Will elevating your legs help you recover after a run?
Elevating your legs above heart level improves blood flow and helps keep your blood from pooling in your lower legs, according to the University of Michigan.
It is believed that sitting too long will cause your ankles (cankles) or feet to swell; this is due to the lymph and fluid outside of cells pooling as a result of “pull of gravity”. Vary your choices when elevating; your legs will help reduce swelling and you’ll soon find yourself refreshed, ready for your next training adventure.
Fun facts of elevating your legs:
- Helps blood flow to the rest of your body.
- Many of us are working from home, use a footrest, but don’t forget to walk around to loosen up your legs ~ get your blood flowing.
- Cross your legs at the ankles; when crossing at your knees, it squeezes the veins and blocks natural blood flow.
- When sitting for a long period of time, (i.e. meeting, airplane, etc.) tense your leg muscles, then point an flex your feet.
Lactate is the body’s fighting power against being overworked:
We mentioned lactate threshold in last week’s email. Do you know what your lactate threshold is?
- Try to elevate for at least 15 minutes.
- Helps flush out lactic waste from tired muscles
- Take the 30 minute lactate threshold test.
