Can Lightly Bouncing on an Exercise Ball Help the Lymphatic System?

Young woman in sports clothing exercising on fitness ball by fire place

Your lymphatic system helps to remove toxins, such as metabolic wastes, from your body. It provides immune functions and assists in your body's fluid balance. Furthermore, your lymphatic system distributes fluids and essential nutrients around your body. You can assist your lymphatic system's function through bouncing. A stability ball, or Swiss ball, provides a supportive base for bouncing exercises without impact on the joints of your body. Exercise balls can be purchased at any sporting goods store and are inexpensive wellness tools.

Lymphatic System

Your lymphatic system depends upon exercise to help it eliminate toxins from your body. The lymph fluid cannot move on its own. It moves as a result of your body movements. Bouncing helps to open and close the one way valves of the lymph ducts to allow free flowing removal of waste. This is important because when toxins build up in your body you will have reduced energy levels.

Stability Ball

Natural News suggests bouncing for two minutes every waking hour. Bouncing, or rebounding, is likened to resistance training for your cells. As you move up and down, the cells respond to the changing gravitational pull by becoming stronger. Natural News also reports that two minutes of bouncing leads to an increase in white blood cell count for approximately one hour. This helps to boost your immunity.

Fluid Movement

The lymphatic system does not have its own pump, reminds Vitality Magazine. This is unlike your cardiovascular system, which includes the heart to pump the blood around your body. There are three ways to promote the flow of lymphatic fluid: movement to provide muscular contractions; a change in gravitational pull on the body; and increase in internal stimulus on lymph ducts. Light bouncing on a stability ball will accomplish all three and improve fluid movement.

Guidelines

When bouncing on your ball, keep your feet in contact with the ground. You can add arm raises to the front and sides as you advance. Begin with one or two minutes and aim to not exceed five minutes during one session. You can repeat your sessions throughout the day. The American Holistic Health Association suggests two to four times each day.

Safety

When choosing a ball, correct size is important. To measure proper size, sit on a ball and look to see if your knees are in a straight line out from your hips. If your knees are too high, the ball is too small. If your knees are too low, the ball is too big.

Always wear supportive, non-slip shoes when bouncing on a stability ball to provide a supportive base.

Use you stability ball in a clean, open space and do not use outside.

The ball is an unstable surface, so begin bouncing with caution.

Always seek your doctor's guidance before starting a workout program.