Exercise for Restless Legs Syndrome.
Exercise for Restless Legs Syndrome can be a daunting task. If you have a loved one a friend who has restless legs you will understand that exercise for restless legs sometimes is not all you think it is. But it’s for you own good.
Exercise for RLS needs to be consistentand regular. A warm bath to relax the muscles is recommended first or a heatingpad can be used instead. An exercise routineshould be timed for early in the day. It should be followed by arelaxing bath to encourage the body’s circulation and refreshment of muscletissue. The evening session shouldinclude gentle stretching, yoga and meditation. All exercise should be moderate and it is important toremember to always include warm-ups and cooling-down sessions. Walking isexcellent especially for RLS as the muscles used are the same ones that areaffected.
When exercising for RLS concentrate onthe mind and choose exercises that focus on coordination. In this way the brainwill be stimulated to produce hormones to restore the natural balance in thebody.
Also concentrate on deep breathing toincrease oxygen production to be transported to the muscles and improve theirhealth.
The regular use of an exercise bike ishighly recommended for RLS to increase tone in the muscles. Again moderation isthe key as this is all that is necessary for good results.
In an ETSU (East Tennessee StateUniversity) participants were put on a 12-week exercise program. This includedtreadmill walking at half hourly intervals at set levels of intensity. Alsoincluded was lower body strength training several times a week. Many had neverundertaken such rigorous exercise before which included leg presses and extensions,leg curls and seated rotary calf press.
By the end of the regime most RLSsufferers had reported significant improvement in their symptoms. Sometimesthis was as early as six weeks of such exercise.
It is generally felt that exercise playsan important part in the treatment of RLS but further studies need to becarried out in order to validate this further on a scientific basis.
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