Circulatory health is important

More Australians than ever are living sedentary lifestyles, whether it be due to working at a desk all day, sitting on public transport for extended periods or watching TV in our leisure time.

Whatever the reason, there are many dangers that come with a lack of physical activity, including poor Circulatory Health. Poor circulation can lead to many serious health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and varicose veins.

Along with a lack of physical activity, other lifestyle choices can make people more prone to poor circulatory health. Including:

• Cigarette smoking
• Alcohol intake
• Caffeine intake

Luckily, there are some simple steps that you can integrate into everyday life which will help Promote Circulatory Health.

1. Balanced diet

The key to overall health in general always comes back to maintaining a balanced diet. Proper nutrition helps promote cell growth, boost organ function and improve circulation.

Try including as many nutrient-rich foods as possible to your diet, especially those containing antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which support optimal circulation. Such as:

• Orange
• Watermelon
• Garlic
• Sunflower seeds
• Salmon
• Dark chocolate

2. Regular exercise

Like proper nutrition, regular exercise is an important aspect of wellbeing and is the best defence against circulatory disease. You’re probably reading this blog while sitting down at a computer or desk. Sitting has become so common in our everyday lives that they have coined a sedentary lifestyle, ‘sitting disease’.

Those who live a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to develop blood clots, swelling and other circulatory health problems. So, getting active each day is highly important to promote circulatory health.

Just 30 minutes of walking can help improve our blood circulation. If you’re an office worker, regular stretching can help increase physical activity during the day. You can find some examples of exercises that can me done at your desk here.

3. Posture

It’s easy to fall into a bad habit with posture when slumped over a desk all day or constantly staring down at our phones – but proper spinal alignment is important to circulatory health.

When we slouch or develop poor postural habits and issues, we are more likely to compress blood vessels. This means our circulatory system can’t deliver essential nutrients to the body. When at the office we should sit up straight with our feet placed firmly on the floor.

Check out this guide to office ergonomics to make sure your desk is set up to encourage proper posture and circulation.

4. Kicking the caffeine addiction

Caffeine products, such as coffee, can disrupt our circulatory system. It increases our heart rate and raises our blood pressure, especially when consumed in excess.

Try drinking your recommended daily intake of water or herbal teas instead to help support circulatory health.

5. Remedial Massage

When conducted by a trained remedial therapist, massages can help stimulate healthy circulation. They are also a great stress reliever and reduce hypertension throughout the body.

So, go ahead and treat yourself to a massage… for the benefit of your circulatory health of course!

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