How Varicose Veins Affect Your Fitness

“I’ve been hitting the gym hard for years, but lately my legs feel like they’re filled with concrete. Even my usual runs feel brutal. What gives?”

• Tyler from the weight room

Let me tell you a quick story about my friend Mike.

Dude was a beast in the gym. Could deadlift a small car. But one day, he notices these weird twisted veins on his legs.

“It’s nothing,” he says. “Probably just from crushing leg day.”

(narrator: it wasn’t from crushing leg day)

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about varicose veins: they’re not just your grandma’s problem.

They’re like that friend who shows up to the party uninvited – they don’t care if you’re 25 or 65, a couch potato or a CrossFit champion.

Think of your veins like a water slide. When it’s working right, the water (blood) flows smooth and fast.

But when those valves get weak? It’s like trying to climb UP the water slide. Not fun.

(sidebar: please don’t actually try climbing up a water slide. That’s how you end up on TikTok for the wrong reasons)

Here’s why this matters for your gains:

1. Your Muscles Are Starving Imagine trying to fuel a Ferrari with a coffee stirrer. That’s your muscles when blood flow sucks.
2. Recovery? What Recovery? When blood isn’t flowing right, your muscles take forever to bounce back. It’s like trying to clean your house with a broken vacuum.
3. Performance Takes a Hit Ever try running with sandbags strapped to your legs? That’s what varicose veins feel like eventually.

But here’s the good news: you’re not stuck with this.

Here’s my NO-BS Guide to Keeping Your Veins Happy™️:

1. Mix Up Your Training Heavy lifting is great, but throw in some low-impact stuff too. Swimming, cycling, walking – they’re like a massage for your veins.
2. Compression Is Your Friend Compression socks aren’t just for marathon runners. They’re like a hug for your veins. (And who doesn’t like hugs?)
3. Get It Checked Places like the Vein & Vascular Institute exist for a reason. Sometimes you need the pros to look under the hood.

But here’s what most people miss…

You know how you warm up before lifting? Your veins need love too.

I learned this from a guy at my gym. Super jacked dude, could bench press a horse.

But he was dealing with varicose veins that made his legs feel like they were made of lead.

Got it fixed at a vein clinic. Now? Back to benching horses. (Metaphorically. Please don’t actually bench press horses.)

The point is: Your body’s trying to tell you something.

• Heavy legs? Listen up.
• Visible twisted veins? Pay attention.
• Legs cramping more than usual? That’s a clue.

Because here’s the truth: You can’t crush your fitness goals if your circulation’s crushing you.