The circulation of blood (and lymph) around the body is of paramount importance to your health, it is the transportation system that moves nutrients and hormones to the cells and waste products away from them. Many things adversely effect your circulation- dehyration, diabetes, smoking, lack of exercise, poor posture and sedentary occupations are just a few of them.

When people get circulatory problems they most often first notice them in their extremities, particularly in the feet and lower legs because it is all uphill for the blood and lymph in your legs to make it back up to your heart to be re-circulated.

When the circulation in your legs get weak your feet feel colder, the skin starts to lose it’s healthy pink colour, foot wounds take longer to heal, the skin becomes more easily damaged, your ankles get puffy and  you are more likely to experience numbness and tingling. In extreme cases you can get gangrene too.

Perhaps more than any other single reason for getting poor circulation in your feet is getting old, take a look around on a warm day when people are wearing sandals and going bare foot and ask yourself how many older people have feet that appear as described above.

There is no magic bullet that can miraculously restore the circulation in your feet and lower leg to it’s former pristine condition but if you do following regularly you can help yourself alot.

* Walk for atleast 20 minutes every day.

* Don’t smoke.

* Keep your intake of sugar (and foods containing it) low.

* Get your calves and feet massaged (or Self Massage) often.

* Avoid sitting for more than an hour at a time.

* Do foot pumping and toe wiggling exercises while you are sitting (like the cabin crew tell you to on flights).

* Stretch your calves often.

* Wear good shoes.

* Consider the potential benefits of using orthotics in your shoes.

*Elevate your feet when you are sitting if they get puffy.

It is a shame when people wait until it is too late to look after the circulation in their legs and feet, losing mobility is serious business. You might be surprised how much better you feel for it if you start doing something about it today.

Think about how hard your feet work and the conditions they do it under, they deserve to have a regular rub. Too often people give up on exercise and the legs suffer as a consequence. The exercise you did when you were younger probably won’t suit your needs now so find ones that do, for your fitness and those lovely exercise feel-good hormones.

If you combine Self Massage and exercise your leg circulation will be even  better.