The main reason why most of us exercise is to either slim down or shape up — so it can be quite alarming to end a tough workout with legs that are larger and more swollen then when you started. Swelling is normally always caused by micro-trauma to your muscles that takes place during exercise, and is nothing to be concerned about. However, in some cases, swelling can be a sign of a serious condition that needs medical attention.
In this video, we’re covering the most common causes of leg swelling after exercise – and we’ll finish with a few tips about how to prevent it.
So, let’s get into those common causes of leg swelling:
When you exercise, your muscles go through quite a bit of stress. The fibres tear and stretch.
This isn’t a sign that you’re doing it wrong – it’s actually normal, and is what makes exercise valuable. Your body responds to this trauma by repairing and becoming stronger and more resilient.
The initial stress increases blood flow to affected areas, as they rush to repair the stress. This is when you may experience some swelling.
Any sort of leg injury, no matter how serious, will most likely cause some leg swelling. Whether you’ve twisted your ankle, torn a muscle, or worse, broken a bone, you’ll experience some inflammatory swelling.
Fluid retention in your legs can make them look swollen and larger than usual. It’s important not to shrug off fluid retention, as it can be a symptom of underlying heart, kidney, liver or endocrine disease.
Complications in your body makes it more difficult for fluid to get to where it needs to be via the lymphatic or circulatory system. Exercise can aggravate the pooling of fluids, making swelling even more obvious right after you work out.
In rarer cases, swelling in your legs is caused by failing valves in your veins. Normally, the valves in your leg veins work one way to move blood up toward your heart. When these valves stop working properly, the blood gets backed up, causing swelling.
Exercise causes this swelling to become exaggerated because blood is flowing more rapidly at a higher volume.
Pregnancy can be another cause of fluid retention in your legs post-exercise. This is completely normal, and you won’t usually have to do anything to “cure” the issue, aside from finding ways to alleviate the discomfort.
Exercising while pregnant is healthy, but if you’re concerned, talk to your doctor about how often and the type that's best for you.
Even if you aren't pregnant, hormonal changes that occur with your cycle can make you retain water. If you're a woman and the swelling occurs at the same time each month, it’s most likely due to PMS.
The hormonal ups and downs that occur with menopause can also cause leg swelling that's most obvious after exercise.
Reducing and eliminating leg swelling after exercise is normally very easy. Some of the best ways to get your legs back to their normal size are as follows:
If you’re fed up with leg swelling after exercises, this video should help you to figure out the cause and eliminate swelling as quickly as possible. Don't allow your condition to worsen if these home remedies aren't working, though, and talk to your doctor if the swelling is getting more severe.
There are also certain oils, creams, and support that can help leg swelling, so check out the best ones below
You might also like
We’re learning more and more every day about the human body and the vitamins and minerals we need to lead a long and healthy life. Most of us know about the different vitamins that are essential in our diets, and some of us even take dietary supplements to boost our intake of nutrients.Vitamin K is
Read MoreAs we grow older, we can expect our skin to get less supple, less elastic, and possibly even a little discolored. This is a perfectly normal symptom of aging, and it’s nothing for anyone to be ashamed of. However, excess pigmentation around the mouth (sometimes called hyperpigmentation) can be noticeable and a little embarrassing. Pigmentation around
Read MoreBlood clots are shockingly common issues that can become very serious. Blood clots can be caused by health issues, genetics, medications, or lifestyle choices. While you’re never guaranteed to get – or avoid – a blood clot, there are certain things you can do to make yourself less likely to get a blood clot. On the
Read MoreRegardless of where you live, it’s likely that your home has a few non-bill-paying residents – even if you can’t see them. Spiders, bugs, flies, and other pests can lurk under your floorboards, waiting until the coast is clear to raid your kitchen cupboards or build webs or nests in the corners of your bedroom.If
Read More
