One thing that can cause poor circulation is sitting too much. Desk jobs, long car rides or flights can cause it too. There’s an easy fix—move it.
With healthy circulation, veins carry the blood away from the lower legs and up to the heart. But prolonged sitting or standing makes it harder for your body to maintain upward blood flow. What doesn’t go up, stays down in your legs and pools. That’s what causes the swelling, usually in your feet and ankles first.
The easiest way to combat this is to walk more. Even walking a snail-like pace of 1 mph would burn twice the calories of sitting and get your blood flowing.
If you find yourself sitting too much during the day, you also can do things like:
- Stand up at least every 30 minutes
- Regularly change posture
- Walk to see colleagues instead of emailing
