13/12/2025
The more we know about how the body works, the more we must stop and ask questions about what we do to affect and influence it, particularly for our friends with neurological disorders🤔
Repost
You’ve heard the heart drives circulation…
but your calf muscles especially the gastrocnemius and soleus are just as crucial.
That’s why they’re called the “second heart.”
Every step you take, every toe raise or small movement, activates your calf muscle pump. This pump pushes blood upward through your veins, back to the heart, fighting gravity a process called venous return.
When this pump is weak or inactive, circulation slows. The result? • Blood pooling in the legs
• Poor vein health
• Swelling, heaviness, and fatigue
• Increased risk of DVT
This is why physiotherapy places so much emphasis on lower-limb movement, especially for people who sit or stand for long hours.
Even short, regular movements can boost circulation, support vein health, and protect your cardiovascular system.
Your circulation isn’t powered by the heart alone it’s powered by movement.
Remember: your second heart needs to move.
