Poor circulation in your feet, or peripheral vascular disease, is often discovered after you experience numbness or pain or changes in skin color in the feet, according to ePodiatry.com. Exercise can help treat this condition, says the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. It is important that you consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program to treat peripheral vascular disease.
Walking
The simple act of going for a walk can help improve the circulation in your feet by increasing efficiency and size of blood vessels, according to the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. When going for a therapeutic walk, it is important that you choose comfortable shoes that fit well and be sure to wear good, thick socks.
Foot Rocking
This exercise is recommended by the website SimplyAntiAging.com, and can be performed while seated. Use the muscles of your calves to lift your toes off the ground until your heels are the only part of your foot touching the ground. Return to the starting position with the entire sole of your foot on the floor and then lift your heel so that your toes are the only part of your foot touching the floor. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Foot Circles
Foot circles are performed when seated, and help increase circulation by working the muscles of your ankle, according to Dermaxine.com. It is performed by lifting your foot off the ground and rotating your foot at the ankle joint by making circles with your toes while keeping your lower leg still. Perform 10 repetitions of this exercise; you can make the exercise more advanced by "writing" numbers and letters with your toes while keeping your lower leg stationary.
Paper Trail
This exercise requires a page out of your local newspaper to perform. Lay the newspaper page on the floor and use only your feet and toes to ball the page into as tight a ball as possible. Use your feet to straighten out the newspaper page, and then use your toes and feet to tear it into small pieces, according to Dermaxine.com.
