Improving Your Vascular Health

Maintaining a healthy condition of your arteries and veins will help ensure you avoid developing vascular diseases as you age. Check out our tips below on improving your circulation and overall vascular health.

Don't Smoke or Use Tobacco

Avoid smoking or using pipes, cigars, cigarettes, and chewing tobacco. Smoking is a huge risk factor for developing vascular diseases, such as peripheral arterial disease, a term describing narrowed arteries going to the legs, stomach, arms, and head.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Try to eat a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat to improve your blood circulation. An unhealthy diet can lead to atherosclerosis, the process of plaque buildup in your arteries, which can slow or stop blood flow to and from your blood vessels. Eat healthy, control your blood sugar levels, and keep a frequent eye out for your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Main a Healthy Weight

For every pound of fat, your heart needs to pump blood through an extra mile’s worth of blood vessels. Maintaining a healthy weight and body mass index helps ensure you keep other risk factors at bay. Try to exercise regularly and form a healthy diet in order to be at a consistent, healthy weight.

Take Frequent Walks

Join a walking program or go on solo, 30-minute walks every day to improve circulation to your legs and promote growth of new blood vessels. Walking around is an easy way to get your blood flowing while keeping your heart and veins healthy.

Don't Cross Your Legs

This can be a hard habit to break for most people. Crossing your legs for long periods of time greatly reduces how well blood is able to circulate through your legs. Instead of crossing your legs at the knees, try crossing your legs at the ankles to ensure more blood flow.

Take Care of Your Feet

It’s important to treat your feet well in order to promote healthier circulation throughout your body. Make sure your shoes are safely and comfortably supporting your weight as you walk around and try to check your feet every now and then for any cuts, blisters, sores, or cracking. To promote blood flow, try wiggling your toes and moving your ankles up and down for five minutes, two or three times a day.

For more information on how to improve your vascular health and on services we provide to promote healthy circulation, feel free to contact Dr. Carson and Dr. Subramanian at 770-506-4007 today to make an appointment with Georgia Vascular Institute. We have several convenient locations in the metro Atlanta area including Buckhead Atlanta, Forest Park, Decatur, Stockbridge, and Jonesboro.