When most of us think of our health and wellness, the first thing we think is usually not, “how’s my blood circulation doing?”
In fact, we probably think of our blood circulation the most when we have cold hands or feet. But the reality is good blood circulation is important for maintaining our overall health. To enhance your understanding of ways to improve blood circulation, consider exploring alternative therapies and tools like the oximeter Australia which can help you monitor your vital signs and gauge the effectiveness of these approaches.
Poor circulation can lead to some scary issues like blood clots or deep vein thrombosis. Or even lack of energy or hair loss. Everyone can benefit from having good circulation, so what can we do about it? Honestly, many things. Let’s explore:
Exercise
Exercise is, without a doubt, one of the best things to improve your blood circulation. During exercise, our blow flow increases as it enters the arteries more efficiently.
While any exercise is good, aerobic exercise is the best because it puts our heart under moderately healthy stress to get it working.
This is because as the heart works harder, it will increase the blood with each pump. The more our heart rate increases, the more blood begins pumping. That’s why walking, jogging, swimming, and other cardiovascular exercises are preferred.
How hard your heart works will depend on your fitness levels. If you haven’t exercised in a while, it’s important to start moderately, so you don’t put your heart under too much stress.
Compression Socks and Compression Therapy
Something that doesn’t require a lot of effort but is gaining popularity in improving blood flow is wearing professional but cute medical compression socks for women or engaging in compression therapy.
Compression therapy has been made popular by brands like NormaTec where clients can wear boots that are hooked up to pressurized machines.
The boots tighten, creating pressure on your muscles for an extended amount of time and creating blood flow to promote things like recovery.
The idea is nearly the same for those who wear compression socks or stockings. Compression socks come in different kinds, but all serve to improve blood flow in the legs.
Compression therapy is not always affordable, but compression socks certainly are.
Massage, So Many Kinds
Compression therapy is sort of like massage therapy, but massage therapy deserves its own category.
The easiest way to consider how massage therapy helps blood flow is when we see athletes going in for massage therapy. They are going to get a faster recovery, and that happens when the tissues and muscles are adequately receiving enough blood flow to regroup.
By putting pressure in certain areas, it helps move blood in blocked or congested areas due to scar tissue.
Traditional massage therapy is one way to get circulation going, but this can be an expensive alternative. That’s why massage guns have become a popular item because it helps pay themselves off over time.
Massage guns have a series of attachments to help different access muscles a little easier. And an even more affordable approach to massage is using a foam roller. You can roll out different muscles with a foam roller or massage stick to help improve your circulation.
Giving Up Smoking
Smoking has a lot of serious consequences. One of them is causing poor circulation. When you smoke, you are thickening your blood which makes it difficult for the blood to travel smoothly through your veins. This puts you at risk for blood clots and heart disease.
Healthy Diets
Eating healthy can also have a positive impact on your blood flow and circulation. For instance, dark leafy greens help thin your blood and improve oxygen circulation.
Anything with a good source of Omega 3 can also be particularly helpful. This is usually in fish like Salmon.
Omega 3 helps your body release nitric oxide, which in turn, increases your blood flow because it dilates your blood vessels.
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy or infrared therapy helps improve circulation by helping your cells recover and enhancing their function. The infrared waves using red light therapy beds help stimulate cellular healing while also eliminating or removing harmful toxins that have entered the body.
It also helps the cells move and oxygenate areas that are having a challenging time getting it.
Studies have shown that only red light therapy for pain improves blood flow during a session but also for 30 minutes after as well.
Using Different Combos
You may find yourself liking one approach over another. But in reality, all these approaches can be combined to take advantage of their glorious benefits.
When you combine a healthy diet with exercise and alternative recovery techniques, it is proven that blood flow and good circulation are one of the many benefits.
You also are eliminating your risk for disease while boosting your immune system. So, what are you waiting for? Get trying these methods out now.
