Blood pooling in the legs can be a result of various causes including overexerting legs, standing for long periods, and chronic diseases.  

The disease usually associated with blood pooling is chronic venous insufficiency. When you have this condition, your veins get weaker and become incapable of circulating blood efficiently. It’s an energy-consuming effort, for your veins to pump blood back from the extremities of your body, such as the legs.   This is due to the distance your veins are required to carry the blood to your heart against gravity.  

When your veins are weaker and unable to do the job properly, the blood pools or collects in your legs, ankles and feet. As a result, you’ll experience symptoms such as swollen legs and pain in the swollen areas.  

The causes of blood pooling 

You are more likely to experience blood pooling if you are;  

• Overweight 
• Pregnant  

Also, if you have a family history of the condition or have experienced any leg trauma in the past caused by accidents, surgeries or blood clots, you are prone to leg pooling in your legs.  

However, seemingly negligible factors may cause or exacerbate the condition. Spending a lot of time standing or sitting may increase the blood pressure in your legs. Over time, it can weaken your veins and result in experiencing the unpleasant symptoms of blood pooling. You can strengthen the circulatory system and the muscles to mitigate these consequences by adding a simple but effective exercise program to your lifestyle.  

The symptoms of blood pooling 

Usually, you might not notice any symptoms until the condition gets considerably severe. But, However, if you are aware of the symptoms and pay close attention to signs of blood pooling in the legs, you’ll be able to manage the condition better. 

The common symptoms are:  

• Swelling 
• Pain 
• Cramps 
• Skin changes in affected areas 
• Leg ulcers 
• Varicose veins  

How to prevent blood pooling 

Talk to your doctor to rule out if there is an underlying condition that may cause blood pooling. If it’s not the case, your lifestyle can be the reason why you have constant blood pooling issues. These are common causes besides chronic diseases.   

• You are working for a long period standing or sitting 
• Exerting legs without recovery 
• Intense workouts 

Nowadays, most individuals work on the computer sitting at a desk. This limitation of physical activity and developing habits of bad posture can contribute to blood circulatory issues. Be aware of your posture all the time and fix them whenever you feel discomfort or stiffness in the muscles and joints. Break your work schedule into one or two-hour parts, and in between them you can perform simple stretching exercises or have a 2-minute brisk walk around. 

Inactivity isn’t the only cause; overexerting muscles causes the same issue. Muscles in the legs help the veins to pump blood upwards by adding pressure as the muscles squeeze and release as they relax. When you exert your muscles, such as by involving in an intense leg workout, muscle fibres tear and the muscles become less efficient. The results are muscle fatigue, ache and swelling. Inefficient muscles tend to get swollen and inflamed as the blood pools in the area. 

Treatments for blood pooling in the legs after workouts 

The key to preventing blood pooling is to recover your muscles quickly. You need to rest until the muscles are fully recovered. There are a few things you can do in order to speed up the muscle recovery process.  

You can apply hot or cold pads to the swollen area to reduce inflammation and improve blood circulation. Gently massaging the affected area also helps in the recovery process. 

However, the most convenient and effective remedy for blood pooling and muscle soreness is using a muscle recovery tool. SPRYNG calf wrap is the most sophisticated active compression muscle recovery tool on the market. It’s easy to use since it’s untethered and lightweight unlike most of the other tools available. This tool contains pre-programmed, patent pending muscle massage patterns to ensure maximum efficiency.