How Does Ankle Pump Exercises Help?

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Muscles in the ankle and legs compress and loose all around the day while you are performing normal activities.

However, when you are sitting in the same position for a prolonged period, your muscles and joints become stiff due to poor blood circulation.

To encourage proper blood circulation, simple exercises need to be done while moving yourself away from your seated position – from time to time.

Well, ankle pump exercises are one of the easiest known that can be performed without the need for any equipment/machine or large space.

You can perform these exercises at any time of the day to get the benefits.

What Are Ankle Pumps?

Ankle pumps can be defined as an act of doing simple foot exercises where you just need to wave your foot back and forth.

In simple words, ankle pumps need you to move your foot backward and forward slowly so that the blood circulation can be enhanced for good health.

Ankle pump exercises are generally easy and painless to perform.

Unlike other physical exercises, it doesn’t make you sweat as they are easy to do.

However, this does not mean that they are of less importance.

When performed for a few minutes (10-30 reps at a time), several times a day can help you get the best benefits out of it.

Benefits Offered By Ankle Pump Exercises

Ankle pumps, physical therapy, or exercises help to reduce the swelling in the lower leg, knees, and ankle by promoting proper blood circulation.

Proper blood circulation also decreases the chances of developing a clot in the knee or legs.

Blood clots that may sometimes develop post-surgery in the lower legs can also be avoided by doing seated ankle pumps.

Ankle pumps to prevent Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is also recommended by doctors for those who suffer from venous issues.

The best thing about performing ankle pump exercises is it’s convenient and hassle-free to perform.

You can do it while lying comfortably or sitting on a chair.

Taking a small break from a prolonged seated position at the office and doing these exercises for a few minutes can actually help relax your lower back, legs, and foot.

Ankle Pump Instructions and Guidelines

Ankle pumps are simple yet tedious to perform.

Here we provide you with a few recommendations that help you get the most out of ankle pumps for edema/swelling exercises.

Lie down comfortably

While these exercises can be done sitting on a chair, it is recommended to do them in a laid position so that you get the maximum benefits.

For this, you have to lay flat in a comfortable manner.

Some people may have difficulty breathing when lying flat, while others experience back problems.

Therefore, before starting the exercise, ensure that you are able to get your body lying flat in a comfortable manner.

Keep your legs supported.

When doing ankle pump exercises, ensure that your leg is kept in a comfortable and supported position.

You can use blankets or pillows to support your leg up and hold it in an elevated position.

As you place your leg above your heart level, you will feel that gravity helps you move the swelling ‘down-stream’ towards the heart.

As your heart is the pump house of blood supply and it is where blood circulation starts and ends, your blood is cleaned up naturally and used again when circulation gets enhanced.

Remember that you won’t get the desired results from the exercise if your leg muscles are stretched or if the leg is not kept in a comfortable position.

Move your ankle to the greatest degree.

To achieve the maximum benefits of ankle pumps, care that you move your ankle as much as possible in both directions (forward as well as backward).

Maximizing your motion to the greatest possible degree can actually help in enhancing the free blood flow.

This can help recover you fast especially when you have got your knees or hips operated.

In addition to the above tips, there are many websites online offering videos of how to do the ankle pump exercise.

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