Ways To Improve Poor Circulation

Reduce Daily Stress

It may come as a surprise to many individuals, but reducing daily stress can greatly improve poor circulation. Stress affects the body in many ways, including preventing proper function. Stress can cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. It can also make muscles tighten and affect an individual's breathing. These things lead to serious issues, such as heart disease, which will cause poor circulation, among other problems.

Stress is a chemical reaction that can affect every part of the body and mind. Stress can cause the body significant and lasting harm if it is consistently a part of an individual's life, leading to serious medical conditions. It is important to reduce stress to help alleviate further medical problems. There are many ways to try to reduce stress, including exercise, stretching, medication, therapy, and reducing responsibilities. Incorporating even a few of these will help alleviate stress and some of the complications it brings, including poor circulation.

Avoid Crossing The Legs

An individual who wants to improve their circulation should avoid crossing their legs. Particularly, crossing their legs at the knee should be avoided for a number of reasons. Crossing the legs is known to raise both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, placing more tension on the vessels as the blood passes through them. The increased tension on the vessel walls makes it harder for blood to flow correctly. When the legs are crossed, the veins in the legs become compressed from the pressure. Increased pressure on the veins can cause blood to become trapped in them because it is unable to flow back up to the heart properly. When blood becomes trapped in the legs, it accumulates and pools. When this pooling occurs, there is less blood in overall circulation because it is not moving back to the heart for re-oxygenation. This process often leads to what is known as varicose veins. Crossing the legs also increases an individual's risk of developing a blood clot because of the poor circulation it causes. An individual should avoid crossing their legs for periods longer than ten to fifteen minutes at a time and should always get up and walk around afterward.