Strength Training and Exercise Promote Immune Health
Updated: Jan 18, 2022
Most of us never think of our lymph much at all, but the lymph system is one of the least understood of the body's systems, yet if it stopped functioning, you would die in 24-48 hours. So here is the lowdown on lymph.
What is the lymphatic system?
The lymph system is part of the body's immune system and helps protect us from foreign invaders and pathogens. Its primary roles are:
Produce cells that fight infection and protect the body against pathogens.
Maintain fluid levels in the body
Transport and remove waste products and abnormal cells from the body
If the lymph does not regularly move, it can become sluggish and clogged. Stagnant lymph can cause water retention, cellulite, poor blood circulation, acne, and even more severe conditions like inflammatory issues and a weakened immune system. A robust lymphatic system is vital for everyone, particularly anyone with chronic health issues like Lyme, autoimmunity, cancer, and any long-term health deficit.
Why do we need to focus and prioritize our lymph?
The lymphatic system is a separate part of a network of glands and drainage throughout the body. Unlike the circulatory system, which has the heart to pump it through our arteries, lymph fluid can only move through breathing, movement, and gravity.
Strength Training and Exercise Boost Lymphatic Health
The only way lymphatic fluid can move, trap toxins, and drain is through muscle movement. So when you engage in full-body strength training and exercise in general, muscles move and contract, causing pressure in the lymph system that gets it circulating and draining.
This need to keep lymph moving highlights the need for exercise as part of a healthy whole-body lifestyle and is another reason long-term strength training benefits immune health.
Simple ways to improve lymph health.
Drinking adequate water supports lymph health. Proper hydration is a simple way to improve lymph health. Water helps transport nutrients and remove toxins from our bodies.
Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity strength training 2-3 times per week to support lymph health. Exercise is one of the easiest ways we can improve our lymphatic system. The contraction of your muscles becomes the pump that helps lymph fluid flow more effectively and potentially helps prevent infection. In addition, exercise is a detox for your lymph. Strength training strengthens muscles and bolsters the immune system, which works in tandem with the lymphatic system to keep us healthy. Strength training is an essential preventative health measure everyone can take as we enter the winter cold and flu season.
Laughter is the best medicine for the lymphatic system.
The diaphragm becomes a powerful pump for your lymphatic circulation when you laugh. Laughing moves lymph and drains toxins from it. So maybe our ancestors were onto something when they said, "laughter is the best medicine."
Want to know some simple ways to improve your lymphatic health?
Click HERE for a FREE Guide to Improve Your Lymphatic System. This free information packet includes:
Signs Your Lymph System is Clogged
10 Ways to Unclog Your Lymphatic System
5 Simple Exercises to Improve Lymph Health and Detox
If you are ready to step it up and make exercise a part of your healthy lifestyle and are a woman living in Northern Virginia and would like to work with me, I am available for IN Home Training. I'll bring the workout to you with everything you need to get an awesome workout.
Resources:
Lymphatic System Logistics for Exercise
Exercise and the Lymphatic System
Krohn, Jacqueline, and Frances A. Taylor. Natural Detoxification: A Practical Encyclopedia: The Complete Guide to Clearing Your Body of Toxins. Hartley & Marks Publishers, 2000.