As you may know, my husband and I have been going through fertility treatments over the last few years. I’ve learned so much through this process and am still learning things daily.

Our journey started when I discovered that my uterus was full of fibroids. It was literally overflowing with them and was one of the contributing factors to our struggle to get pregnant.

Nearly 80% of women will develop fibroids in their lifetime. They don’t necessarily cause infertility for everyone. In fact, most women don’t even realize that they have them. However, they are an indicator that some unhealthy things are happening in your body, one of the biggest being poor blood circulation.

As many of us experience poor circulation and don’t even realize it, I thought I would share with you some ways to improve it!

What happens when you have poor blood circulation?

Fibroids are just one of the negative affects of poor blood circulation. Other issues that arise are-

• Lack of energy.
• Inability to concentrate.
• Poor brain function.
• Erectile dysfunction for men.
• Hair loss.
• Difficult periods for women.
• Poor muscle function.
• Lung issues.
• Heart issues.
• Poor immune system.
• Blood clots.
• Cuts/bruises take longer to heal.

Many of the things that contribute to poor blood circulation have become normal- sedentary lifestyle, sitting at a desk all day, being “too busy” for regular exercise, etc. But with just a few intentional changes and tweaks to our routine, we can easily improve circulation and start experiencing some of the benefits to optimal blood circulation.

6 Ways to Improve Blood Circulation

Yoga–

The poses decompress your veins, letting blood flow free once you release the pose. This is great for getting stagnant blood flowing again.

You don’t need to participate in a high intensity, hour long yoga session. Just incorporate a few poses a day, while watching tv or when you need a break from the computer. I like this Youtube video that covers five poses to improve circulation.

Massages + Acupuncture-

Both massages and acupuncture have been used for centuries to get blood moving and circulating. Acupuncture stimulates sympathetic responses, causing blood vessels to dilate, improving blood flow. Massages actually help move stagnant blood through the body, making room for new blood.

I like to get either acupuncture or a massage once a month. Some health care providers will cover these so check with yours!

Water-

This one is pretty basic. Water helps keep you hydrated, thinning your blood, helping to detox your body.

Shoot for 9-13 cups a day, minimum.

Cold Shower-

I’m sure this sounds a bit intimidating, but adding a cold shower to your routine can be great for circulation. The cold water constricts the blood vessels right under your skin, diverting blood flow, making room for new blood.

I, personally, can’t handle a full blown cold shower most days. Instead I start out with my normal hot shower routine. When I’m done, I slowly turn the nozzle to cold until it is as cold as I can handle. I sit in it for as long as I can (usually 30 seconds) and then I’m done! If you can handle a longer cold shower, go for it!

Hot Water Bottle-

Using a hot water bottle has been shown to improve tissue flexibility, remove toxins from cells, and increase blood flow. For women looking to improve circulation to the uterus to improve uterine lining, egg quality, or overall fertility, use a hot water bottle on your belly nightly.

Movement-

The best thing you can do to support blood circulation is to move. Move your body each hour. Make time in your day to get up and walk around the house, get outside, or do some stretches. Make sure you take movement breaks from work so your body (and blood) isn’t stagnant for longer than an hour.

If you can exercise daily, even better. If not, at least get outside for a daily 30 minute walk.

Benefits of Healthy Blood Circulation

If you start implementing a few of these practices you could experience some big health benefits, like…

• Healthy heart function
• Healthy lung function
• Increased energy
• Improved brain function
• Healthy menstrual cycle
• Fertility
• Improved muscle mass
• Healthy immune system

Why not give it a shot?

Start out by implementing one or two of the above tips and see how you feel. If you are feeling good, try a couple more!

Which two are you going to try? Share below!

XO,

Kelsey