Have you ever wondered why whenever you find yourself in a relaxing position your feet are almost always up? There may be a scientific reason for this, elevating your legs takes excess pressure off your veins and makes blood circulation to the extremities of your body much easier.
Leg elevation simply improves blood flow by using the power of gravity to assist.
Let us take things a bit further, sleeping with legs elevated not only improves blood circulation and prevents swelling in your legs while you sleep but it encourages numerous other health benefits. We will quickly highlight some of these benefits in this quick article.
How to elevate feet in bed
The heart works under immense strain each day to carry blood around the body. Elevating your legs makes things much easier with the assistance of gravity. The least amount of strain the easier it is for the heart to push blood around the body.
Simply put, leg elevation is when the leg is positioned above the level of the heart. Here is how to elevate your feet while in bed.
1. Get a pillow. You will need a device to raise your legs. You may use three or four regular pillows or cushions laying around in your home. Alternatively, you can buy a purpose design leg elevation pillow. This is specifically designed to maintain the weight of your feet so that you can remain in posture.
The wedge pillow is a great choice if you are interested. You can get it on Amazon for a reasonable price. Avoid feather or down pillows because they do not offer much support and will sink, thus lowering the elevation of your foot. Pillows made of memory foam can work wonders and is a good choice for resting your legs and maintaining support for your feet.
2. Lay the pillow in position. Place the pillow in the position where you want to put your feet up. You can place it at the foot of your bed or on one side of your sofa. The best place to put the pillow is right under your knees. The knees are the natural bending point of your legs and placing the pillow anywhere else will put pressure on your unsupported angle.
3. Get yourself in position. Now it is time to lay on the sofa or bed. Place your feet on top of the pillow and make yourself comfortable. The wedge-shaped pillows make this so much easier to do.
4. Relax. Remember, it’s recommended that you elevate your legs above the level of your heart. If you haven’t got the wedge pillow you can use regular pillows or folded blankets instead. This form of relaxation is more beneficial if your job entails many hours of standing in position or sitting at your desk. 15 minutes may be enough to do the trick.
The Real Benefits of Leg Elevation
Raising the legs above the level of your heart is something anyone can do with the aid of a few pillows. Leg elevation helps provide relief for a variety of conditions from Superficial thrombophlebitis to Chronic venous insufficiency.
A broken ankle, sprain feet, or swelling caused by pregnancy or gout can also necessitate foot elevation. Below are some of the main benefits of leg elevation.
1. Improves blood flow
The oxygenated blood moves from the heart to every cell in your body and then returns deoxygenated for the process to restart. Gravity helps the oxygenated blood to quickly flow to the extremities of your legs and toes.
The return flow of deoxygenated blood has a more difficult time as it travels against the force of gravity. Lying on the bed for a while with your feet elevated will improve the flow of blood back to your heart and longs to get reoxygenated.
2. Reduces swelling
The accumulation of excess fluids (edema) is what causes swelling in the leg. The accumulation of excess fluid may be caused by a sprain or broken ankle or result from some health issues. The simple act of elevating your legs, above the level of your heart, will help remove excess fluid from your foot and ankle.
3. Lowers pressure in the veins
Standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time can impede the flow of blood from the veins in your legs. This issue could potentially lead to conditions like varicose veins.
Elevating your legs above your heart for 15 minutes can massively help to reduce the pressure build-up in your veins. You cannot always have your feet above your heart, however, raising your legs on a stool can help improve the flow of blood.
Precautions you got to be aware of before elevating your legs?
There are many pros and cons of sleeping with legs elevated therefore you always have to have a conversation with your doctor before you make any decision.
The decisions you make may have a serious impact on your health. Your doctor will guide you on how to elevate your legs according to their recommendations.
- Make sure that the bed or sofa you are about to lay on provide adequate back and neck support.
- Use a pillow that will provide adequate support for your legs. Normal pillows may be too soft so using a leg elevation pillow may offer the perfect support. Here is a good leg elevation pillow I found on Amazon. Click here to check it out.
The final analysis
Elevating your legs will improve blood circulation, reduce leg swelling and give you a general sense of relaxation. If you are pregnant, leg elevation can ease swelling. If you recently had surgery, leg elevation can prevent blood clots.
While you enjoy leg elevation, make sure that you adequately support your neck and back, and leg.
If you have any health condition that may be impacted by leg election, please consult your doctor before you do it. Thanks for visiting bootwalker.com.
