a simple habit of reducing leg swelling
Sep 23, 2025
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If you spend more time standing or sitting all day, your legs will be heavy and easily swollen. If blood and lymph circulation are not smooth, swelling occurs, and if left untouched, it can lead to fatigue and pain. In particular, people who maintain the same posture for a long time, such as office workers and students, experience it more often. However, just a few simple ways you can practice it in your daily life can relieve the swelling. From now on, I will introduce lifestyle habits that protect leg health.
1. Don't stay in the same position for a long time
Staying in the same position for a long time is the biggest cause of leg swelling. If you sit or stand for more than an hour, your blood circulation is disrupted and swelling occurs. To prevent this, it is recommended to get up from your seat at least once an hour to stretch lightly or walk for a while. It is a small movement, but it promotes the flow of blood and lymph to the legs to reduce swelling.
2. keeping one's legs above the heart
When relaxing at home, just putting your legs slightly above your heart can relieve the swelling. If you place your legs on a pillow or cushion, blood circulates upward and the swelling subsides. This habit is very helpful in recovery, especially when you have spent a lot of time standing and working or walking all day.
3. To drink enough water
Drinking less water increases the sodium concentration in the body, preventing water from escaping and leading to swelling. You should drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day to maintain a water balance in your body. In particular, it is effective to drink more water consciously on days when you eat caffeine drinks or salty foods. Warm water or sugar-free tea helps promote circulation.
4. Reduce salty food and maintain a balanced diet
Excessive sodium intake can cause swelling because it holds moisture in the body. It is necessary to reduce ramen, processed food, salted fish, or salty side dishes as much as possible and to eat fresh vegetables, fruits, and proteins evenly. In particular, foods such as bananas, spinach, and sweet potatoes, which are rich in potassium, are effective in preventing swelling by helping to discharge sodium.
5. calf massage and stretching
Simple exercises and massages that help blood circulation help reduce leg swelling. Simple movements, such as ankle spins and tiptoe exercises, stimulate muscles to promote circulation. If you massage your calves lightly with your hands before bed, you will feel much lighter legs the next morning. Using massage oil or lotion can also help moisturize the skin.
6. comfortable shoes and wearing habits
Shoes that don't fit your feet or too high heels interfere with blood circulation, worsening leg swelling. It is recommended to choose comfortable shoes that do not strain your feet when standing for a long time or walking a lot. In addition, compression stockings are effective in reducing leg swelling by helping blood flow smoothly upwards.
7. Maintain a good sleep and rhythm of life
Lack of sleep and excessive fatigue also interfere with blood circulation. It is important to get enough sleep for more than seven hours at a certain time every day. Maintaining a regular lifestyle has a positive effect on not only swelling but also full-body health. Stress management also helps improve circulation.
Leg swelling often goes beyond just uncomfortable symptoms and results from wrong lifestyle habits. Small habits such as not maintaining the same posture for a long time, raising legs, drinking water, eating a balanced diet, massaging, and wearing comfortable shoes can be easily practiced by anyone. If you apply it to your daily life one by one from today, you can reduce the heavyness caused by swelling and maintain light legs. Small changes accumulate and begin to build healthy legs.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
