How to improve your circulatory system today

Read time: 3 minutes

As you go about your day, your heart and blood vessels are hard at work, moving blood through your entire body. For those keeping score at home, we’re talking roughly 2,000 gallons a day!

In fact, our bodies are lined with about 60,000 miles of blood vessels — that’s more than twice the circumference of Earth, which is 24,901 miles at the equator. These veins, arteries and capillaries form a closed loop that begins and ends at your heart.

As your heart beats, it pumps blood through the intricate network of arteries and veins to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your body’s muscles, tissues and organs. This amazing network also removes waste, like carbon dioxide, and takes it to organs that can get rid of it. To say that’s critical to your overall health and well-being is an understatement!

Also referred to as the cardiovascular system, the circulatory system is a different name for the same thing.

Circulation roadblocks

Sometimes, circulation problems occur due to conditions and disorders that cause slowdowns or blockages in the blood vessels, which can make it harder for them to deliver oxygen to your body. Just a few of these include atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), high cholesterol and blood pressure, arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), malfunctioning heart valves, stroke and heart attack.

Poor circulation signs and symptoms

If your limbs aren’t getting enough blood, your hands or feet may feel cold or numb. If you’re light-skinned, your legs might take on a blue tinge. Poor circulation can also turn your nails brittle, dry your skin, and if you have diabetes, cause sores to heal more slowly.

Simple steps you can do today to help keep your circulatory system healthy

You can help keep your heart and blood vessels healthy in many ways, including by:

Older woman smiling holding a glass of water.

Older man standing alone outside and checking his watch after going for a run

Older woman eating a salad in the kitchen.

Older man after workout with towel around shoulders.

Drinking plenty of water

Since blood is about half water, you need to stay hydrated to keep it moving. Try to get about eight glasses of water in a day. You’ll need more if you exercise or if it’s hot outside.
Avoiding tobacco products

Nicotine harms the walls of your arteries and thickens your blood so much it can’t get through. If you use tobacco products, quit. Your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Getting regular physical activity. Aim for at least 150 minutes every week

When you walk, swim or do similar aerobic exercises, you take in more oxygen and move it to your muscles. That gets your heart pumping, making it stronger, and lowers your blood pressure. Walking at moderate to intense speeds — roughly 3 mph — offers the greatest health benefits.
Eating heart-healthy foods, like those high in fiber and low in saturated fats

Foods good for circulation include plant-based fruits and vegetables. Saturated fats that can be found in red meat, chicken, cheese, etc., aren’t. Also try to limit your salt intake.
Managing high blood pressure

If your blood pressure is too high, it can cause arteriosclerosis, a condition that hardens your arteries and can play a part in compromising blood flow. Aim for 120/80 or less, but check with your doctor about the best numbers for your age and health.
Asking your doctor about compression socks

Compression socks put a little squeeze on your legs to keep your blood from “hanging out” too long in your legs. Compression socks will help the blood move back up to your heart. Ask your doctor if compression socks might be right for you.
Not sitting all day

Sitting for hours at a time can weaken leg muscles and slow the blood flow in your legs, which could cause a clot. Try to stand or take a short walk at regular intervals. This can work the valves in your leg veins, sending blood up to your heart.
Enjoying the comfort of warm water

Warm water makes your arteries and veins open a bit wider, letting more blood through. Take a warm bath or enjoy a cup of hot tea or water, which has the same effect.
Getting the sleep you need every night

Try to get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night. In fact, a study showed that after just six weeks of shortened sleep, the cells in our blood vessels can become inflamed and dysfunctional, which is an early step in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Drinking plenty of water

Since blood is about half water, you need to stay hydrated to keep it moving. Try to get about eight glasses of water in a day. You’ll need more if you exercise or if it’s hot outside.
Avoiding tobacco products

Nicotine harms the walls of your arteries and thickens your blood so much it can’t get through. If you use tobacco products, quit. Your doctor or pharmacist can help.

Getting regular physical activity. Aim for at least 150 minutes every week

When you walk, swim or do similar aerobic exercises, you take in more oxygen and move it to your muscles. That gets your heart pumping, making it stronger, and lowers your blood pressure. Walking at moderate to intense speeds — roughly 3 mph — offers the greatest health benefits.
Eating heart-healthy foods, like those high in fiber and low in saturated fats

Foods good for circulation include plant-based fruits and vegetables. Saturated fats that can be found in red meat, chicken, cheese, etc., aren’t. Also try to limit your salt intake.

Managing high blood pressure

If your blood pressure is too high, it can cause arteriosclerosis, a condition that hardens your arteries and can play in a part in compromising blood flow. Aim for 120/80 or less, but check with your doctor about the best numbers for your age and health.
Asking your doctor about compression socks

Compression socks put a little squeeze on your legs to keep your blood from “hanging out” too long in your legs. Compression socks will help the blood move back up to your heart. Ask your doctor if compression socks might be right for you.

Not sitting all day

Sitting for hours at a time can weaken leg muscles and slow the blood flow in your legs, which could cause a clot. Try to stand or take a short walk at regular intervals. This can work the valves in your leg veins, sending blood up to your heart.
Enjoying the comfort of warm water

Warm water makes your arteries and veins open a bit wider, letting more blood through. Take a warm bath or enjoy a cup of hot tea or water, which has the same effect.

Getting the sleep you need every night

Try to get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night. In fact, a study showed that after just six weeks of shortened sleep, the cells in our blood vessels can become inflamed and dysfunctional, which is an early step in the development of cardiovascular disease.

It can be hard to make lifestyle changes. But perhaps the very thought of how your powerful and intricate circulatory system works might inspire you to give some of these tips a try.