You understand how unpleasant even a brief stroll may be if you have peripheral artery disease (PAD). When plaque accumulates within your arteries, it gradually hardens and reduces blood flow to your legs. Exercise is one of the most effective strategies to treat the symptoms of PAD. However, it could make walking uncomfortable, and you need to know how exercising impacts PAD symptoms.
How Can Exercise Reduce Symptoms of PAD?
The most prominent sign of PAD is severe cramping in your lower body areas, even with light activity like strolling around. Although it may appear like exercise would exacerbate PAD symptoms, it can aid in improving circulation and reducing pain.
Leg muscles suffer from painful cramping due to PAD limiting the blood flow. Your heart has to work harder during exercise, which increases blood flow. When you exert more significant effort, this can lead to leg pain and cramping because the muscles there have trouble receiving adequate blood flow and oxygen. It could seem as though exercising will worsen the situation. On the contrary, new blood vessels may improve your circulation.
What Are Good Exercises for PAD?
Walking is one of the finest workouts for PAD. Once you overcome those obstacles, this low-impact exercise increases your heart rate and may improve mobility. At first, you could feel a little unpleasant, but it will subside as you move more. Start slowly, trying to maintain a good speed, and keep going even if you experience some minor discomfort. Rest or a short nap if the soreness is too intense to bear. Your objective should be to extend each walking session by five minutes each week until you can walk continuously for 45 minutes.
In the end, you should gradually increase your walking time to between 30 and 60 minutes or 30 to 50 minutes daily despite the discomfort, which can relieve PAD symptoms. It is advised to keep your exercises according to the guidelines provided by your Vascular Surgeons to avoid any complications. If you suffer from leg pain or PAD, book your appointment with our vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists.
