7 Degrees of Elevation is all it takes.. Forgive me as I'm new to blogging; novice ahead, beware! I may be a novice in this field but I am an expert when it comes to sports, recovery and sleep!
As an avid cyclist, I put myself through many hours of training week after week, this includes early mornings and sometimes late night racing followed by an early start the following day.
Without quality sleep my bodies ability to perform and recover would diminish. There are many key factors to good sleep and it takes discipline to make sure we get the adequate rest we need.
As Rachel Beard - A. H Beard Sleep Wellness Manager states;
“Sleep directly impacts how we look, feel, and perform and it can have a major impact on our overall quality of life. It is the superpower we need to reach our goals and ultimately live our best life.”
TOMORROWS Performance starts tonight
For me I want to focus on getting optimum recovery not only for my body but for my legs & circulation. As the owner and director of Napp Beds, I naturally have a great bed! I sleep on the Refresh, the adjustable bed system is just fantastic.
Personally the ability to elevate my feet in just the slightest way takes my relaxation to a whole new level! I have suffered 7 fractured bones through my pelvis and I am fortunate enough (sic) to have one longer leg. What these things entail is a lumbar / hip area that is under more duress than most. Couple that with the thousands of cyclical rotations I do on the bike to build wonderful performing and supportive muscle means that when it comes to rest I want to get it spot on! I really need to encourage my leg/lumbar spine into its most rested position to enable those muscles to turn off and let the magical recovery process to begin.
Studies show that 7-15 Deg elevation is all it takes!
Elevating your legs from as little as 7-15 degree with a maximum of 30 degrees is all it takes to kick start such health benefits as;
- *Promoting circulation
- *Relieving tired, swollen/ fatigued or painful limbs.
- *Reducing incidents of DVT occurring
- *Enhancing Spinal Alignment
Promotes Circulation
Better Blood Circulation relieves tired/ swollen and painful limbs.
Slight incline uses gravity to bring stagnant blood from your feet, to your knees, to your upper legs, back to the core of the body for filtering and recirculation. Elevation of the legs during sleep, has a positive effect on inflammation too. Reducing blood pooling in your legs and feet leads to a reduction in pressure and swelling. That’s why many people find that sleeping with legs elevated at night has a positive effect on lower body inflammation and back pain.
DVT - Thrombosis
Adjustable beds, or even an elevated leg pillow, can help with deep vein thrombosis prevention because these methods of leg elevation aid blood circulation and swelling reduction. Many patients who already have DVT report that, at the very least, lifting legs up above the heart helps relieve some pain.
Spinal Alignment, relaxing the back muscles
Keeping your legs slightly elevated while laying on your back (or even while sitting) helps you keep good posture and can take pressure off the lower back.
I have only provided a brief overview of just some of the health benefits, there are many more & you may find you discover some personal advantages to your own health needs.
So why not invest in your health and sleep better today.
Napp Adjustable - more than just a great bed
Bridget - Owner/Director Napp Beds Australia
