Give Tired, Aching Legs a Boost

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Give Tired, Aching Legs a Boost
One in two women suffer from tired, aching, heavy legs during pregnancy meaning the third trimester can be a real pain in the pins for many mums to be.

Here's how to help give them a lift:

Aching, heavy legs in pregnancy are partly caused by changes in our circulation, explains Dr Davina Deniszczyc Professional Head of Physicians and Diagnostics at Nuffield Health (www.nuffieldhealth.com).
"The bump sits right over a big main vein called the vena cava, and this stops blood returning freely to the heart and causes some sluggish circulation in the legs (one reason why pregnancy can cause varicose veins)," she says. "If we stand for long periods while pregnant the blood becomes even more sluggish and pools in the veins in the calf muscles leading to itching and aching."
To ease heavy legs, Dr Deniszczyc advises:
Clarins

Bullet Sitting with your legs raised when possible
Bullet Staying well hydrated
Bullet Avoiding standing for long periods
Bullet Walking. Exercise helps pump the sluggish blood away from the lower legs – walking is fantastic at getting the lower leg circulation moving.

Of course the curse of tired, aching legs isn’t limited to those of us who are pregnant. If you spend a lot of your day standing, then you’ll be just as much in need of a leg lift as anyone.
So, I’ve rounded up my pick of lovely leg lotions designed specifically to pep up tired pins and to soothe heavy legs. Rub them in from the soles of your feet and ankles upwards along the lengths of your legs to encouraging circulation. Then lie back and relax.

Bullet Clarins Energising Emulsion for Tired Legs, £20 from escentual.com
Vitabella
This lightweight lotion contains a cocktail of St John’s Wort and Witch Hazel to soothe tired legs and Chamomile to help relax your limbs. The non-greasy formula can even be applied in emergencies through your tights. Genius.

Bullet Vitabella Soothing Leg Cream £17, myvitabella.co.uk
Aloe vera and bilberry calm and comfort heavy legs, but there’s also a refreshing kick in this cream thanks to essential oils of menthol and mint and a dose of stimulating Butcher’s Broom plant extract to help boost circulation.


Bullet Dove Spa Circulate Heavy Legs Concentrate, £21.00, dovespa.co.uk
Active ingredients include menthol to cool tired legs, Lemon Peel and Goldenrod Extracts to relieve fluid retention and Butcher’s Broom and Horse Chestnut extract to help increase blood circulation. Comes in a handy two 50ml bottle set - perfect for popping in your bag for some TLC on the go.

Kim Jones - Beauty Editor
August 2012

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