Composed of the blood that circulates through your body, blood vessels, and the heart, the circulatory system is vital to keeping the rest of your body functioning properly. It helps transport blood and other vital materials throughout your body and when it is not functioning the way it's supposed to, you heart and lungs begin to fail to work and not enough oxygen is given to the rest of the body. Having a healthy circulatory system is needed and so in this article, you will learn just how to keep your circulatory system healthy.
Ways to Keep Your Circulatory System Healthy
Exercise Regularly
To keep your heart and circulatory system healthy, 30 minutes of exercise is advised 3 to 6 days a week. Not only does this help you manage your weight, but it also reduces your risk of developing other conditions that can have negative effects on the circulatory system. Exercising can help reduce the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure which all cause the circulatory system to work harder than it should. Scheduling short exercise session can be the most effective. You can begin with:
Walking is one of the easiest exercises you can do if you are physically able to. Consider taking your dog for a walk or ask the kids to come along. This can improve the blood flow throughout your body easily.
Stretching is also an ideal exercise. Just 5 to 10 minutes of stretching every day can help get the blood flowing through your body. This is also ideal when you are limited on the time you can commit to exercising or if walking, jogging and running are too much for you to take up right now. Stretching the muscles in your body is enough to give your circulation a daily boost.
Quit Tobacco Use
If you smoke or use tobacco products, one answer to how to keep your circulatory system healthy is to quit using these products. Tobacco use significantly increases your risk of heart disease and cause damage to your overall circulatory system. The chemicals found in tobacco products can cause atherosclerosis and lead to heart attack. These risks are greatly decreased once you quit using tobacco regardless of how long you have used them over the years.
Increase Your Water Intake
It is vital that you keep yourself properly hydrated throughout the day. Since the body is primarily composed of water, it can be easy to become dehydrated which can lead to the circulatory system being stress. The stress then can cause high blood pressure and poor blood flow. Aside from that, drinking enough water helps rid the body of harmful toxins and balances the sodium levels.
Eat Right
What you eat has a significant impact on the circulatory system. Healthy diets should consist of 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains. Processed foods, excessive alcohol consumption, and foods that are high in cholesterol saturated fats and trans fats should be avoided.
Here are some foods that can help benefit your circulatory system.
Blackstrap Molasses. Including blackstrap molasses into your diet is a good answer to how to keep your circulatory system healthy. Why? This sap is iron rich and helps produce red blood cells. It supports the immune system and can reduce swelling to increase blood flow through the body. Taking 2 to 3 teaspoons of blackstrap molasses every day can help keep your circulatory system healthy.
Capsaicin. Capsaicin peppers can be added to many foods in the form of peppers, hot sauce and salsa's, the hotter, the better. They contain a good amount of vitamin A and C that can increase the blood flow through the body because it raises the internal temperature of the body.
Turmeric and Ginger. Just a small amount of turmeric or ginger root can give your body a wide range of health benefits. They contain anti-inflammatory compound and reduce the risk of many diseases. Turmeric is especially useful at preventing the arteries from becoming clogged which can lead to reduced blood flow and disrupt the oxygen's flow to the muscles.
Meditation
Excessive stress can have a number of negative health effects on the body like restricting the blood flow throughout your body. Meditation can help reduce the stress you cope with on a daily basis. Simply breathing techniques, relaxing music or simply taking a break and laying down for 20 minutes a day can have a huge impact. When your muscles and body begin to relax, the circulation in your body will significantly improve.
Keep Healthy Weight
Being overweight can put you at risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes which all increase the risk of a number of circulation problems like heart attacks. Maintaining a healthy weight is vital to the proper functioning of your circulatory system. How to keep your circulatory system healthy can be achieved by losing just 10% of your body weight which reduces your risk of developing these major health diseases. You can refer to the following picture to know ideal weight for you.
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