Daily activity, including aerobic exercise and lower-body resistance training, can significantly reduce the symptoms of restless legs syndrome in most people.
Choose activities you enjoy, especially those that emphasize using the legs. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days, although not too close to bedtime. The exercise doesn’t need to be intense.
Simple daily activities such as walking can often deliver all the benefits you’re looking for. In fact, highly vigorous exercise — like training for a marathon, or doing 40kms mountain biking — can sometimes backfire and make RLS symptoms worse.
Restless Leg Syndrome – Tips For Relief: Part 2
In our previous article Restless Leg Syndrome Tips For Relief and this one Does Restless Leg Syndrome Keep You Awake All Night, we discussed some methods that can potentially bring relief to your RLS symptoms. In this article, we continue exploring more methods to treat the symptoms of RLS.
Tip 2: Get daily exercise
Daily activity, including aerobic exercise and lower-body resistance training, can significantly reduce the symptoms of restless legs syndrome in most people.
Choose activities you enjoy, especially those that emphasize using the legs. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days, although not too close to bedtime. The exercise doesn’t need to be intense.
Simple daily activities such as walking can often deliver all the benefits you’re looking for. In fact, highly vigorous exercise — like training for a marathon, or doing 40kms mountain biking — can sometimes backfire and make RLS symptoms worse.
Stretches for RLS
Simple stretching can help stop the symptoms of restless legs syndrome in their tracks. Here’s a handful to help you get started:
Calf stretch – Stretch out your arms so that your palms are flat against a wall and your elbows are nearly straight. Slightly bend your right knee and step your left leg back a foot or two, positioning its heel and foot flat on the floor. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
Now bend your left knee while still keeping its heel and foot flat on the floor. For a deeper stretch, move your foot back a bit farther. Switch legs and repeat.
Front thigh stretch – Standing parallel to a wall for balance, grab and pull one of your ankles toward your buttock while keeping the other leg straight. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.
Hip stretch – Place the back of a chair against the wall for support and stand facing the chair. Raise your left foot up and rest it flat on the chair, with your knee bent. (Or try placing your foot on a stair while holding the railing for balance.)
Keeping your spine as neutral as possible, press your pelvis forward gently until you feel a stretch at the top of your right thigh. Your pelvis will move forward only a little. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.
The yoga cure for restless legs.
According to research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, women with RLS who practiced yoga reduced their symptoms and experienced less stress, an elevated mood, and better sleep habits.
Another suggestion would be to seek advice from a health practitioner about these stretches if you struggle with mobility. Bear in mind these suggestions are not medical advice but merely options to include in your pursuit to finding relief from your RLS.
Be sure to check in soon again on www.mattressking.co.za for yet another installment on the topic of RLS and methods of relief.