Peripheral Artery Disease and Improving Your Blood Circulation

When it comes to peripheral artery disease, one of the best ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to improve your blood circulation. Getting blood flow back from the legs can be difficult because you’re working against gravity, attempting to pump the blood “uphill.” When you walk, though, your foot and leg muscles contract and relax, which pumps blood back up your legs to your heart. When those same muscles relax, new blood fills the veins in your legs. If you lead a largely sedentary lifestyle, it’s harder for blood to make this journey and – as a result – it can end up pooling around your ankles, causing pain. In today’s post, we’re going to look at a few simple blood circulation tips.

Exercise

Whether you take a brisk walk in the morning or you hit the gym during your lunch hour, exercise improves blood flow tremendously. If your circulation is poor, we recommend starting with gentle, low-impact exercises and working up to more challenging activities over time.

Posture

If you work an office job, one of the easiest ways to improve your circulation is to work on your posture. Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor and engage your core muscles to keep you balanced. Sitting “right,” isn’t just great for your circulation, either, it helps to keep your bones and joints aligned.

Sleep

In addition to reducing stress and fatigue, proper sleep reduces tension in the body and allows the muscles to relax. Because of this, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the easiest – and most effective – ways to improve your circulation.

At Advanced Vascular Surgery, we are the area’s leading experts when it comes to peripheral artery disease. Offering a range of PAD treatment options, we pride ourselves on our ability to meet – and exceed – our clients’ needs. To discuss any concerns that you have, we encourage you to reach out to us today.