Varicose
veins can be caused by aging, genetics, smoking, excessive sitting or standing,
obesity, or pregnancy.
Get help for varicose
veins
Varicose veins are a common
condition that happens when faulty valves in the veins allow blood to flow in
the wrong direction or to pool. The condition can happen for a variety of
reasons, such as aging, genetics, smoking, excessive sitting or standing, obesity,
or pregnancy.
If you have varicose veins and
experience leg pain or fatigue, you may have venous reflux disease, a
progressive medical condition. If left untreated, however, the condition may
worsen and develop into a more serious form of venous disease, which can result
in ulcers.
Low impact exercise, such as
walking or yoga, wearing compression stockings, and keeping your legs elevated
can help alleviate pain caused by varicose veins. If symptoms persist, various
treatments are available, such as vein removal surgeries, laser ablation,
sclerotherapy, radio frequency ablation, and gluing the veins closed. Orthopedic Associates of Dutchess County.
Make time for mindfulness
With all the multi-tasking it takes
to run a household and raise kids, it's easy for moms to feel scattered and
spread thin, or like they're are running on autopilot. Mindfulness practice
helps women focus and show up more fully for what is right in front of them, at
any given moment.
Over the past 40 years, scientific
research has proven mindfulness practice -
the art of bringing nonjudgmental attention to the present moment by becoming
aware of your breath, sensations in your body, thoughts, and emotions - to be extremely beneficial for overall
well-being.
Meditation or mindfulness practice
can be as simple as remembering to take a mindful breath a few times a day. Or
slowing down when eating - savoring
the smell, flavors, and textures of food. And remember, when you do get frazzled
you can always start again. Each moment is a new opportunity to come back and
practice again.
Becoming aware of your emotions,
without judging yourself for them, is also an act of compassion and may help
you empathize with others and extend your compassion to them. You are also
modeling behaviors that can be learned and reciprocated. Chrissa J.
Santoro, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies.
READ MORE: 4 beauty and fitness tips
Recharge at a retreat
In addition to women's roles as
caregivers, they are often simultaneously balancing work, running a business,
maintaining their personal relationships, and running their households. A
women's only wellness retreat, like the one hosted at Frost Valley YMCA every
year, gives women the space and time to focus solely on their wellbeing,
including physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Often, retreat classes not only get
a woman's heart pumping through exercise classes, but also offer massage or
acupuncture sessions. Mindfulness can come through activities like hiking,
focused breathing, yoga, or meditation. Activities for self-expression may
include writing, painting, and sculpting.
Moms should consider taking part in
a wellness retreat once a year or more as time away allows women to reconnect
with who they are as individuals outside of the needs of others. It's also a
great way for women to bond with others.
Look for a retreat that supplies
meals and provides whatever a woman needs to recharge, whether that's a
heart-pumping adventure, the calm serenity of nature, or the laughter and
camaraderie of other women. Frost Valley YMCA.
Bring on the benefits of pre- and post-natal yoga
While expectant and new moms need
to care for their coming and new babies, they also need to focus on their
personal wellbeing. Practicing pre- and post-natal yoga provides women with the
opportunity to attend to their bodies, spirits and souls.
By engaging in breath work,
relaxation techniques, strengthening postures and birthing preparations,
pre-natal yoga helps women by providing ways to manage their body's changes at
each gestation period.
Likewise, practicing the techniques
of post-natal yoga helps women regain their body's balance, heal and relax. Liz Glover Wilson,
Stone Wave Yoga.