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 consistent and regular. A warm bath to relax the muscles is recommended first or a heating pad can be used instead. An exercise routine  should be timed for early in the day. It should be followed by a relaxing bath to encourage the body’s circulation and refreshment of muscle tissue.  The evening session should include gentle stretching, yoga and meditation. All exercise  should be moderate and it is important to remember to always include warm-ups and cooling-down sessions. Walking is excellent especially for RLS as the muscles used are the same ones that are affected.

When exercising for RLS concentrate on the mind and choose exercises that focus on coordination. In this way the brain will be stimulated to produce hormones to restore the natural balance in the body.
Also concentrate on deep breathing to increase oxygen production to be transported to the muscles and improve their health.
The regular use of an exercise bike is highly recommended for RLS to increase tone in the muscles. Again moderation is the key as this is all that is necessary for good results.

In an ETSU (East Tennessee State University) participants were put on a 12-week exercise program. This included treadmill walking at half hourly intervals at set levels of intensity. Also included was lower body strength training several times a week. Many had never undertaken such rigorous exercise before which included leg presses and extensions, leg curls and seated rotary calf press.

By the end of the regime most RLS sufferers had reported significant improvement in their symptoms. Sometimes this was as early as six weeks of such exercise. 
It is generally felt that exercise plays an important part in the treatment of RLS but further studies need to be carried out in order to validate this further on a scientific basis.

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