Good circulation is vital if you want to have the best health possible. Circulation throughout your body is controlled by its circulatory system, which is made up of approximately 60,000 miles of blood vessels, your heart, and your lungs. Poor circulation can be detrimental and cause a host of health problems. Therefore, it’s vital to improve your circulation whenever possible.
Why is Good Circulation Important?
When it’s functioning correctly, your circulatory system delivers a constant supply of blood and oxygen throughout your body.
Good circulation:
- helps your heart, kidneys, brain, and cells operate at their best
- fights infection and helps the healing process when you get sick or have a wound
- removes waste from your body
- improves the immune system
Just as good circulation is important to your health, poor circulation can hamper your health. When your body has impaired circulation, it doesn’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to operate its best.
What Factors Lead to Poor Circulation?
Poor circulation occurs when something restricts the delivery of blood and oxygen in your body or with the valves that direct where the blood goes.
Certain conditions and risk factors can place you at a higher risk of developing poor circulation, including:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure or cholesterol
- Peripheral artery disease
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Varicose veins
- Anemia
- Aging, particularly in people over 40 years of age
- Smoking
- Plaque buildup in your arteries, or atherosclerosis
- Being overweight or having a sedentary lifestyle
If you have any of these conditions, it’s essential to find ways to boost circulation in your body.
But, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with a health condition that can lead to poor circulation or don’t feel you have any of the risk factors associated with impaired circulation, how can you know if you have a circulation problem? Chances are, your body is giving you warning signs.
Symptoms and Warning Signs of Poor Circulation
If your body isn’t getting the blood and oxygen it needs, you may experience some of these warning signs:
- Swelling in your ankles, legs, and feet
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
- Cold hands and feet
- Skin ulcers on your legs or feet
- Varicose veins
- Changes in the color of your skin
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
- Feeling fatigued
- Cramping or stiffness in joints and muscles
- Digestive complaints
- Slow healing of wounds or lingering infections
These symptoms of poor circulation can lower your quality of life. In severe cases, impaired circulation can cause a stroke, heart attack, or other complications.
If you have any of these symptoms or signs, contact your physician to help determine the cause of poor circulation in your body. Then, they can determine the best treatment plan to improve your body’s circulation.
It’s important to understand that you may not experience symptoms even if the circulation in your body is compromised. This is particularly the case in the beginning before slowed circulation has damaged your body.
That’s why it’s important to get your blood pumping better before poor circulation causes long-term damage to your body.
5 Ways to Improve Your Circulation
Fortunately, there are ways to boost the flow of blood in your body. Here are five ways to improve your circulation:
- Get more exercise. Incorporate cardiovascular exercises into your fitness routine. These include walking, running, or biking, which all boost circulation. Just remember to consult your physician before beginning an exercise program.
- Eat more omega-3-rich foods. Consume fish two-to-three times a week, particularly heart-healthy options like salmon, tuna, and sardines. Iron-rich foods are also good at improving circulation, especially if you are anemic.
- Stop smoking. Smoking causes plaque to build up in your veins, destroys the walls of blood vessels, and slows the flow of blood in your body. If you stop smoking, it can dramatically improve your health, particularly when you do it sooner rather than later.
- Wear compression hose. If you have swelling in your lower extremities, you likely already have poor circulation. Compression stockings help reduce leg swelling and push blood back up to your heart where it needs to go. Pregnant women, diabetics, and people who work all day on their feet benefit from wearing compression socks. It’s also a good idea to elevate your legs whenever possible to help blood flow back to your heart.
- Consider using a circulation-boosting product like Revitive. A U.K. study showed that the neuromuscular electrical stimulation produced by the Revitive Circulation Booster improved blood flow, enhanced blood return to the heart, and prevented swelling in the legs. Using Revitive reduces pain and improves exercise performance, potentially enhancing cardiovascular health. Medical experts and users alike agree that Revitive plays a vital role in improving circulation. Ask your doctor if Revitive is right for you.
