Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a circulatory problem caused by narrowed arteries, reducing the blood flow to your limbs namely your lower legs. Your arteries become narrowed as plaque builds up along their walls and makes it harder for blood to pass through and deliver oxygen. The most common symptom of PAD is painful cramping in your lower extremities even with minimal movement like walking or going upstairs. Risk factors for this disease include increasing age, diabetes, smoking, and other medical complications like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or obesity.

The pain and cramping you experience when you walk may just feel like another unfortunate part of getting older. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The symptoms of peripheral artery disease are completely treatable and manageable. You can even get exercise that keeps you in good shape and alleviates some of your symptoms.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, Dr. Mathew Cheung and Dr. Peter Lin discuss what you need to know regarding exercise if you have peripheral arterial disease. In this post, you can learn tools to maintain a balance and active lifestyle to improve your peripheral arterial disease.

Walking is often considered the best exercise for those with peripheral arterial disease. If you have this condition, this may seem counterintuitive. Unfortunately, walking often inflames PAD and causes pain in the legs. Don’t let this keep you from exercising! Try walking on a treadmill for as long as you can, or until your pain reaches a three or four out of a five-point scale. Then, rest. Give your body time to recover and your pain time to subside. Once you feel the pain recede, start again. Continue this cycle for an hour. Just don’t forget the importance of a warm-up and cool down. Make sure to stretch your muscles for 10 to 15 minutes before and after walking!

The purpose of this exercise therapy is to help patients with PAD steadily build up their tolerance to walking. This can not only make exercise more bearable, but it can also increase one’s ability to carry out daily tasks, like grocery shopping or simply walking outdoors or throughout the home. Even if you don’t experience fast results, don’t give up! Exercise therapy helps patients create a foundation for daily physical activity. Steady dedication to your exercise routine can, in turn, lead to steady improvement.

Walking may be the best exercise for peripheral arterial disease. But there are also other exercises that can be beneficial for those living with this condition. Try incorporating bicycling into your routine. A 3-month study showed that cycling can provide PAD patients with benefits similar to those gained from walking. Patients participated in a supervised bicycling exercise program that measured physical endurance. They also filled out a questionnaire to gauge their quality of life before and after the study. Following the exercise program, participants showed an increased walking distance and greatly improved overall well-being. So if you are looking for another exercise to include in your regimen, outdoor or stationary cycling can be a great addition!

It might seem strange that exercising is on the list of possible PAD treatments when taking a few steps can cause you significant pain. Because this disease is rooted in circulatory problems, increasing your blood flow will improve your symptoms. Here are a few things to consider when getting ready to exercise:

Right now, your legs need all of the support they can get, and that starts with the shoes and socks you choose to wear while exercising. Find a good pair of supportive shoes to wear when walking or being active. A thick pair of socks can also add support and protect pressure spots.

This is not the time to skip the stretch. Take your time getting ready for your workout by stretching your calf and thigh muscles for at least 10-15 seconds each. This helps your muscles prepare themselves for activity.

The best exercise for PAD is interval walking. Find a treadmill or a route around your neighborhood that you enjoy. Walk for a few minutes at a good pace even if you feel mild pain, and then rest for a few minutes. Repeat this process several times, starting with a total walking time of approximately 30 minutes, building up to a goal of roughly 50 minutes.

If walking is proving too stressful, you can always start in a pool where the water carries your body weight for you and alleviates the pressure on your legs. For a challenge when you’ve built up a tolerance, try climbing stairs or hills or increasing the incline on your treadmill.

Although interval walking does require you to experience and work through some discomfort, never push yourself past your pain limits.

Walking isn’t the only workout you can do to increase circulation. Consider a stationary bike, an elliptical, or even gentle yoga to get your blood moving without adding pressure or impact to your lower half. You can even focus on other areas of your body like your core muscles and your upper body if your legs are in too much pain. Any sort of movement can improve your circulation, your overall health, and your PAD symptoms.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, we strive to provide the best service, care, and results possible. If you are symptoms related to peripheral arterial disease and would like further treatment, give us a call at 626-275-9566 to schedule an appointment. You can also visit us at www.vcsla.com for more information.