Ease numb FINGERS & BLUE TOES

Boost blood flow with these simple hacks you'll feel healthier, happier and fitter

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Noticed that your extremities feel a bit numb at this time of year? When the temperature drops, your blood thickens and blood vessels contract, restricting blood flow to your body parts and causing your heart to pump harder. Your blood pressure then rises as your body tries to stay warm.

‘Heart attacks and angina are both more common in cold weather,’ says consultant cardiologist Dr Boon Lim*. Poor circulation can lead to a host of other health problems too, as well as cold or painful fingers and toes, including blood clots, a lack of energy, slower-healing skin, infected skin ulcers and delayed recovery from illness. But there are ways to help.

Get moving

Exercise is crucial for good circulation. It improves blood flow by getting your heart pumping to push blood around your body faster. Staying active also prevents obesity, a main cause of circulatory issues.

Any movement is good, but exercise that raises your heart rate is particularly helpful. ‘Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (which leaves you slightly breathless) at least five times a week,’ says GP Dr Gill Jenkins. And simple stretching can help, too. Yoga and Pilates can boost circulation and regulate the nervous system, to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

People who did leg stretches for 12 weeks had better blood flow and less stiffness in their artery walls than non-stretchers, found researchers at the University of Milan.