It isn’t long, if I spend time reading websites and blogs focused on eating raw, before I come across the importance of regular exercise and the benefits of rebounding.
Rebounding is the term used to describe exercising on a mini trampoline. However, I don’t currently have a trampoline, and this is an expense that I’m not ready to incur. So, I did some more reading.
Rebounding is often mentioned as a recommended exercise because it is considered an efficient means for promoting flow and drainage of the lymphatic system. What’s that?!
It may sound fancy, but it’s rather simple. Have you heard of the lymph nodes in your body? Your Mom or your doctor may have felt your neck below the check bone to see if your lymph nodes were swollen if you complained of a sore throat. According to The Lymph Nodes website, yes, they even have their own website, we’ve got over 500 of these tiny glands distributed throughout our body. They serve as an important part of our immune system to filter out the unwanted viruses, bacteria, and “junk” that could slow us down. All that unwanted gunk is taken care of in the lymph node fluid that is conveyed through the lymphatic system.
But, how does this lymph node fluid which is rich in white blood cells flow through our body? According to the doctors, we don’t have a lymph pump to move the fluid through the lymphatic system the way the heart moves our blood through our circulatory system. An article I found on the Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies website explains:
With its elaborate network of vessels and nodes, the lymph system circulates lymph throughout the entire body without a central operating pump. Dependent upon muscle contractions and manual manipulation, lymph manages to isolate and eliminate infection and cellular waste. Without a motor driving its circulation, deep breathing, exercise and massage are great ways to encourage lymph’s flow and to maintain the health of this essential system. (Keep it Moving: Lymph’s Role in a Healthy Body, Dec. 12, 2007)
Deep breathing, exercise and massage – set the lymphatic system in motion. How does this relate to bouncing on a trampoline? Rebounding encourages flow through the lymphatic system because the bouncing motion (that zero-gravity feeling at the height of a bounce followed by the g-force when you land) creates pressure differentials that are thought to efficiently push the lymph fluid through your system. Imagine if you had hundreds of tiny valves throughout your body (and you do) that only open when you squeeze them.
Since, I don’t have a rebounder, I looked for other exercises to keep my lymphatic system flowing. Walking, of course, is good and running and jumping rope were also mentioned. I also found some low-impact exercises that you can download here:
lymph drainage exercises for the upper extremity
lymph drainage exercises for the lower extremity
Since I don’t currently have any exercise routine, I’ve attempted to start simple. Each morning now, I jog in place for a count of 75 followed by arm circles 50 clockwise/50 counterclockwise. In between I do 5 deep breaths. This usually energizes me enough to finish up with jogging in place for another count of 60. At night, before and after my shower, I do another round of jogging in place for a count of 60 followed by 5 deep breaths.
It’s not a lot of exercise, but my intention is not so much physical fitness as it is getting that lymph fluid moving around so that the white blood cells can do the anti-bacteria and anti-virus jobs they were designed for. The better I feel, the more eager I am to find more ways to keep moving!
To learn more about the Lymphatic System and exercises, check out the resources below:
Conclusion excerpt from, How Can Exercising Improve Your Lymphatic System?
So if Americans are so obsessed with exercise, why do statistics show a growing trend toward a more sedentary lifestyle? (CDC 1992) The goals of exercise vary widely between people. Many forms of media present health and exercise as a means to achieving beauty. The message is that you should exercise to lose weight to be more accepted in society. Following this logic, if you have a body weight that is average for your size, then you do not need to exercise. Exercise is associated with weight loss, not immune function, cell metabolism, or disease prevention. Exercise has evolved as a chore, something that is not enjoyable but must be done, rather than a lifestyle. And this progression is inevitable based on humans’ transition from forager to farmer to a more sedentary lifestyle. Humans’ access to food has become more convenient with well-stocked grocery stores and cars. Therefore, body movement is no longer necessary for survival in a direct sense. However, as far as lymphatic function is concerned, it is more necessary than people may realize. While it’s true that we no longer have to keep up with a migrating group of animals or even harvest our own food, the human body is still very dependent on muscle contraction and expansion for the circulation of nutrient-containing fluids throughout our bodies.
