Exercises to improve circulation. The best activity to improve circulation is aerobic exercise – the kind that makes you mildly out of breath. This includes jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, rowing, boxing, team sports, aerobic or cardio classes, or brisk walking.
Walking is the simplest yet most effective exercise to help improve blood circulation in your legs. Walk at a comfortable pace every day. Walking will increase the muscle contraction in your legs and improve the blood flow in your limbs and throughout your body.
Pomegranate juice is rich in polyphenol antioxidants, which research suggests can improve blood circulation. This juice also has nutrients, including vitamin C, which strengthens blood vessels and can improve blood flow in that way.
Staying hydrated helps circulation by improving blood flow throughout the body. Warm water is particularly beneficial as it encourages the veins to expand, thus allowing more room for blood to flow.
Start doing daily stretching, exercises, or yoga to increase blood flow. Do aerobic or cardio exercises to get your blood moving and your heart rate up. Wear compression stockings to encourage the blood to move from your legs back up to your heart. Eat a healthy diet to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Plaque buildup, blood clots or narrowed blood vessels can lead to poor circulation. When obstacles or narrow paths slow down blood flow, it's difficult for your body to send blood to every part of your body in an efficient way. Exercise and healthy food can help.
Because they are rich in potassium, bananas help the body's circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. This also helps the body maintain a regular heartbeat, lower blood pressure and a proper balance of water in the body, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Vasodilators are medications that open (dilate) blood vessels. They affect the muscles in the walls of the arteries and veins, preventing the muscles from tightening and the walls from narrowing. As a result, blood flows more easily through the vessels. The heart doesn't have to pump as hard, reducing blood pressure.
Potassium (Vitamin K)
Potassium is an essential mineral for many important bodily functions, including blood circulation. It keeps the blood vessel walls strong and can even help prevent bulging veins.
One of the most important of these benefits is an improvement in heart health and circulation. Specifically, vitamin B3 has been shown to reduce inflammation and increase circulation. People who always have cold hands and feet may want to consider a vitamin B supplement to improve blood flow and heart health.
Research has shown that in most parts of the body, caffeine acts as a vasodilator by stimulating the release of nitric oxide. That means it widens blood vessels to increase blood flow and improve circulation.
Fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons contain antioxidants shown to decrease inflammation and prevent blood clots from forming, allowing blood to flow easily through the body. This popular seasonal fruit is super high in L-citrulline, which studies show combats hypertension.
Fruits: Raisins, prunes, dried figs, apricots, apples, grapes and watermelons not only get the red blood cells flowing but also improve the blood count. Citrus fruits like oranges, amla or Indian gooseberry, lime and grapefruit help to attract iron. They play a very important role in increasing blood count.
The test: Turn your palms upwards in front of you and stretch out your fingers, almost as if you're reaching for something just out of touch. If the creases in your palm are pale, regardless of skin tone, this may mean you're suffering from poor circulation in your blood vessels due to low iron levels.
If you have poor circulation, you may experience swelling in your feet, ankles, and legs. Swelling, also called edema, happens when blood pools in one area of the body. You may notice taut, warm skin, heaviness or stiffness in the surrounding joints, and pain.
Not only is poor blood circulation in the legs and feet uncomfortable, but it can cause life-threatening problems if it goes unchecked. Always seek medical assistance if you're suffering from any of the symptoms, especially if you've been diagnosed with one of the known causes of poor blood circulation.
Elevating your legs while you sleep can help your circulation and prevent swelling. It's best to elevate your legs above the level of your heart. Wedge-shaped pillows make this easier to do. You can also use pillows or folded blankets you have on hand to elevate your legs in bed to help circulation.
Under the precepts of Chinese medicine, balance is key, and hot or warm water is considered essential to balance cold and humidity; in addition, it is believed to promote blood circulation and toxin release.