Woman Squeeze release exercise to improve lymph function
Home » Self-Care Your Body » Improve Lymph System Function

Improve Lymph System Function. One SIMPLE Action sprinkled throughout your day can make a big difference. Why, what to do, and how.

Improve Lymph System Function. Male/Female Lymph Illustration

Why Make the Micro Decision to Improve Lymph System Function?

  • It supports your immune system’s ability to protect your body from illness.
  • Helps maintain body fluid levels.
  • Assists in the absorption of fats.
  • Removes cellular waste more efficiently.

This SIMPLE Squeeze/Release Exercise Improves Lymph System Function.

Woman Squeeze Release Exercise to Improve Lymph System Function

We have all heard it: Sitting is the new smoking.

Why is that the case? Sitting promotes a stagnant lymph system.

The lymphatic system helps defend the body against illness-causing germs, bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The system builds immunity by making special white blood cells (called lymphocytes) that produce antibodies which are responsible for immune responses that defend the body against disease.

(2)

Today- The simplest way to counteract stagnant lymph is to move.

If you are stuck at a desk, behind a wheel, or on a computer, there is a SIMPLE way to combat the stagnant lymph by simply Squeezing all your muscles and then releasing them in quick succession.

Done repeatedly, squeeze/release will support the improvement of your lymph system function.

How long do you have to squeeze/release?

A minute is great.

Squeeze/Release 60 times quickly– one rep after the other.

Try it!

Woman squeezing and releasing all muscles to improve Lymph flow

How can something so simple work to improve lymph system function and:

  • Protect us from illness.
  • Help maintain body fluid levels
  • Assist in the absorption of fats
  • Remove cellular waste more efficiently.

It works because skeletal muscle contraction helps move lymph.

Squeeze/release contracts your muscles and creates pressure changes in your breathing.

Pressure changes in breathing and skeletal muscle contractions help move lymph.

You are doing both while you squeeze-release.

👉🏼And of course you are moving lymph when you are doing the 🔗 chair routines.👍🏻

HOW the SIMPLE Action of Squeeze/Release Improves Lymph System Function.

The combined pressure changes and skeletal muscle contractions is how the SIMPLE action of Squeeze/Release improves lymph system function.

It’s that Simple!

Your biggest hurdle: Remembering to do it throughout the day.

remember to do the lymph system function exercise

This is especially true in the beginning. Just like with the super SIMPLE yet VERY beneficial E for E technique. Initially, the most difficult part is remembering to do it.

Woman hands placed in front illustrating the urge words Incontinence, Urge, ED and Back Pain

E for E Technique

E for E Technique Helps MANY Chronic Conditions including but NOT at all limited to: Incontinence, Urge, ED, Low Back Pain….

Feel, Look, LIVE better. The Simple Self Care Lifestyle

To overcome this hurdle, maybe place a stick’em/post-it note on:

  • your computer
  • refrigerator
  • dashboard
  • an electronic that you pick you throughout the day

or

  • maybe set an auto reminder on your phone- a quick 📱 ‘ping’ each hour to remind you.

Squeeze/Release is easy to do everywhere!

  • Sitting in your chair.
  • On the floor.
  • In a plane, the beach, your car….

The key to making squeeze release work is:

Squeezing ALL your muscles from head to toe.

It is often easier to practice squeezing all your muscles when in the position shown here.

Woman Sitting on floor using the squeeze release exercise to improve her lymph function

In the beginning, this particular position will bring awareness to the muscles you may leave out when sitting in a chair.

Take a moment to give the squeeze release a try, and then ask yourself:

Did you remember your feet muscles?

Pelvic floor muscles?

Jaw?

Abs?….

Once you have the hang of it you can squeeze/release sitting, standing, lying down…

There are good reasons to squeeze release in all those positions.

The squeeze release also directly benefits your:

  • Circulatory system (especially your veins)
  • Your nervous system
  • Your muscle-skeletal system

and those benefits have the domino effect of improving all your body systems.

Today’s Simple Self Care TIP

Squeeze/Release for 60 sec.

It is efficienteffective, and will exponentially, positively impact ALL your body systems.

Want a Passive Way to Support Your Nervous System and Drain Your Lymph a Bit? Try the SIMPLE Legs Up The Wall.

Woman on back with legs up the wall.

Legs Up The Wall

Placing your legs up the wall provides several physical and mental health benefits, and it feels so good!

Feel, Look, LIVE better. The Simple Self Care Lifestyle

I’ve placed references for you below. Including 2 great videos about the lymph you might find helpful.

THe simple self care lifestyle

Simplify


I’m glad you are here…

References/resources for you.

Liao, Shan, and P Y von der Weid. “Lymphatic system: an active pathway for immune protection.” Seminars in cell & developmental biology vol. 38 (2015): 83-9. doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.11.012

How your lymphatic system works. UnityPoint Health. (n.d.). https://www.unitypoint.org/news-and-articles/how-your-lymphatic-system-works-unitypoint-health—des-moines#:~:text=The%20lymphatic%20system%20helps%20defend,defend%20the%20body%20against%20disease.

Liao, Shan, and Timothy P Padera. “Lymphatic function and immune regulation in health and disease.” Lymphatic research and biology vol. 11,3 (2013): 136-43. doi:10.1089/lrb.2013.0012

Lymphatic pumping: mechanics, mechanisms and malfunction. Joshua P. Scallan, Scott D. Zawieja, Jorge A. Castorena-Gonzalez, Michael J. Davis MJ. Lymphatic pumping: mechanics, mechanisms and malfunction. J Physiol. 2016 Oct 15;594(20):5749-5768. doi: 10.1113/JP272088. Epub 2016 Aug 2. PMID: 27219461; PMCID: PMC5063934.

Zawieja, David C. “Contractile physiology of lymphatics.” Lymphatic research and biology vol. 7,2 (2009): 87-96. doi:10.1089/lrb.2009.0007

Lane K, Worsley D, McKenzie D. Exercise and the lymphatic system: implications for breast-cancer survivors. Sports Med. 2005;35(6):461-71. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200535060-00001. PMID: 15974632.

2 great video resources today: