Circulation is imperative for oxygenating the cells and delivering vital nutrients around your body. The networks of veins and arteries need efficient blood flow to provide the cells in every part of your body with what they need to function and stay healthy. Poor circulation can be caused by a variety of underlying issues, from Raynaud’s, obesity and varicose veins, to blood clots and diabetes. Impaired circulation can result in symptoms like tingling, pain, numbness, coldness in the extremities, and muscle cramps, and the focus of treatment is usually on those underlying causes. There are also small things you can do to help encourage better circulation, and this collaborative post takes a look at four suggestions.
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Good circulation is so important to your health, but it’s not something that we tend consider very often, at least not unless we have a problem with it. When blood is pumped around the body, it delivers oxygen and valuable nutrients to your cells and carries away waste products. This process is central to countless bodily functions and if you have poor blood flow, it leads to a lot of issues. You may lack energy, feel cold and numb in your hands and feet, suffer from bloating or experience tingling and cramping. The good news is, you could notice a big difference to your overall wellness if you can find ways to increase your circulation. Your medical specialist should be assessing any underlying problems causing the poor blood flow, but there are also a few ways we can give it a general boost ourselves.
1. Exercise For A Natural Boost
Everybody knows that exercise is good for your health but you might not realize that it has a big impact on your circulation, too. When you exercise regularly, you get the blood pumping and strengthen your heart, which has a positive effect on your circulation. The best thing is, you don’t need to go running or spend hours in the gym to see the benefit. Anything that raises your heart rate slightly will help boost your circulation, so even taking a regular walk or doing vigorous housework will have a positive effect and improve your overall health. You can also try these specific exercises, which have been shown to immediately improve circulation.
2. Compression Socks & Gloves
Compression socks are a great way to naturally boost circulation, especially if you often get numb or cold feet. When you wear compression socks, they squeeze the blood vessels, which increases the flow of blood and pushes it back towards your heart. It also stops blood from moving into smaller veins instead of back towards the heart. You can wear compression socks in bed for added comfort and improved circulation at night (see the link for additional info on this) and they can also be worn during the day. They may feel a little strange at first but you soon get used to them and they make a big difference. Compression socks are often given out to inpatients in hospital who’re lying down for long periods of time to prevent the likes of DVT (deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a vein).
You can also get compression gloves that will have the same effect on your hands. For even better results, you might consider some with copper in them because this element could help improve circulation while also helping to manage joint pain.
3. Circulation Stimulator Devices
This is a bigger investment but a worthwhile one to try if you have circulation problems or even restless leg syndrome. Stimulator devices like the Revitive Circulation Booster range can help work the muscles and promote blood flow, which is great for tired, achy legs as well as things like swollen feet or poor circulation from Raynaud’s. See my gift guide for more circulation booster recommendations.
4. Try Green Tea
Green tea has long been championed for its health benefits, so if you struggle with poor circulatory system function then it might be worth giving it a try. A review of research in 2013 discovered green tea could help with increasing blood flow and lowering cholesterol, thus helping with other heart related issues. Studies show that, among many other health benefits, green tea can improve your circulation by increasing the size of your blood vessels. In the short term, this means that blood flow is easier and symptoms associated with poor flow will reduce. In the long term, it’s believed that drinking adequate green tea could even improve your heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease. People with improved blood flow also get more oxygen to the brain, meaning that a few cups of green tea could potentially boost your cognitive ability, too.
People often underestimate the impact that poor circulation can have on their overall health. The good news is, these simple remedies could make a big difference. We can probably all benefit from boosting our blood flow, but always speak to your doctor if you have any concerns or aren’t sure whether something is right for you. If you suspect you have poor circulation but don’t know what the underlying reason might be, seek professional advice.
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Caz ♥
18 comments
I had no idea that green tea was good for circulation. We learn something every day ????
I didn’t know about the green tea either helped with circulation.
I am usually a regular drinker of green tea. But I have not had any for a couple of months.
With six strokes in my history from 1999 to 2007, I’m up on all the stuff that prevents clots! ????
Maybe a good subject for another blog would be to recognize the first symptoms of need for this, as when I had my first stroke, I did not even realize what had happened!
Anita and I were unloading a UHaul from our move from Wisconsin back to Kentucky and had to drive the truck back for a last weekend up north. I felt weak and could not speak very well, and felt a trembling on my left side. She thought I just needed water from the heat, and by the time she came back, the symptoms were passing.
We drove to WI, and back to KY after the weekend. A casual conversation with a friend who was my doctor, and he recommended an MRI and said I had experienced a stroke! Left a quarter-sized patch of fried cells on my right parietal lobe, and he said he had patients with less brain damage who were bed-ridden for the rest of their lives. I noted, they must be people who USED their brains, and fortunately I did not! ????
Amazingly, Father has continued to give me good function after each stroke, so must be more for me to do for Him. Keep me in your prayers that I will be found faithful. c.a.
Not sure about Green Tea personally speaking, but I guess that everyone is different. Some Healthcare professionals swear by it, and others warn against it. Like that with mostly every alternative to conventional medicine though.
Great post 🙂
So important to have good circulation. I didn’t know about the green tea though. I’ll tell hubby because he has green tea every day.
Have a fabulous day, Caz. Big hug. ♥
Green tea? No kidding. I’ll have to forward this to sis. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.
Exercise. Movement of any kind…keep your body as active as you can and it will return the favor! Great list
I didn’t know about green tea, I was drinking it for a while but it didn’t agree with me, so I stopped. Exercise is so good and important for our overall health, I exercise every day unless I have an appointment to get to, I always feel so good after. Another great post, thank you Caz. xoxo
Oh sorry, I left out that I like to exercise in the morning, otherwise I kind of get lazy LOL
Super ideas Caz. Thank you!
This is a brilliant post. Circulation is so important especially now in the time of lockdown. I know different countries have different rules about lockdown, but one thing is certain – we are not getting the same amount of exercise that we did before. Many people are struggling right now with the circulation and posts like the one you have just put on can be a lifesaver. Thank you so much for sharing. PS I love green tea
Best wishes Tenzin
Great suggestions! You are always so informative. xo
How interesting!
I drink green tea every day with lunch. I love it when something you love is also good for you.
So here’s a circulation story for you … In winter we keep the heat off or very low, to save on energy costs and because in Southern California it doesn’t really get all that cold. But a few years ago we had a cool, wet winter, and at some point over the course of it I developed these small weird red painful hard bumps on my fingers, which gradually flattened out and turned into big flat red bruise type things. My doctor had no idea what they were and sent me to see a dermatologist, who diagnosed them as chilblains. CHILBLAINS! Like I was a character in a Dickens novel. Anyway it turns out that chilblains tend to develop when it’s damp and cool but not freezing, and they’re related to circulation in your extremities. So now we keep the heat at about 60 in winter, plus I think the extra exercising I do on the rowing machine that we have now also helps keep my circulation going a bit better …
I really need to try compression socks and gloves.
A great post with alternative ways for boosting circulation. I definitely underestimated the impact that poor circulation can have on health but after reading this, it makes sense that it is so important. If this isn’t motivation for me to do my housework then I don’t know what is, haha. I’m also amazed by the positive impact green tea can have on circulation! A definite eye-opener, thanks Caz.
Gemma x
I found the information on green tea very helpful–thank you
I drink some green tea but usually go for English breakfast (black) tea. Iced, though, there’s nothing better than green tea with a lot of ice. It is great here in Florida! ???? I’m guessing the benefits are better when the tea is hot. Good info, thank you. – George