Varicose Veins and Exercise
By Lisa Stone, ACE

Q. I have a couple of varicose veins that developed when I was pregnant with my dd (she is two years old now). My doctor has prescribed some compression stockings for me, but I was wondering if there were exercises that would help the health of my veins?

A. Any type of exercise involving the large muscles of the lower body will improve your circulation which should help with the varicosities. Walking, running, biking, aerobics (step or otherwise), and swimming (even using a kickboard to support your upper body while you use your legs to move you across the pool) would all be great. You just want to make sure that you cool down slowly after these activities so that blood doesn't pool in your legs, which could aggravate the varicosities.