Get Your Lymph Moving

Trevor Hess
Dec 13, 2020
9 min read

Updated: Dec 14, 2020

As we head into the heart of flu season, many of us are beginning to prioritize our sleep, diet, and exercise to a larger degree in an effort to make ourselves more resilient. As a result, if we do happen to catch a cold, we're ultimately able to spend less time in bed recovering and more time outdoors enjoying the snow.

However, there's one other extremely important factor that can amp up your immune system — lymph flow. Remember the lymphatic system?… you know, the other circulatory system you learned about in your high school biology class. Unlike the more popular circulatory system, the lymphatic (lymph) system is a network of organs, nodes, vessels, and tissues that transport lymph fluid throughout the body. Lymph fluid contains infection-fighting white blood cells, and the organs and nodes are where toxins, waste, and other unwanted debris are filtered so they can either be removed or recycled.

You can think of the lymph system like the drains of your home. Anytime there's a clog in any of the pipes, you can pretty much guarantee you're going to run into problems. So, in the same way you must take care of and maintain the pipes in your home in order to avoid a clog, you must do the same for your lymph system. We already know the grotesque debris that can accumulate in household pipes. But what can accumulate in your lymph system? Well, just to a name a few are waste, debris, dead blood cells, pathogens, toxins, and cancer cells. Consequently, the accumulation of these particles can also result in inadequate flow of crucial compounds necessary to maintain good health including white blood cells and fat soluble vitamins.

You're probably wondering why we don't have to give the same attention to our more popular circulatory system? That's a fair question, but the fact of the matter is that unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymph system doesn't have a heart to pump its fluids. As a result, the flow of lymph fluid depends on the motions of the muscles and joints during physical activity, which ultimately means that the flow of lymph fluid depends on you. And if you're staying sedentary throughout the day, your lymph fluid is going to remain stagnant — simple as that.

So what can you do to get your lymph moving? Well, that's exactly what I want to cover in the remainder of this article, so let's jump right in!

1. Inversion

First up is inversion. What is inversion? Put simply, it involves placing yourself in an upside-down position. The nice thing is that on top of assisting with lymph circulation, inversion has also been shown to improve back pain, blood flow, and spine or hip misalignment. Now, there's endless ways to invert due to all the fancy fitness gadgets you can find on the internet nowadays. But the two most common methods of inversion include:

Inverting yourself manually
Using a yoga trapeze system

Let's start with the simpler method. To invert yourself manually, all you really have to do is place your feet up against a wall with your back flat on the floor. Although this won't yield the same benefits as being totally inverted, this is obviously the cheapest route and will still be effective to some degree as long as your feet are elevated above your head. In addition, there are also various yoga poses such as the plow pose, supported shoulder stand, supported headstand, and feathered peacock pose, as well as a few specific ELDOA poses that all have been shown to have similar beneficial effects as compared to inversion.

As for a yoga trapeze system, this type of device simply consists of a fabric "swing" and handles of multiple lengths, which enables you to put yourself into various aerial trapeze positions. My preferred brand is YOGABODY, as their products are extremely high-quality. Nevertheless, one of the most useful of these positions is the inverted position as shown above. The benefits of this position are two-fold: one, you're able to get into a fully inverted position, and two, the way in which the fabric grips your hips while you're inverted also allows your spine to decompress, enhancing lymph flow even more.

Finally, like I said, there are still many other devices out there for inversion such as an inversion table or gravity boots. However, I just don't think they're able to yield as many of the benefits as a yoga trapeze system, aside from the fact that they're usually more expensive as well. On top of that, using a yoga trapeze system is obviously more athletic than the other options, yet another reason to use this type of device. Regardless, make an effort to use at least one of these tools and invert yourself for about 5-10 minutes each day.

2. Rebounding & Vibration

Sure, inversion will definitely get your lymph moving to some degree and does yield other aforementioned benefits as well. However, once you get yourself into an inverted position, for the most part, your lymph fluid isn't moving all that much. That's where rebounding and vibration come in to play.

Unlike inversion, rebounding and vibration generate g-forces that shake the body's muscles and joints, resulting in far greater lymph flow as well as lymph fluid drainage and filtration. So what are ways you can implement rebounding and vibration? Well, the major strategies include:

Performing qigong shaking
Rebounding on a mini-trampoline
Standing on a vibration platform
Using a Theragun

So let's start with the first strategy — qigong shaking. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of qigong shaking, as I feel the latter three methods are more effective, but it's definitely a more accessible option. Nevertheless, qigong shaking, literally translated as "life energy cultivation," is a system of coordinated body postures and movements, breathing, and meditation used in traditional Chinese culture to promote health and spirituality, and subsequently, to also improve lymph flow. With many variations of qigong shaking, I'd suggest looking into it more yourself if you're still curious.

Next is rebounding. Rebounding simply involves jumping up and down on what usually is a mini-trampoline. As I mentioned earlier, as your vertical direction changes, your body experiences g-forces, ultimately resulting in improved lymph flow. I'd suggest the brand JumpSport if you're interested investing in one. Regardless, the nice thing is that on top of improving lymph flow, rebounding can also be a great form of exercise, and there are tons of resources online for entry-level workouts using a rebounder if that's something you're interested in trying out.

Now we're getting a little more advanced with our next tool — vibration platforms. Unlike rebounders, vibration platforms vibrate for you, ultimately placing greater stabilization demands on the body. One of the best vibration platforms out there is by Power Plate. Why? Well, most vibration platforms utilize an oscillating motion. However, Power Plate devices utilize what's known as a tri-planar motion. This type of motion challenges the body to a much larger degree, thus offering far greater benefits. Aside from that, another benefit of using a vibration platform is that you can adjust the intensity of the device by varying the frequency of the vibration, which for a quality device like the Power Plate, usually ranges between 15-60Hz. Personally, since these devices are pricier than a rebounder, I'd go with a rebounder unless you're getting a vibration platform for both its lymph flow and exercise benefits. Yes, I know, I said a rebounder can be used for exercise as well, but the muscle adaptions you can get from a vibration platform are truly unmatched.

Last but not least is a Theragun. What's a Theragun you may ask? A Theragun is a percussive therapy device used to enhance the recovery and health of muscle tissue, and in my opinion, is the best one on the market. Their patented design and technology deliver superior deep muscle treatment, reaching 60% deeper into the muscle than consumer-grade vibration massagers to stimulate circulation, generate heat, release tension, and oh yeah… improve lymph flow. On top of that, their next-gen devices which they just recently released, are much quieter and customizable, allowing the user to vary the intensity anywhere from 1750-2400RPMs. In fact, I love my Theragun so much that I would choose it again and again over the other three products without hesitation. Yes, the Theragun improves lymph flow just like the other devices. But what makes the Thergun differ is that it's amazing for recovery due to its incredible effects on muscle tissue. After all, we are discussing lymph flow for immunity purposes, and I'd say recovery plays a bigger part in that than does exercise.

So to recap, I'd say go with a mini-trampoline if you want the best bang for your buck. However, if you're looking for the absolute best immunity and recovery results vibration therapy can offer, then go with a Theragun. Regardless of what you choose, try to use your device for about 10 minutes each morning.

3. Chiropractic Care & Massages

Yes, this may come as a surprise, but going and getting a massage or chiropractic adjustment does have benefits beyond simply being relaxing. In fact, any method of applying pressure to the skin can yield great lymph flow-enhancing effects.

To start, a massage doesn't just have to be going to a masseuse. If you want the best daily results of massage, simply invest in a foam roller, specifically one by TriggerPoint, and spend 10-15 minutes each morning performing some deep tissue work on any sore or problematic muscles. However, I do think a true massage is still superior for two reasons: one, you can completely unwind while the masseuse does the real work, and two, a masseuse can get much deeper into muscle tissue than a foam roller, thus having greater beneficial effects on lymph flow. But I know, massages can be quite pricy, especially if they're a reoccurring expense, so I'd say go with a massage only when you feel you really need it, and simply use a foam roller for more frequent deep tissue work.

And then there's the chiropractor. Just like massages, getting a chiropractic adjustment can be a great way to enhance lymph flow. In fact, according to chiropractic medicine, when something is obstructing the organs and structures in the upper part of the chest, such as problems with the spine or rib cage, it can prevent the lymph system from properly collecting and removing toxins. As a result, chiropractic adjustments can help correct these anatomical displacements, which can subsequently help improve lymph flow as well. However, just like with massages, I'd say it's really only necessary to get a chiropractic adjustment if you feel you truly need it, and simply use a foam roller for more frequent massage work.

I'd be remiss not to mention one other tool that offers similar results as compared to chiropractic adjustments and massages — dry skin brushing. Dry skin brushing involves gently moving a coarse brush along the skin in the direction of the heart, ultimately improving lymph flow. One of the best ways to incorporate this into your routine is to simply perform full-body dry skin brushing for about 2-5 minutes while sitting in the sauna, which relates to our next and final strategy.

4. Sweating

Finally, the last strategy you can implement for improving lymph flow is sweating. And what's one of the best ways to get a good sweat on? — that's right, sauna. Not just any sauna, but infrared sauna. If you read one of my previous articles on red light, you would also know that I discussed the amazing benefits of infrared sauna, with one of those benefits being improved circulation and lymph flow.

Why infrared sauna? Well, like I had discussed, infrared saunas utilize far-infrared rays. As a result, unlike traditional saunas that utilize heat to warm the air, which in turn heats your body, the far-infrared rays from infrared saunas heat the body directly, resulting in a much deeper sweat. And obviously, if you're sweating more, you're also getting better lymph flow. My advice — go crazy and use an infrared sauna for about 20-40 minutes whenever you get the chance, especially following a workout. Better yet, invest in a Clearlight personal infrared sauna or a Higher Dose infrared sauna blanket so that you can always have the benefits of infrared sauna at your fingertips.

Since we're discussing sweating, I should also mention that hydration plays a huge part in promoting lymph flow as well. Just as your blood needs water, so does your lymph fluid. As a result, make an effort to consume at least half your body weight in pounds in ounces of water per day.

Summary

So that's it. Actually, not quite… although I covered all the methods to increase lymph flow, there is one thing you can do to ensure you're not decreasing lymph flow — and that strategy is to wear loose clothing whenever possible. Tight-fitting garments can place unnecessary restrictions on lymph vessels, especially underwire bras, since lymph nodes are highly concentrated around the chest region to drain fluid from the breasts, arms, and chest. And this goes for guys too — go for boxers, not briefs.

Now that's it. My advice — try to incorporate one tool from each of the four strategies we discussed into your daily routine and you'll be well on your way towards amping up your immune system. But it doesn't have to stop there. Like I had said earlier, improving lymph flow has far more benefits than just enhancing immune function, so consider adopting these strategies even after flu season has come and gone. Have fun getting your lymph moving and find what strategies work best for you!

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