Tiptoe for 15 minutes a day to receive many health benefits

1. Reduce leg edema

People who have the habit of sitting for a long time and being sedentary can cause ineffective blood circulation, including blood in the lower limbs, leading to edema. In addition, sitting for long periods of time and being sedentary can lead to many health problems such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and spine and joint problems.

This can also increase the risk of back and neck pain, reduce sleep quality, and negatively affect mood and concentration levels. Besides, being sedentary also reduces stamina, muscle strength and leads to decline in body functions. Therefore, regularly getting up, moving and exercising is very important to maintain health.

At this time, you can practice tiptoeing for 15 minutes a day to promote metabolism, increase local blood circulation and improve edema.

2. Slimmer calves, increased muscle mass

As we age, there are many factors that can cause calves to become larger, including:

- Fat accumulation: The body tends to accumulate fat more easily as we age, due to a slowing of metabolism, leading to an increase in fat in the legs and other areas of the body.

Muscle decline: Age is also associated with a decrease in muscle mass and strength, causing the body to try to maintain balance by growing larger muscles to meet the need for strength.

Edema: With age, the circulatory system may not function effectively, leading to swelling and larger calves.

- Hormonal imbalance: Hormonal changes during aging can also affect the distribution of fat in the body, possibly causing more fat to be concentrated in the legs.

- Weight gain: Natural weight gain over time can contribute to larger calves as the body has to bear more weight.

To keep your calves from getting too big as you age, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet are important.

Among them, standing on your toes for 15 minutes a day helps reduce the appearance of varicose veins in the lower limbs, promotes blood flow while improving strength and increasing muscle mass - which also helps to slim the calves.

3. Improve blood circulation and sleep quality

Standing on your toes regularly can improve blood circulation, especially in the lower body. Sitting or standing for long periods of time can easily cause pain and numbness in the legs and feet. In severe cases, it can cause poor blood circulation and varicose veins in the lower limbs. Standing on your toes can improve this circulatory disorder.

In addition, when blood circulation is improved, sleep quality also increases, helping you feel more energetic the next morning, improving work and study efficiency. Moreover, regular exercise can increase the production of happy hormones such as endorphins, helping to improve mood and reduce stress.

4. Injury prevention

Weak leg muscles can lead to several types of injuries, such as:

- Muscle cramps: Muscles with insufficient strength can easily experience sudden and strong spasms, creating a feeling of pain.

- Sprain: Weak muscles easily lead to sprains when performing movements that require coordination and strength.

- Muscle tears: Weak muscles and lack of endurance can make muscles susceptible to tears, especially when participating in high-intensity physical activities.

- Tendonitis: Weak muscles increase the risk of tendonitis because the muscles have to work too hard to support daily activities.

- Overuse injury: Weak muscles do not provide enough support for activity, causing other structures to be under more pressure, thereby causing an overuse injury.

To prevent injury, strengthening muscles through exercise and maintaining good nutrition is important. Doing tiptoe exercises for 15 minutes a day helps improve leg muscle strength. Stronger leg muscles can also help protect joints and reduce the risk of injury when participating in other physical activities, which you can easily notice when hiking with less leg fatigue.

How to do tiptoe exercises at home

- Method 1: Stand on tiptoes

Stand straight, legs together, arms comfortably placed on either side. Next, gently lift yourself up onto your toes, as if you were trying to "grab" the ground with your toes. Then, relax your body and slowly lower yourself, letting your toes touch the floor, then the soles of your feet and finally letting your heels touch the ground gently.

- Method 2: Sit on tiptoes

People who do not exercise often can still do tiptoe sitting exercises to strengthen their muscles. You start by standing straight with your feet close together, then use both hands to grab the back of a chair to maintain balance. Continue, stand up on your toes, lift your heels high and then slowly lower them. Repeat this exercise several times to improve the strength of your leg muscles.

- Method 3: Walk on tiptoes

Walk on your toes for 30-50 steps, then rest and repeat the movement many times until you feel comfortable and relaxed. Do not exercise beyond your capacity. If you do not want to stand up to walk around to exercise or do not have time, sitting on your toes in place (method 2) can also help improve your health.

Note, although the toe-raising exercise is suitable for most people, people with osteoporosis or those who have just recovered from a leg injury should not do it. When you first start practicing, you should not overexert yourself and prolong the practice time beyond your tolerance, leading to damage to the joints and bones of the feet.

It is best, when you first practice, you can hold on to a flat surface to create a support to avoid falling until you get used to it, and slowly lower your heels to the ground to avoid redness and swelling of the heels due to the excessive force of lowering . In addition, do not forget to warm up your leg muscles well before practicing any movement.