Your heart continuously circulates blood to all parts of your body. In fact, five quarts of blood are pumped through the blood vessels every minute by means of the heart. As blood circulates, it carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells and helps to remove excess waste products from the body. So, in cases of poor circulation, your blood doesn’t flow through your system as efficiently as it should, and you can wind up suffering from a variety of issues, such as tingling and numbness in your hands and feet, which can make it difficult to do daily activities.

Symptoms of Poor Blood Flow

For this reason, poor circulation should be taken seriously because it indicates your heart is unable to properly pump blood through your arteries and veins, potentially leading to problems such as:

• Varicose veins
• The above-mentioned numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• Pain in the extremities
• Muscle cramping in the legs, feet, arms, and hands
• Swelling or feelings of heaviness in the hands and feet
• Constantly cold extremities
• Non-healing wounds in the lower extremities
• Bloating
• Decreased energy
• Fluid retention.

In light of these issues, it’s important to take steps to improve the circulation in your hands and feet.

Ways to Improve Blood Circulation in Your Extremities

If your circulation is consistently poor, the activities presented below will help to improve your condition and in turn enhance your overall health and well-being.

1. Doing Regular Exercise

Exercising is beneficial to your body in many ways, including controlling your weight, treating your health conditions, improving your mood, and boosting your energy, as well as being a great way to enhance blood circulation. You don’t have to spend a lot of time exercising each day to see results. Any activity that gets your blood pumping is advantageous, especially walking.

2. Drinking Plenty of Water

Drinking a sufficient amount of water every day is an excellent way to counteract circulation issues, as water helps to keep materials flowing smoothly through your body, and thus helps to get rid of toxins and stimulate blood flow. No formal recommendation regarding the amount of water people should drink each day exists, because everyone needs different amounts of water. However, it’s a good idea to drink as much as you feel comfortable with throughout the day.

3. Drinking Green Tea

Besides supplying an abundance of antioxidants to help protect your cells against free radicals, which play a part in heart disease, cancer and other conditions, green tea can also help to improve your blood circulation. It dilates your blood vessels, thus giving your blood the opportunity to flow more easily throughout your body. For improved blood circulation, drink two to three cups daily.

4. Dry Brushing Your Skin Every Day

Dry brushing is great for removing dead skin cells and improving circulation. Every day before showering, scrub your skin with a dry brush by starting at your feet and rubbing in circles up to your heart. This practice will make your skin incredibly smooth, and improve your circulation.

5. Eliminating Stress

By finding ways to reduce stress, you can address a number of physical issues, including poor blood circulation. Some easy ways to combat stress are:

• Practice Yoga
• Meditate
• Limit caffeine intake
• Keep a companion animal
• Maintain a daily journal
• Listen to relaxing music
• Spend time with friends and loved ones

6. Reducing or Eliminating Alcohol Consumption

Drinking alcohol can cause numerous health issues, including hardening of the arteries, which limits your body’s ability to let your blood flow smoothly and evenly. Thus, reducing your alcohol intake to two drinks a day or eliminating it completely can go a long way toward improving your circulation.

7. Practicing Stretching Every Day

Just a few minutes of basic stretching twice a day can drastically improve your circulation, as stretching increases blood flow to your tissues and organs. Many people sit at a desk in the same position for hours every day, thus causing a whole array of health issues. Making it a habit to get up regularly, walk around, and stretch can help to overcome poor circulation, along with the host of other problems caused by too much sitting.