I’ve always had trouble with bad circulation in my feet. 

I used to think that was a normal thing that everyone struggled with, but one particular occasion led me to believe otherwise.

I was in the girls’ change room at school after a PE class. After I had taken my shower, I was standing at the mirror and brushing my hair. One of my friends stood beside me and soon noticed something strange about my feet. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. 

Baffled, I said that I was, but I wanted to know why she was asking. 

“Your feet. They’re purple.” 

“Well, yeah. They get that way when I stand still for more than a few minutes. Don’t yours?” 

“…no…” 

Suffice to say, I was a tad concerned for my health after I had learned that this thing that’s been happening to my feet for years was not normal. Within the week, I had made an appointment with my family doctor in the hopes of getting some advice.

My doctor, however, was not concerned. 

“It’s just bad circulation. Nothing to be worried about,” he said.

“Well, what can I do about it?” I asked, hoping that he would have some magic remedy. 

“Just don’t stand still for that long. Move your body. You’ll be fine!” 

It was good advice. Probably advice that I should be following even without bad circulation. And for the most part, keeping active really does solve the problem. 

But then comes the complications of winter. That bitter cold weather that threatens the health of my poor feet that are already struggling to keep themselves warm. The chillier temperature becomes a new struggle for my feet every year, and let’s be honest, moving more simply isn’t going to cut it. 

I needed more strategies to keep my feet warm. So I started researching and experimenting to find other things that could help manage my cold feet in the winter. And now I want to share what I’ve found with you!

Whether or not you suffer from poor blood circulation, you probably still have to deal with cold feet in the winter. I’ve got a list of different things you can try to keep your feet warm during the chillier seasons. Try some out yourself and see what you think! 

Need more help adjusting to the colder weather? Check out some of my other articles that can help you: Your Perfect Fall Morning Routine for a Better Season, Natural Ways to Survive Autumn When You are an Asthmatic, How to Make Your Winter Mornings Easier and Cozier, 10 Simple Ways to Warm up Your Winter Nights

Exercise and move regularly

The doctor had primarily suggested that this should be my main strategy in keeping the blood moving to my feet, and he wasn’t wrong in suggesting it. Exercise and movement will get your blood pumping and will warm up your entire body. It will also maintain your overall health, which is certainly important for keeping those feet taken care of. Outside of your regular exercise regimen, make sure that you are taking regular movement breaks. They don’t have to be big exercises- simply walking around a little or shaking out your legs and arms will do the trick just fine. 

Keep the core of your body warm

If the rest of your body is struggling to stay warm, there’s no way your extremities are going to get any attention. Dress appropriately for the weather, move often, and do what you can to ensure that the core of your body is kept at a comfortable temperature.

Do inversions

Inversions don’t have to be a complicated thing. You don’t have to be able to do headstands or fancy pretzel poses to do an inversion. Simply put, an inversion is whenever your heart is higher than your head. They don’t take long and you don’t need to be flexible to do them. It is worth doing one or two a day. Inversions can help improve blood flow, which is going to help you get the blood flowing to those cold toes. Inversions are a great cold feet treatment that you can easily utilize today! 

Drink enough water

Water helps keep your circulatory system running smoothly, so staying hydrated is going to serve your blood flow just as well. Make sure you are drinking enough water every day to help cold feet in the winter. 

Steer clear of caffeine

Caffeine makes the blood vessels in your body narrower, which in turn slows down blood flow.

Now, I am personally a fan of many things that have caffeine. In fact, I have a coffee with my Fika nearly every day! Additionally, there are an equal amount of health benefits that come with the downfalls of caffeine.

That being said, take this advice with a grain of salt. If you cut back on the caffeine and notice improvements, then by all means continue keeping that habit. But if you don’t notice a difference, there’s no need to follow this advice. 

Eat foods that stimulate blood circulation

Another natural and easy cold feet remedy is simply to eat the right foods! There are quite a few foods out there that can help increase blood flow which will, in turn, help to keep your feet warm. A lot of the foods that are included in that list are spices, too, which makes it easy to add to any meal. Things like cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger, and dark chocolate all help to improve blood flow. Be intentional about the things you eat to help your body.

Stay dry!

Another easy way to manage cold feet in the winter is simply to stay dry as often as possible. When you are outside, wear clothing and footwear that doesn’t let water seep through the material. When you are inside, make sure that you are not wet with sweat, and dry yourself completely after showers. This will help to contain some of your body heat. 

Wear the right socks

This tip matters quite a bit. You will want wool socks in the winter as opposed to cotton socks. Wool is a far better insulator than cotton. No matter how thick a cotton sock is, you will end up with cold feet. When your feet sweat, the cotton absorbs and holds the moisture, and you end up with cold, wet feet that might have been better off without any socks at all (remember my previous point about keeping your feet dry? Cotton won’t be about to do that).

Wearing the right socks will help you a lot when you are trying to keep your feet warm. 

Using heating products

This is always my favourite thing to do because it is just so cozy! Use a heating pad to keep your core warm or to put heat directly on those cold feet.

You can also get products that are built specifically to keep your feet warm. They look like pillows that have a hole in them. You simply slide your feet into them, turn on the heat, and enjoy the warmth! Though it’s not a very portable trick, it is great for those of you who have to sit at the computer all day or for when you sit on the couch at night. 

Here’s a super-cute panda heating pillow for you feet that’s on my Christmas list this year! You can get a lot of different styles of heat warmers on Amazon.

Take regular foot baths

This is another simple trick that only requires a bathtub or a bowl big enough for your feet. Sometime in the day, let your feet sit in some warm water for 5-10 minutes. It will warm up the temperature of your body and will also clean off any perspiration that might be leaving your feet wet.

For an added benefit, moisturize and massage your feet when you’re done (the next tips will explain how).

Massage your feet

I’m not saying you need to set aside a large portion of time every day to massage your feet- a little love goes a long way.

Whenever you hop out of a shower or change your socks, just take a moment to tend to your feet. Press different areas of your foot, give it a few squeezes, or work into some sore areas-  just do whatever feels good. 

Use warming oils and creams on your feet

Sesame oil is a great low-budget warming oil for the skin (as long as you don’t mind smelling like sesame). Keeping your feet moisturized with anything will be a helpful cold feet treatment. 

Conclusion

Try some or all of these ideas to help your cold feet in the winter. The thing I like about all of these tips is that none of them requires an excessive amount of time or a big budget. With a little time and the right products, you can keep your feet warm this chilly season without too much trouble. 

What about you? 

Do you ever struggle with cold feet? What do you do to treat cold feet? What idea do you think you’ll try from this list? Write about it in the comments section- I’d love to hear from you!