Relieve feet swelling with this whole body vibration lymphatic massage routine

The lymphatic system is responsible for removing excess water from the body and along with it, the toxins and debris that accumulates during the day. When the lymph vessels get clogged or the nodes don’t function properly, fluid can accumulate in larger than normal amounts, causing the swelling of the tissues.

Since the lymphatic system contains no pump, it needs help from the surrounding muscles and tendons for pushing the liquids through the vessels. When the muscles contract and relax, they push the lymph through the vessels and stimulate lymphatic drainage; the blood vessels can also help with this, but their contractions are less powerful than those of skeletal muscles, so the main stimuli for the drainage of the lymph is represented by skeletal muscles contractions.

For this reason, the most efficient solutions for stimulating the lymphatic drainage are those that cause muscle contractions: conventional strength exercises, cardio movements or whole body vibration.

If the lymph is not properly drained, it can accumulate inside the vessels and nodes, or in the tissues, and can lead to fluid retention, weight gain, fatigue, constipation, back pain, moodiness and other such symptoms. Also, it can weaken the immune system if there’s too much debris and toxins in the body. And given that the lymph vessels also carry nutrients to cells, and from there they take the cellular waste to transfer it to the kidneys, lungs and colon for elimination, this flow can also be altered if the lymphatic system becomes congested.

Most of the lymph nodes are located in the abdomen and pelvis, so exercises that stimulate the lower body and core muscles are excellent for pushing the lymph through the vessels and ensuring the proper drainage.

The routine below is designed for stimulating lymphatic movement and can be performed on your Hypervibe whole body vibration machine on a weekly basis for supporting the removal of excess water and debris from the body.

Start with a simple basic stance, with feet at #3 for increased stability, and hands on the machine’s handles. Set the frequency at 8 Hz – this exercise is meant to warm up your body and muscles and massage them lightly. Continue with the lower back relief exercise, with knees slightly bent and back straight, but this time place your feet at #2 and increase the frequency to 15 Hz to force your muscles to contract faster.

After 1 minute, switch to the pelvic tilt, which stimulates the circulation of lymph in your lower body and abdomen and helps improve posture at the same time. Frequency should be around 15-18 Hz. After this, sit on the machine with your face towards the platform’s tower; this will massage your upper legs, and stimulate the pelvic muscles.

Next exercise is the trunk rotation, which should be done at 10-12 Hz to maintain balance. Continue with crunches, at a frequency around 8-12 Hz, so as to avoid too much vibration in your back and head. Then, switch to core twists in the C-sit position, to stimulate the obliques, lower abdominals and pelvic muscles and get the lymph moving in the lower body.

Continue with the glutes massage, for 1 minute at 8-12 Hz, and then switch to planks, to stimulate the upper body muscles, back and arms as well. This exercise engages the shoulders, arms and core muscles, so it’s excellent for draining the lymph from the upper body. Finally, end the routine with the downward dog exercise to relieve any muscle tension and massage your hands.

Ideally, each of these exercises should be performed for one minute, so you’ll need at least 10 minutes to perform the entire routine. If you’re not used to WBV you may prefer to take short breaks after each exercise. If you feel the frequency is too high during some of the movements, decrease it to a level that feels comfortable and increase progressively, as you get used with this form of exercise.

Keep the back straight, knees slightly bent and abs contracted throughout the workout. This routine isn’t meant to strengthen your muscles but to promote lymphatic drainage, however you can benefit from the additional effects of WBV. To increase the intensity of the exercises and get more stimulation for your muscles or bones, you can increase the frequency or the amplitude. To decrease the amplitude, bring you feet or hands closer to the machine’s center.

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