Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Random Factoid Tuesday.

It's a little bit gloomy here.  But the blossoms are still out in full-force.  So I went out and spent some time with them.  And I managed to meander over to the DIY fro-yo shop (imagine that!) where I made a delectable concoction of blueberry/coconut fro-yo with berries and graham cracker crumbs and mini-MARSHMALLOWS.  It was outrageously good.

In other news... have you heard the 'old wive's tale' that crossing your legs causes varicose veins?  I have.  And I thought I was doomed to have them.  But according to my May issue of Real Simple, it's not necessarily the case!  If you are prone to varicose veins (i.e. your mom/aunt/grandma/sister has them), then crossing your legs can bring them out... but if you don't have a family history of spidery veins, then crossing your legs like a lady won't necessarily make your legs look like a road map.  And HERE is how to prevent them (I love this magazine)...
  • Work out!  Exercise helps control weight and helps keep leg muscle fit (which helps move the blood back to the heart).
  • Opt for flats over heels (this one is tough for me). Wearing heels makes it more difficult for your calf muscles to contract fully = potentially more pooling of blood in the legs.
  • (This one is my favorite) At the end of the day, sit with your legs propped higher than your heart for 10 to 15 minutes to help drain any pooled blood (and it FEELS SO GOOD!).
And this one is for extra credit...
  • If varicose veins run in your family, wear 'support stockings' as often as possible which can help prevent blood from pooling by compressing the lower legs (I'm a nerd.  I wear 'support stockings' to work every day.  And I wear them when I fly.  If I don't wear them for either occasion, I get full-on cankles = not cute). 
So there is your random factoid for the day.  You're welcome. 

Do you do anything particular to prevent varicose veins?  Yes.  I wear TED hose which are opaque white and super tight and have holes in the toes so that diabetic patients can check to make sure their toes are receiving circulation.  They are damn SEEEEEXY!

Non-Garmin stats:  I did not run today.  My quads are sore from yoga (an hour of vinyasa with 'chair pose' and 'warrior one/two' will do that).  So I biked to/from work (for a mini 4-hour princess shift) and did 30 minutes of yoga.  Slow and steady gets me back to running 5-6 days a week! 

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for this info..both my mom and grandma deal with varicose veins so I assume I'll have them as well. I'll do everything on your list to prevent them though!
    :)

    ReplyDelete

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