You may have heard about your lymphatic system at some point, but do you understand the enormous role it can play in your overall health? Hopefully after you read the post you have a good understanding of what it is, what it does and how to best support it's function.
What is it?
Your lymphatic system works closely with our circulatory system, and it's vessels can be found in almost all vascular organs. It consists of lymph fluid, vessels, ducts, lymph nodes, the spleen, the thymus, the adenoids, and the tonsils. It's main function is to help regulate our immune system. The lymph fluid flows through your body, finds and traps anything that presents as a threat (viruses, bacteria, toxins) funnels it to your lymph nodes where immune cells can attack it.
However, if your lymph fluid isn't flowing, a build up in our system can occur.
Signs of a problem:
-brain fog
-fatigue
-swelling/puffiness
-poor recovery from workouts
-GI issues
-sick frequently
-stiff joints
How to get it moving:
Exercise/movement
Fun fact, your lymphatic system doesn't have a pump like your circulatory system does. So it relies on things like gravity, muscle contractions, movement to be able to function. Strength training is a top choice, but any running or plyometric movements are also great. If your kids have a trampoline, get on there with them!
Adequate hydration
If the body becomes dehydrated, lymph fluid will slow down. However, we don't want to chug a ton of straight water because we could then be depleting our body of minerals. We want to be hydrated at a cellular level. I strongly recommend adding electrolytes to your water such as these 1-2x a day. (Trainer code 211632 saves you 20% on autoship.)
Deep breathing
Specifically, diaphragmatic breathing can really help the lymph fluid move. When you breathe deeply, your diaphragm can work almost as a vacuum suction lymph to other places. I would recommend meditation to start and then even trying yoga.
Lymphatic massage
This one is probably pretty obvious. The external pressure helps push the lymph through the vessels. A regular massage is good and lymphatic massage specifically is even better. If you do get a massage, make sure you are well hydrated to prevent soreness.
Limit toxin exposure
If the job of our lymphatic system is to find toxins and get rid of them, the less work we give it to do the better. Overwhelming our body with toxins through what we eat, when we breathe in, what we put on our body, etc can cause all of those toxins to get built up in our system and really slow things down.
Dry brushing
You may or may not be familiar with this. It is the act of gently rubbing a soft bristle brush such as this one along the skin in specific direction to stimulate drainage of the lymphatic system. This works best when it is done consistently. I am no dry brushing expert but there is a specific way to get the most out of it. YouTube can be very helpful!
I hope this gives you some insight to get you started on showing your lymphatic system some attention! There is an amazing account on Instagram that dives deep into your lymphatic system. Check out Lymph Love Club and her highlight on dry brushing!
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