Swollen and heavy legs are the torment of many women, especially after a day standing or sitting at their desk. Many women think that resting helps to alleviate the discomfort caused by swollen legs. True or false? Dr. Elisa Casabianca, vascular surgeon at the Humanitas hospital, answers this question.

“It is both true and false. The swollen and heavy legs can be a consequence of venous or lymphatic insufficiency, diseases common to many women – explains Dr. Casabianca. Movement is an excellent solution to counteract the discomfort caused by swollen legs and the typical feeling of heaviness. Physical activity, in fact, even if it consists in a simple walk, is an excellent opportunity to reactivate the blood circulation and avoid the stagnation of liquids in the legs, which are precisely the cause of swelling. Ideally, you should take a walk by the sea, with water up to your ankles, or do some pool sports; water, in fact, is an excellent “gym” for blood vessels and circulation in general. Even cold showers with the jet from the feet to the thighs is useful for reactivating the circulation after a day on the move and before going to sleep. Once in bed, therefore at rest, it can be further beneficial to place a rise at the bottom of the bed, so as to lift the legs slightly and facilitate the outflow of fluids from the legs to the heart. In this way, there will be no stagnation of liquids and the next morning you will wake up with light and naturally rested legs”.