Blood clots that occur in your legs are often associated with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is when the clots form in the large vein that runs deep inside your leg, from your thigh to your calf, says the NHS Choices website. Exercises that promote circulation to your legs can help prevent clots from forming.
Precautions
The most common symptoms of a blood clot are pain, tenderness, swelling and/or redness in the area, as well as difficulty putting your weight on the affected leg, says the Bupa health and insurance website (References 2). There is a risk that a piece of the blood clot will break off and travel to your lungs, which is a serious condition known as pulmonary embolism. For this reason, it is extremely important that you see your doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms.
Walking
Regular, brisk walking has been shown to reduce your chances of developing blood clots in your legs, says the Patient UK website (References 2). Try to do 30 to 60 minutes of walking a day to get your leg muscles working so they help pump blood into and away from your legs.
Calf Raises
Working the muscles in your legs causes them to act as pumps, which push the blood around and stop it from pooling deep in the veins of your legs, says the Bupa website. While sitting or standing, raise your heels off the floor so you're on tiptoes, says the Patient UK website. Lower your heels back down to the ground and repeat several times. You can also try keeping your heels on the ground and lifting and lowering the balls of your feet.
Foot Circles
This exercise can also be done while sitting or standing. Raise one foot off the ground and circle it several times in a clockwise then counter-clockwise direction, says the Patient UK website. Repeat on the opposite leg. These exercises are particularly useful when travelling in a car, plane or train for long periods, meaning you can't get up and move around as freely as you would normally.
