10 simple ways to improve your circulation

Circulation is not something you consider often, but it is very important for the health of your entire body. People with chronic circulation problems are likely to be much more in tune with their circulation needs and treatments. 

Our bodies are constantly circulating fluids, with the most important of these fluids being blood. Your heart is the driving force behind the 5 quarts of blood that are pumped through your blood vessels every single minute! Blood circulating your body transports oxygen and nutrients throughout the body in an efficient manner. If this is disrupted then the cells in our bodies can’t get rid of excess waste in our cells. 

So, poor circulation not only reduces the ability to remove waste from our systems efficiently, but it can present as numbness (pins and needles), and other discomforts – bloating, reduced energy, cold feet/hands, and fluid retention. All of which are uncomfortable, but luckily not life-threatening. 

If you have poor circulation and any of the symptoms associated then you will likely want to take steps to improve your circulation, and consequently your overall health.

Let’s get started on the 10 best ways to improve your circulation: 

There are many benefits to getting out and exercising more, according to Healthline exercise helps the body and brain with:

• Happiness
• Weight loss
• Muscles and bones
• Energy levels
• Chronic disease
• Skin health
• Brain and memory function
• Sleep
• Pain
• Sex life
• Cardiovascular system (circulation)

So exercise improves circulation, but what type of exercise is best? Well, any that get your heart beating more really! Jogging or walking, in particular, are great activities for circulation. Build your way up to more challenging physical activities if you are a novice. Examples of more advanced forms of exercise are swimming, sprinting, biking, and weightlifting.

Massages are a great way to improve your circulation whilst relaxing, they also offer numerous benefits to our health. They can stimulate blood flow, which in turn improves circulation. This is accomplished by the heat and pressure, which helps blood move through different areas of the body. When pressure is released in a massage, it may allow for increased blood flow to muscles and connective tissue where it may not have been flowing as much. 

Massages are not only great for blood, but also other bodily fluids, such as lactic acid, which makes our muscles sore, and if this is flushed quicker muscles won’t stay s sore for long. Massages also have a flushing effect on the lymphatic system fluid, which transports metabolic waste from internal organs, which lowers blood pressure and improves organ function. 

According to the Mayo Clinic website, men are meant to consume just under one gallon of water a day, and women a meant to just under three-quarters of a gallon of water a day. Most people don’t get anywhere near this. And if you do you’re probably drinking water constantly throughout the day. 

As annoying as constantly drinking water is, it has amazing health benefits, and can increase circulation by keeping fluids in your body flowing, and consequently flushing toxins out as well.

Some great items on the market to help improve circulation are the different heated products available. Heat therapy is great for circulation, and depending on your need there are a variety of heated clothing and bedding products to heat different body parts at different times of the day. These can increase circulation by concentrating heat on bodyparts suffering from poor circulation. They also increase overall comfort and can reduce muscle/joint aches. Greate heated products for enhanced circulation include:

• Heated gloves
• Heated blankets
• Heated mattress pads
• Heated socks or insoles
• Heated jackets and vests
• Heated slippers
• Heated car accessories

Each heated product offers unique heating benefits, you can find more information on heated products here. If you have poor circulation in your feet, then check out our complete guide to keeping your feet warm with poor circulation.

Green tea is not only full of antioxidants, but it can improve your blood flow by widening your blood vessels. This makes it easier for your blood to flow. If you want to see benefits for your circulation, then try and drink 2 or 3 cups a day.

Seemingly a fad, dry brushing is actually a legitimate daily routine. It improves circulation and also helps your skin health by removing dead skin cells. Before you shower in the morning or at night grab your dry brush and scrub your skin, if you need help dry brushing you can find instructions here. Dry brushing circulates fluids toward your heart from your different extremities.

Stress can damage our bodies in so many different ways, it triggers the “flight or fight: mode in us. One of the problems it can cause is problems with circulation. To reduce stress and improve circulation considering doing some of the following: yoga, meditating, limiting caffeine, journaling, listening to music, spending time outdoors, and seeing family and friends. WebMD offers a comprehensive list of relaxation techniques.

If you are on your feet a lot, sometimes you just got say “feet up” and sit down. This will take the pressure off your veins, and if you raise your feet above your heart it can improve blood circulation, reduce swelling in your feet and legs, and promote draining of veins. Try and fit in 20-30 minutes a day to elevate your legs for circulation benefits.

Moderate alcohol consumption is likely not to damage to your body. Moderate means no more than two drinks a day. If you drink more than this your arteries can harden, which negatively affects your blood flow. So cutting down on alcohol is one way to improve circulation.

Stretching can improve circulation, even just a few minutes a day can. You can get it out of the way in the morning by getting up a couple minutes earlier and going through a series of stretches. This will increase blood flow to your muscles and organs. 

Stretching is especially important if you have a sedentary job, where you sit at a desk all day. As being stationary can cause many health problems. Try and stretch and get up and walk around if you spend a lot of time sitting, this will help with circulation.

If you suffer from poor circulation, then it can hurt trying out the different methods provided on this list. Make sure to consistently consult with your doctor whenever you begin trying new home remedies.