Thinking of how to improve blood circulation in feet? Proper blood circulation is essential if you want to maintain optimal health, especially if you are past your thirties, where cardiovascular anomalies become increasingly common.
The body’s circulation system is responsible for sending oxygenated blood throughout the body and bringing back deoxygenated blood for oxygen resupplying. Poor circulation can cause numerous health maladies, and may also cause a person to develop deadly conditions that can shorten his/her life.
The most common symptoms of poor circulation include tingling in the extremities, a general feeling of numbness, stinging pains in your limbs, and inexplicable muscular cramps. We must also take into consideration that pre-existing medical conditions such as erectile dysfunction can cause different symptoms as well if circulatory issues occur on top of the said pre-existing conditions. Â
What are the symptoms of poor blood circulation in the legs?
In addition to the symptoms that we have already mentioned previously, it is also possible for a person with circulatory issues to experience coldness in the extremities even if the ambient temperature in the room isn’t cold at all. The coldness may be due to pinched nerves, yes, but also because of poor circulation. The tissues in the affected region may no longer be receiving the right quantity of oxygen and nutrients, and the person physically felts the result.
How to Improve Blood Circulation in Legs and Feet Naturally?
Fortunately for everyone, there are several methods of improving the quality of circulation in your body.
Walking
Walking is the simplest and most straightforward way to get some exercise and to improve circulation and breathing. Regular walking benefits not just the heart, but also the lungs and the kidneys, as sweating helps carry away excess moisture, salts, and nitrogenous waste from the body.
People with kidney issues are advised to exercise to reduce the strain on their kidneys. Another benefit of walking is that it is low-impact, which means it won’t affect any inflamed joints you might have. It also promotes youthfulness and weight loss.
It may not shed fifty pounds immediately, but if you walk vigorously on most days, you are going to see some progress with your weight loss efforts.
And finally, walking not only helps ease circulatory issues, but it also helps improve your mood, and it doctors say it can even protect you from several types of cancer by reducing your risk of developing cancer. Exercise, in general, is like this, so if you have been thinking of starting with exercise, now would be a good time to do so.
Stretching
Plyometric stretching exercises are good for beginners, and they are awesome for people who are suffering from poor circulation. The reason for this is that the muscles are constantly in motion, contracting, and relaxing, and this necessitates an increase in the blood volume being pumped throughout the body. The heart gets a good exercise, and the blood around the body is also renewed, and rendered more adequate for delivering oxygen and nutrients.
Proper posture and positioning
Too often, people work in desk jobs that make them slouch. This creates a bad posture for circulation, generally speaking. If your work requires you to be almost stationary for hours, you may want to gently straighten your back so you can begin breathing from the belly again, and then instead of crossing your legs, space them apart adequately so that circulation will begin to improve. Taking short, five minute walks in between your working hours might be a good idea as well. Alternating sitting and standing while working on your desk can also encourage better circulation, though you still need to get in a bit of exercise to make sure that your heart, lungs, and blood vessels are doing alright.
Wear compression stockings
If your job involves standing most of the day, wearing compression stockings will help save the blood vessels on your legs and feet. What compression stockings do is they mimic the contraction that occurs when you are moving, and this gets your legs to move internally, lessening the freezing or muscular paralysis felt when you are constantly standing with few breaks in between. The contraction and relaxation that frequently occurs because of the compression stockings directly stimulate better blood circulation in the legs.
Reconsider smoking
Smoking has been known to decrease the circulation in the extremities radically. If you are a long-time smoker, you may already be experiencing the numbness and tingling associated with tobacco consumption. Stopping now or at least cutting down your consumption can do wonders for your circulatory system. Tobacco doesn’t just impair the circulatory system: the diminished delivery of oxygen to the extremities has also been known to wreak havoc with blood vessels, damaging them and even causing blood vessel death in some cases.
Effectively manage your stress
Stress can destroy whole organ systems if left unchecked. It is essential that at this point, you already know how to manage your stress. Try methods like Zen meditation, or starting a hobby to keep your mind off the stress. This will benefit your heart and lungs in the long term.
How to improve circulation in legs while sleeping?
If you are experiencing swelling while you sleep, it may be a good idea to place pillows between your legs, or you can also use bed wedges if they are more comfortable. Raising your legs above heart level can help improve circulation and reduce the chances of edema or water retention in the legs. Sleeping with your legs elevated can also reduce the pressure on your lower spine, which is often the main trigger for sciatic pain. The same principle applies if you are suffering from constant backaches.
