2. Walking
If you do not have a rebounder, try taking a brisk walk for 20 minutes, four times a week, preferably outside among the trees, grass and fresh air. Walking is so beneficial for health that the Japanese have a name for it—“forest bathing.” (7). Walking not only increases lymph flow but it brings vital oxygen to your lungs and other cells while being outside improves your mental health and mood.
3. Deep Breathing
Apart from exercise, deep breathing is one of the most important things you can do to increase lymph flow because your lungs help to push your lymphatic fluid through the rest of the body.
The expansion and contraction of your diaphragm caused by deep breathing can stimulate your lymphatic system and massage your internal organs, which, of course, helps your body to remove toxins. This further promotes optimal oxygen exchange within your cells (8).
Take several minutes a day to simply concentrate on your breathing, taking in exaggerated deep breaths and then exhaling all the air. Do this several times and then repeat throughout the day.
4. Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Massage in general is good for circulation but you can also specifically have a lymphatic drainage massage that targets the lymph areas (9).
5. Yoga
The theory of yoga supports lymphatic flow and circulation but according to some experts, specific types of yoga may be more productive for moving fluid quickly, particularly, Lymphatic Yoga and Yin Yoga.
These types of yoga require you to create poses that are held from 3 to 10 minutes and the resulting change in gravity you experience while doing these poses, and the differences in pressure, can help to improve lymphatic flow.
Studies show these types of yoga are also helpful self-care interventions for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) (10).
6. Legs up on the Wall
Simply raising your legs above your body can improve lymph flow and drainage in that area.
Just lie down on your back and place your legs up against the wall at a 90 degree angle. This daily practice helps elimination toxins and even promote sleep (11).
7. Stand More
Many of us sit almost all day at a desk. Then we sit when we drive home.
We sit again when we eat and then when we watch TV before retiring for bed, where we lie prone for another 6-8 hours.
That’s a lot of sitting and stationary positions, especially when you think about how little movement there is of lymph when you are immobile.
To get things moving, try using a standing desk. Standing allows fluid to flow more easily and tiny muscles move and twich to keep you upright. There small but powerful muscle contractions help to push lymph throughout your body (12).