5 Exercises To Instantly Improve Blood Flow & Circulation

Will Harlow, the over-50s specialist physio, advises:

Keep it moving

Five exercises, with “little and often” being the best approach:

1. Ankle pumps: sit with one leg elevated so your ankle is slightly above your hip (and free to move); flex and point your foot briskly to activate the calf muscle to pump and improve blood return—do for 2 minutes per leg, several times daily.
2. Seated & standing marching: while seated (reclined or upright), lift each leg alternately to engage your hip flexors and core; for more intensity, march on the spot with alternating arm and leg motion to boost full-body circulation—do 30-second bursts, several times daily.
3. Arm circles with hand movements: sit upright, with your arms extended to the sides making small circles to open the brachial artery area; you can also boost the effect by quickly opening and closing your hands to increase the blood flow to your fingers—do 10-second sets, 3–4 times, multiple times daily.
4. Heel-toe rock: standing with support, rock backwards onto your heels then forwards onto toes repeatedly, to engage calf pump effect we discussed previously, and (again) promote upward blood flow—practice for 30 seconds per set, several times daily.
5. Heel raises on a step: stand on a step with your heels off the edge (carefully please!), lower your heels to feel a calf stretch, then rise onto your tiptoes without pausing, working the calf through a full range—do this for 30 seconds or 10–20 reps, multiple times daily.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

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Take care!