We all know the heart is the hub of the cardiovascular system pumping about 10 pints of oxygenated blood from your lungs out through 60,000 miles of veins and capillaries to your farthest extremities, some 100,000 times a day.
But did you know you have a second heart that also plays a crucial role in your body's circulatory system? Once blood has reached every part of the body, the veins have to carry the oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart and through the lungs, where it receives a supply of oxygen. The calf muscles are your “second heart,” squeezing veins in the lower legs to help return deoxygenated blood from the feet back up towards the chest.
Within their system of muscles and veins, calves have valves that act as trapdoors, opening and closing with each muscle contraction preventing gravity from pulling blood back down your leg veins in the wrong direction.
The thing is, the 'second heart' only starts pumping when your legs move, and that's a problem for those who sit or stand for hours at work.
Losing the calf muscle pump function can lead to symptoms of chronic vein disease, such as swelling, leg tiredness and varicose veins. At worse, a blood clot could form, which is rare but can happen when people sit for many hours.
The Importance of Movement
Exercise is essential to cardiovascular well-being. It enhances the health of veins and muscles; prompts the release of chemical messengers, that aid cardiovascular function and fight inflammation; and supports mitochondria, the cellular power plants in our bodies that create energy.
Understanding the calves’ part in the cardiovascular system makes the role of movement all the more clear. The best way to improve circulation is to get moving because every time the calf muscles contract, it helps blood flow against gravity. If you don’t move for long periods, blood and toxins collect in your lower legs and cause swelling. Sitting or lying down allows blood and lymph to pool in the calves, putting stress on your heart.
Activate your second heart one step at a time
Keeping your second heart active is easy - just walk. Take a walking break as often as you can, but at least once or twice an hour, experts say.
If you’re on a plane or stuck at your desk at work, do toe raises — flex the foot up and down. Elevating the legs over the level of your heart for 15 to 30 minutes at night time can also be helpful for people who experience bothersome swelling.
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