Compression can be an effective way to improve your overall circulation and blood flow. Compression works by adding controlled, dynamic pressure to areas where flow may be slightly restricted. This means that compression can help you to loosen venous pressure and may aid the body in moving blood toward the heart. Compression can be particularly helpful to massage and loosen stiff muscles and joints after a long run or tough workout. This is because compression may help lactic acids and other build-up in bodily tissues release and be carried through the body. Compression can help to process these wastes, thereby speeding up the time it takes your muscles to recover.