Proper circulation of blood in your legs can help the tissue of your body to take in nutrients. Blood circulation is also helpful in the elimination of waste from the body and helps in the essential functioning of the body.
How Can We Improve Blood Circulation In Your Legs?
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If you don’t face any major health issues, circulation can be improved by indulging in simple habits and making changes to every day diet.
What is proper blood circulation?
Circulation basically refers to the constant movement of blood in the boy by the pumping action of the heart.
The movement of the blood takes place inside blood vessels. It takes place by making use of arteries and veins. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart, and veins are the blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart.
The movement of blood to the heart from the lower part of the body is quite a challenging task. This is because the blood needs to travel all across the body.
The muscles that surround the vein also help in the circulation of blood. As the muscles contract through the vein, they stimulate the flow of blood towards the heart. Thus staying active even by walking can help in improving blood circulation.
Following are some of the ways by which you can improve circulation in your legs:
Walking
Walking is one of the easiest ways by which you can improve the circulation of blood in your body. It will not only help in getting into an active lifestyle, but it will also promote weight loss. Walking at any pace can improve the blood flow in your body.
Walking is helpful in proper circulation as it lowers blood pressure and also assists the contraction of muscles in the legs.
When muscles contract and relax, they squeeze around the larger veins in your legs. Thus, in the long run, it can promote healthy circulation in the body in stagnant areas of blood flow.
Stretching exercises
If you face pain in the legs due to poor blood circulation, try to engage in regular stretching. Stretching along with proper technique can help in improving blood circulation.
Stretching exercises can also be helpful in carrying oxygen and nutrients to the organs and muscles in your body. It is also helpful in proper functioning, movement, and flexibility inside the body.
Positioning of body
improper positioning of your body can also hamper the blood circulation in your body. For example, if you sit with your legs crossed, you can hamper the circulation in your body.
These positions can also cut off the blood supply to the legs. Thus, it can be difficult for the leg tissues to get an adequate supply of oxygen and blood.
Thus try to sit in a proper position if you want to improve the circulation of blood. Make sure to sit in a position that is ideal for blood circulation.
You can try the following sitting positions to improve blood circulation in your body:
- When you are sitting, try to sit with your legs a bit apart and make sure that your feet touch the floor.
- If you feel that your legs are not getting adequate circulation, you can also try to elevate your legs to improve circulation. You can try to put your legs on a stool that is almost 12-inches above the ground.
- In the sleeping position, you can keep your legs on pillows to improve the blood flow.
Use of compression stocking
Compression stockings are helpful in improving the blood flow and can also reduce swelling and pain. The use of compression stockings is essential when you have to be seated or standing for an entire day.
High pressure on your legs for a longer duration can affect blood circulation in the long run.
The use of compression stockings can be similar to the action of walking, and it can cause the legs to contract and relax.
Thus, wearing the compression stocking for even a few hours each day can easily stimulate blood flow.
Stop smoking
If you want to improve the circulation in your legs, the first thing that you need to do is to stop smoking. Smoking has lots of disadvantages.
It can lead to swelling of your ankles and can cause clots. If you smoke a lot, the heart may not function well and can cause damage to blood vessels.
If you are facing reduced circulation in the legs, following all these tips can be highly beneficial in improving the circulation of blood in the legs.
Amanda Wingfield is a certified Diabetes Management Specialist who also holds an MD in Endocrinology, with certifications from ABIM and AACE. She has a decade of experience serving thousands of patients through her independent practice and has been working in the capacity of an expert diabetes consultant for the past 4 years. Ms. Wingfield is revered by her regular readers for her in-depth research and evidence-based analysis of diabetes medications, supplements, and treatments, and her highly critical style of writing.