Swollen Ankles and Legs From Sitting: What Helps

Desk jobs, long drives and long-haul flights all have the same effect: by evening, your ankles and lower legs feel heavy and your shoes feel tighter.

Why it happens

When you sit still for hours, the calf muscles stop doing their usual job of squeezing fluid back up the legs. Gravity does the rest, and fluid gathers around the ankles.

What actually helps

• Get up every 30–60 minutes. Even a two-minute walk to fill a glass of water counts.
• Calf pumps at your desk. Heels down, toes up, twenty times. Repeat a few times a day.
• Ankle circles. Ten each way, each foot.
• Legs up in the evening. Five to ten minutes with legs raised against a wall.
• Walk after meals. Ten minutes is enough to make a difference to how the day ends.
• Watch the salt and stay hydrated. Both affect how much fluid your body holds on to.

On long flights

Walk the aisle when you can, keep doing calf pumps, and avoid crossing your legs for hours. Compression socks are worth considering, especially on flights over four hours.

When to see a doctor

Swelling in one leg only, pain, warmth or redness, or breathlessness all need medical attention promptly, since they can indicate a blood clot. Persistent swelling in both legs is also worth a GP appointment.

General information only, not medical advice.