At the end of a hot summer day, all that’s left to do is rest. Good news: This isn’t the only thing you can do if your legs feel heavy.
The summer heat puts pressure on the body. You may be one of those people whose legs and feet swell and feel heavy when it’s hot. How did this happen? “With heat, the body’s blood vessels dilate,” explains Leila Bruno, a pharmacist in Marseille. Blood circulation slows down, veins lose elasticity. This allows fluids to flow to the feet and legs. Since the return through the veins does not work as well, they swell.
“Women are more affected than men,” explains Bruno. This is because they have weaker connective tissue. The veins receive less support in case of persistent heat. If leg and foot swelling is recurrent, it is best to seek the cause with a doctor. In fact, these disorders can also be a sign of serious heart, liver or kidney diseases.
If you only experience heavy legs and feet occasionally in summer, these tips may help:
7 tips, from movement to footwear
Tip 1: Integrate physical exercise also into office work
“People often don’t move enough,” explains naturopath René Graber. The heat in particular makes many people not move so as not to sweat more. Still, movement stimulates blood circulation in the body, which can improve the sensation in your legs.
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