What is a Muscle Calf Pump?
As the name suggests, the muscle calf pump is a type of pump that is driven by muscle power. There are several muscle pumps in our body that are needed to transport or pump venous blood back to the heart. The muscle pump is mainly responsible for driving the blood circulation in the veins in the legs. The muscle-calf pump is the muscle pump in the calf.
How does a muscle pump work?
The muscle pump is nothing more than the support of blood circulation through the movement of the muscles. The large veins run deep in the muscles. When we tense our muscles, the veins are compressed, forcing blood through the veins towards the heart. The so-called venous valves ensure that the blood pumped upwards does not flow back again. They work in a similar way to valves: if the blood flows in the direction of the heart, they open. When the Musclesthey close and prevent the blood from flowing back.
The importance of movement
During movement, the so-called muscle belly (the swelling of a skeletal muscle between its origin and attachment) acts like a pump, because the pressure of the muscle causes the blood to be pumped upwards. Without movement, however, little or nothing would happen in the veins, because every muscle movement alternately exerts a pressure or suction on the veins. If the force - whether pressure effect or suction effect - on the veins were missing, the heart would have to work hard and pump both the arterial blood and the venous blood through the entire body.
In other words, a muscle pump only works properly when it is activated by movement. That is why it is important to keep moving your legs and feet. Even those with proven venous insufficiency can delay if not prevent the disease.
What movement is good for the muscle pump?
In and of itself, any movement of the legs and feet is good for activating the muscle pump. This means running, cycling, swimming, walking or hiking. If you work a lot sitting down, you should try to get up every now and then and take the stairs instead of the lift. Even when sitting, you can still get moderate exercise - provided you sit on an ergonomic chair that allows movement, such as the one Swopper from Aeris.
