12 Ways to Improve Your Circulation for Healthy Blood Flow, According to Doctors

This is a partial reprint of an article by Krissy Brady on Prevention.com, a list of a dozen natural ways to improve circulation. Visit the article to see all the details. 

My personal interest in healthy circulation is due to gum recession. I don't yet know if this will help, but dehydration and poor circulation can affect teeth and gums, and I believe that incorporating some of these ideas - I've been rather lazy of late - will not only improve overall wellness, but help my gums as well. 

What is Your WHY for wanting to improve your circulation? When you have a WHY, you are more likely to start a plan and stick with it. So, go for it! 

1 - Go on regular walks.

“Contraction of the calf muscles causes venous blood to be pushed back up to the heart,” says Misty Humphries, M.D., a board-certified vascular surgeon and associate professor of vascular surgery in Sacramento, CA. “The arteries dilate when patients walk and improve blood flow all throughout the body.” 

2 - Take more work breaks

Do your best to take stretch breaks every 15 to 20 minutes, and get-up-and-go breaks from sitting every hour—even if it’s just a power walk around your home.

3 - Eat more fruits and veggies

Besides reducing your sugar and fatty food intake to steer clear of high blood pressure, plaque formation, and diabetes, adding more fruits and veggies to your repertoire leads to more nitrates and other compounds in your diet, says Dr. Patel, which your body then uses to create nitric oxide—a chemical compound we exhale that boosts blood flow by relaxing blood vessels.

4 - Stay Hydrated

“Your blood is about half water, so staying well-hydrated will help keep it moving,” says Dr. Patel. When you’re dehydrated, not only does the amount of blood circulating through your body decrease, but your blood retains more sodium, causing it to thicken and making it that much harder for your circulatory system to do its thing.

5 - Quit smoking

Smoking causes a build-up of plaque in your arteries that can ultimately lead to peripheral artery disease (PAD). 

6 - Manage your blood pressure

Exercising, cutting back on sodium, and reducing stress are some of the lifestyle factors that can help lower your blood pressure and improve your circulation in the process. 

7 - Control your blood sugar

Elevated glucose levels can cause damage to the lining of your small blood vessels and this can mess with your circulation.

 8 - Wear compression socks

Wear compression socks from morning to evening to steadily squeeze your legs so your veins can move blood more efficiently. 

9 - Elevate your legs

Elevating your legs (at or above heart level) improves blood flow to the rest of your body by keeping the blood from pooling in your lower legs. “When you elevate your legs it helps take the pressure off your veins, since they don’t have to work against gravity to get blood back to the heart,” says Dr. Patel.

10 - Drink green tea

Green tea contains catechins, which are compounds that help to improve blood vessel function.

11 - Take it easy on the booze

“Alcohol consumption at levels above one to two drinks per day is associated with high blood pressure,”

12 - Finally, have a family meeting 

“Even without classic risk factors, your genetics and family history play a key role in plaque development.”