When and how often should you wear compression socks?
You’ve seen and heard of compression socks and maybe you’ve heard they can help your health or comfort, but how do you actually use them? Because compression socks can help with many facets of your life, health, and comfort, there are several circumstances in which they can be helpful.
CONSIDER WEARING COMPRESSION SOCKS IN THESE FOUR SITUATIONS.
If You Have Certain Medical or Cosmetic Conditions
Compression socks for women and men primarily work by enhancing your blood flow.
Because your blood flow is important to so many aspects of your health, compression socks can help when you’re dealing with a wide range of conditions.
For one, compression socks help with varicose veins, primarily by preventing them from getting worse. They can also reduce the risk for blood clots and reduce swelling, pain, and complications from conditions that can impair your circulation, including pregnancy, lymphedema, diabetes, edema, and more.
During Periods of Immobility
Most people know that long periods of immobility can reduce their circulation and increase the chances of a potentially serious blood clot.
Even beyond this risk for blood clots, impaired blood flow from immobility can cause pain, swelling, fatigue, and other symptoms.
For this reason, it’s helpful to wear compression socks during any long period of immobility.
For example, wear them if you are recovering from surgery or have an injury that lowers your mobility.
During Times of Prolonged Activity
It may sound like a cruel irony but just as too little activity can impede your blood flow, so can too much activity. It primarily comes down to the amount of time you’ll be on your feet.
For example, jobs like serving in restaurants, working in retail stores, working in a factory, and more may require you to be standing or walking for hours on end.
Your circulation isn’t always strong enough to keep pushing your blood upward from your feet efficiently, so you’re likely to get pain or swelling in your legs and feet. Compression socks will help.
During or After Workouts
When you exercise, your muscles demand large amounts of oxygen and nutrients from your blood. When your blood isn’t flowing efficiently enough to keep up with their demands, the muscles become tired. This is also what leads to the buildup of lactic acid that makes your muscles sore after exercising.
If you wear compression socks during your workout, it helps your blood flow more smoothly so your muscles don’t fatigue as quickly.
It can also reduce lactic acid production during and after your workout, allowing your muscles to recover more quickly with less soreness.
Knowing When and How to Use Compression Socks
Compression socks are popular tools to help people of all ages and activity levels to enhance their health and their comfort. To experience them for yourself, shop our 15 20 mmhg compression socks, light compression socks, compression socks for running
