The beginning of the year is a great time to address your vein issues in preparation for the warm weather… even if it does seem months away!

In this article, our team of experienced providers highlights a few goals for 2023 that help support healthy legs and veins.

1. Track Your Steps

Walking is an easy exercise, and luckily, it’s always one of the best ways to improve your vascular health. Many experts recommend a goal of 10,000 steps per day, but researchers found that even taking 7000 steps per day could still significantly reduce the mortality rate.

But how do you know if you’re logging 1000, 2000, or 10,000 steps? A fitness tracker can make this easy. Many smartphones can track your steps, but so can simple step counters and full-scale fitness watches.

Why walking matters

When making a new goal for 2023, keeping your focus on the why behind the goal can help you stick with it. Walking provides many benefits including:

Improved circulation in your legs

• Toned leg muscles (remember: your calf muscles help pump the blood back up to your heart)

• Shifts pressure from your joints to your muscles

• Boosts your mood

• Helps you maintain a healthy weight (which can also help reduce your risk of developing varicose veins)

Note: if you already have varicose veins, walking won’t eliminate them, but regular exercise can help prevent them from getting worse, and it can also reduce your risk of future vascular issues.

How to add more steps to your day

If walking 10,000 (or even 7000) steps seems like a lot, that’s okay. You don’t need to get all of your steps in one place. You can make small changes to add more and more steps to your day.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Don’t park in the closest parking spot at the grocery store

• Take a short walk on your lunch break

• Use the stairs

• Get up and walk around during commercials or between shows

• Go hiking

• Go dancing (you can log up to 4170 steps during a 30-minute line dancing class!)

Another tip: Think about reaching your goal in smaller increments. Gradually add 500 more steps each day until you reach 10,000 steps per day.

2. Rethink Your Meal Plans

Food won’t cure vein issues, but what you can eat can support your overall vascular health. A healthy diet should include foods rich in fiber, such as oats, apples, flaxseed, carrots, antioxidant-rich berries, and whole grains like barley.

As a plus, fiber-rich foods can also help ease discomfort when you have hemorrhoids, and it can help reduce your risk of future occurrences. Beans are also a good choice if you’re battling hemorrhoids since they are rich in fiber.

Avoid:

• Processed foods

• Foods high in sodium (which can increase blood pressure in your legs)

• Refined white pasta or bread and dairy (if you currently have hemorrhoids)

Hydration is always important for your circulatory system. Aim to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.

3. Wear Your Compression Stockings

Compression stockings can help improve the health of your veins, but unfortunately, up to 32% of people who have compression stockings don’t wear them as directed.

If our team has recommended compression stockings for you, make a commitment to yourself to wear them as directed.

Need help with your stockings? You can follow these tips via Sigvaris, or you can ask us. Our team is always happy to help!

4. Treat Yourself!

Pamper yourself this year! Whether you book an afternoon at the spa, splurge on a few new good books, or treat yourself to cosmetic facial injections, pampering yourself can go a long way in boosting your mood.

5. Prioritize Your Vascular Health

Here at Vein Institute, your vascular health is our mission all year long 一 resolutions or not! We know the new year can get busy as you settle into new routines, but now is the perfect time to address any issues before the warmer months roll around.

Whether you’re dealing with vein disease treatment, varicose and spider vein treatment, hemorrhoids, or restless leg syndrome, we’re here to help. Depending on your symptoms and your underlying condition, we may recommend sclerotherapy, ambulatory phlebectomy, VenaSeal ™, or radiofrequency ablation.

Ready to make 2023 your best year yet? Call the nearest Vein Institute office or book your appointment online.