better Veins for Life® principles are a set of lifestyle changes that help you improve your leg health and circulation. Here are some rules to live by if you’re a busy teacher on your feet all day long.
Teachers Guide To Comfortable, Healthy Footwear
High-heels are your enemy. Opt for comfortable flats that provide support, flexibility, and adequate cushioning. Your feet will feel better and your legs will too.
There are many nice, fashionable options for flats. If ballet flats don’t provide enough cushion, stylish sneakers can be worn. Yes, you can wear sneakers even with suits and dresses, while looking professional and chic. You can also add cushioning insoles to any shoes you like to improve comfort while you spend your day on your feet.
Bonus Tip: Remember to take breaks. Have a seat and rub your feet.
Teachers Guide To Daily Leg Elevation
Putting your legs up on your desk is not what we recommend here. In fact, it may be against school policy. If you do get a lunch break maybe you can have a foot stool to elevate your legs even if you only have 10-15 minutes it can make a difference.
At the end of each day, take 15 minutes to lie back and comfortably elevate your feet above your heart. This helps your blood flow back up to your heart, with the assistance of gravity. You can do this on the couch or your bed using pillows, or you can lie down flat on your back and put your legs vertically against the wall. You can read, get caught up on emails, or spend time with your family during this time.
Bonus Tip: For added circulation and to relieve muscle tension, have your significant other massage your legs and feet, for your health, of course!
Exercise Tips For Busy Teachers
Spending the entire day on your feet causes enough fatigue that you may feel like you’re working out, but there are muscles you must engage via exercise in order to enhance leg health. Flex your calves throughout the day to encourage healthy blood flow. Park a little farther away from the building, if convenient, to add some steps to your day.
Evening walks with your family can also be a healthy way to improve your leg health.
Bonus Tip: Put a treadmill or exercise bike in front of your television or do your exercise routine while you watch television. This is especially important if you plan to binge-watch to catch up on your favorite TV shows.
Healthy Weight Management
If you are overweight or obese, it’s important to lose the weight to improve your overall health; it will also impact your leg health. If you already have varicose veins, those will require treatment. However, you can avoid worsening symptoms by losing weight. Seek the help of a physician and start an exercise and diet program today.
We understand this is a lot for a busy teacher, so consider starting during the summer months and then come up with a schedule to maintain your new, healthy lifestyle.
Bonus Tip: On days with good weather, consider taking a page from your students’ playbook and ride a bicycle to and from school. Consider parking farther away to get in some extra steps.
Stylish Compression Stockings For All Lifestyles
Socks, sleeves, and stockings that provide graduated compression can help you improve your circulation even when you aren’t exercising. Whether you follow the other tips or not, this is a great place to start to improve your circulation and leg health.
There are fashionable options now that look stylish with any outfit and for any occasion. Our team of specialists can help fit you with the best compression for your needs and lifestyle, while offering savings on multiple purchases through our loyalty program.
Bonus Tip: Join our Compression Coalition loyalty program to score free compression.
