You know that feeling you get when you naturally, sub-consciously, want to put your feet up, after a long day, and tune out? Well, there is a biological and scientific reason why your body wants to do this, and why the saying ‘putting your feet up’ is associated with a relaxing day, or moment in your day. Beside, elevating your feet at a certain angle, often, is good for us too ;).
1. Put your legs up on a wall
This sure is best way for draining fluid build up and recirculating blood flow. Elevating your feet up (on a sofa or chair) may be your usual go - to to let your feet rest. However, putting your legs up at a 90°degree angle, up against a wall, is what really allows your body to recoup and recover. In short, it brings blood back towards your heart, and promotes lymphatic fluid circulation as well.
'putting your legs on the wall at a position where your hips are at 90 degrees allows your sacroiliac joint to be in a neutral open alignment in a decompressed position'.
It is good to remember that gravity pulls blood towards our feet when we are upright, but inverting our position. Gravity can assist with the blood returning into circulation (we call this - assisting with venous return).
2. Lowers pressure
Prolonged periods of standing or sitting can cause blood to pool in the veins of your legs. This can lead to an increase in pressure in these veins which, in turn, may contribute to the development of conditions like varicose veins. Elevating your legs can help lower the pressure in your legs by allowing blood that has pooled to drain away. If you have been standing for a while, sitting down with your legs raised can also help ease pressure and tenderness of tired feet.
3. Improve simple circulation
Elevating your legs can help improve blood flow in your lower extremities. How? The simple answer is gravity. Oxygen-depleted blood returns to your heart through your veins. Unlike your arteries, the pressure in your veins is relatively low. To help move blood along, your veins use tiny valves and the contraction of surrounding muscles to aid in moving blood back toward your heart. When you are sitting or standing, oxygen-depleted blood in your legs must also work against gravity in order to return to your heart. Elevating your legs places them above the level of your heart. This means that gravity is now working in your favor. This may help improve blood flow in the veins in your legs. And remember, for a simple circulation, 90°degrees is not necessarily needed. You just have to elevate your feet above your heart level :). Instant change in mood too ;)
4. Reduces swelling
Swelling can happen due to the accumulation of excess fluid (edema) or inflammation. It’s possible that injuries or certain health conditions may cause swelling to occur in your legs. In the same way that it helps improve blood flow, elevating your legs above the level of your heart may help excess fluid to drain away more effectively.
5. Simple things to remember prior to 'putting your feet up'
If you’re interested in trying leg elevation, there are some pointers to keep in mind.
- Timing (it is ideal to put your feet up daily, however 'ideal' is almost never :D. So, 3 times a week (or at least whenever you feel like) will also provide the same benefits. In is best to do it in the evenings after a long day of standing ;) Simply listen to your body and go with the flow.
- Angles and positioning (It is important to know that hips does not need to be over 90°degrees of flexion, and the knees should be no less than 90 degrees of flexion. This means that your legs should not be more than 90°degrees off the floor (aka the angle between your belly and thigh should not be less than 90°degrees). Your knees, if bent, should not be so to a point where they are facing the floor and not directly at the wall. This would apply if you are practicing this position from the floor and resting your leg on a sofa or bench, or something like this. Also remember not to put anything under your head, definitely not a lot, if a neck support, such as a rolled up towel or thin pillow, is needed, that is fine. However, you want the spine to be in a neutral position so that means the ears should line up with the shoulders).
- Adaptations (If your hamstrings are tight or need added support, then add a pillow under your hips to decrease length and position of hamstrings).
6. Simple example of how I elevate my legs
Exactly how long and how often you should elevate your legs can depend on the condition you are trying to address. Here is an example of how I elevate my legs to fully release any tension from either long day standing or perhaps workouts that have put so much tension on my lower back and spine :)
- Move into a comfortable reclining or lying down position.
- Position your legs so they are above the level of your heart. Use a pillow to achieve this. If you can not elevate your legs to heart level, try to rest your legs on a coffee table, ottoman, or sofa as this will still help slow the force of gravity.
- Keep your legs elevated for about 15 minutes.
- Repeat this daily or whenever you feel tiredness and stiffness in your body.
Last but not least, elevating your legs can benefit your health in several ways. Some of the key benefits include improved blood flow, reduced inflammation, and potential lower pressure in the veins in your legs. Make sure that you have adequate support for your back and legs before trying leg elevation. Also - if you have an underlying health condition, be sure to talk with your doctor before trying leg elevation!
Until next time, S.
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