Heavy legs: Whose fault is it?
Swollen legs and ankles, visible blood vessels, cellulite that is painful to the touch: it all stems from poor blood circulation.
Stagnation or insufficiency of venous circulation are dysfunctions that also slow down lymphatic circulation. When everything slows down or becomes blocked, the lower limbs feel heavy, toxin elimination is impaired, and water retention and cellulite develop.
This phenomenon affects 45% of the population, including 52% of women from the age of 18 ; it is more present in the premenstrual period, during pregnancy or during air travel.
Our tips for feeling lighter legs
The feeling of heavy legs is not inevitable. Solutions exist; you just need to fight on several fronts to activate venous return, especially in the deep veins that carry blood back to the heart.
Escaping the heat:
Heat – sun exposure, underfloor heating, hot wax hair removal – causes veins to dilate, which slows blood flow back up and intensifies the feeling of heavy legs.
Showers are preferable to hot baths, and finishing with a blast of cold water on the legs is even better. In summer, avoid prolonged sun exposure of your legs; a parasol is an essential accessory at the beach. And forget about hot wax hair removal.
Stimulate blood circulation:
The morning
Before showering, activate blood circulation by dry brushing your body. which exfoliates and smooths the skin.
In the shower, you soap yourself while massaging with your knuckles in an upward motion, from your calves to the top of your thighs.
After showering, apply an oil or moisturizing cream and massage yourself with a gua sha. for the body or a wooden massage table starting from the calves and going up to the top of the thighs to stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation .
If we are short on time, we can at least incorporate one of these holistic rituals into our routine; that will already be very effective.
The right reflex
If you work sitting at a desk, avoid crossing your legs. This posture restricts blood circulation. Regularly rotate your ankles.
In the evening, when we get home, we take ten minutes for ourselves, barefoot, lying down with our legs vertical, heels resting against a wall.
The perfect time to relax, release the day's tension, and let blood flow naturally back to the heart. Venous return happens on its own, legs instantly deflate—it's magical.
The evening
Before bed , massage the soles of your feet to stimulate circulation . This quick and relaxing gesture also moisturizes your feet, a part of your body too often neglected, yet exposed all summer long. A double win!
During the week, we move
But not just any old way. At the top of the list of activities that drain, tone, and pamper the legs are cycling, walking – to be practiced for a minimum of 20 minutes a day – swimming (with its variations aquabiking and fin swimming), and, tied for second place, the trio of classical dance, Pilates, and yoga, whose exercises based on breathing and alternating stretching and core strengthening contribute to the overall good functioning of the venous and lymphatic circulation.
Of which
Basketball, running, tennis, squash… all activities that cause excessively violent shocks to the arch of the foot and to the veins .
Once a month
We treat ourselves to a lymphatic drainage treatment combined with maderotherapy at a spa. Maderotherapy is a non-invasive method based on massages performed with wooden instruments of different shapes and sizes.
Grooved rollers, spiked mushrooms, and bell-shaped tools that conform to the body's contours stimulate lymphatic and blood circulation, working through pressure and zigzag movements on adipocytes and aqueous and fibrous cellulite. This technique is less painful and traumatic than the classic rolling massage. When performed correctly, this treatment does not cause bruising.
Allow one hour for a leg treatment. Choose a practitioner who begins with a manual massage to relax the skin and open the lymphatic channels before proceeding with the maderotherapy massage . Also ask her to teach you the leg drainage points that you can activate daily by applying your body oil or moisturizer.
In Paris
Mélanie Monnier at Little Biceps - Renata Franca Drainage and Maderotherapy
In Bordeaux
Drainage by Steph - Renata Franca Drainage and Maderotherapy
The right outfit
To avoid undoing all the previous efforts, we dress accordingly. This means no tight clothing – belts, jeans, socks – that restrict blood circulation.
We also need to protect the arch of our foot, which is essential for the venous and lymphatic circulation mechanism: when we walk, the compression of the arch and the contraction of the calf muscles act as a pump that activates venous return. For this reason, avoid shoes that compress the foot or ankle, and avoid heels higher than 5 cm. Basically, in summer, Birkenstocks are more suitable than gladiator sandals or stilettos.
On the plate
It can't be said enough: the number one enemy of our skin and our lymphatic and blood circulation is sugar . And bad fats.
The secret to a healthy diet is to avoid processed foods, consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, and eat fish rich in fatty acids and omega-3s—like salmon—which are beneficial for the heart and blood circulation. You'll find more details on "Beauty Foods" in our Beauty Food guide .
To help lighten the legs, we focus on vegetables, raw vegetables, and seasonal fruits. In spring, radishes, asparagus, cucumbers, and artichokes are our BFFs.
In summer, watermelon , rich in lycopene, a natural antioxidant that promotes blood circulation, can be enjoyed without moderation, especially as a salad topping. Infused cherry stems are our allies as they help eliminate water retention in the legs. So, drink plenty of this herbal tea.
As for spices, black cayenne pepper strengthens arteries and blood vessels, while garlic stimulates blood circulation.
And we drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
Focus on natural vein tonics
With the cure Want beautiful legs? Rediscover light and toned legs. This botanical elixir in ampoules, composed of pure plants (red vine, horse chestnut, witch hazel, blackcurrant) known to improve blood circulation and tone the legs, should be taken for two months, combined with a healthy diet.
With all this, we're ready to tackle summer with light legs and a light mind.
