Rebounding for the Lymph System 101: Rebounders and Exercises
Whether you’re an expert on the lymphatic system or you know absolutely nothing about it, by the end of this article you’ll agree that we could all stand to learn more about this fascinating subject. Today, we’re going to talk about what the lymphatic system is and how you can stimulate it.
Using a rebounder trampoline for lymphatic system stimulation is one of the best ways to get this part of our bodies to function properly. Fortunately, there are plenty of trampoline exercises for lymphatic drainage, some of which we’ll discuss today. We’re also going to talk about the best mini trampoline for lymphatic drainage. In fact, we’ll mention three great options, as well as each of their advantages and disadvantages. So let’s hop to it!
Rebounding for the Lymph System 101
What Is Rebounding for the Lymphatic System
So why is jumping on a trampoline for lymphatic system drainage so helpful to the human body? Well, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump to move the fluid through the vessels. Remember, the lymph in our bodies takes a similar route our blood takes. So it needs to be able to get up our arms and legs to the nodes that are responsible for filtering harmful cells.
Because of all this, the lymphatic system is actually connected to both the circulatory system and the immune system. But we’ll talk about that a bit later on. For now, let’s figure out how we can get our lymphatic fluid to drain.
One thing that’s pretty important for the creation and drainage of lymph is water. Therefore, one of the best things you can do for your lymphatic system is to stay hydrated. However, rebounding is also a crucial technique anyone could use. It certainly beats some of the other ways to stimulate the lymphatic systems, such as inversion tables.
It’s exactly what it sounds like — you lie on a table that tilts you toward the floor head-first. This also manually forces your lymph to move up your limbs, but really, would anyone describe this procedure as being fun? Alternatives include getting massages, doing yoga, and dry brushing your skin from the limbs toward the heart.
Or, you could try using a rebounder trampoline for lymphatic system exercises in 10–30-minute increments. Can you believe that what used to count as fun when we were kids is now considered exercise? In fact, rebounding has been linked to weight loss, higher bone density, and increased lymph flow. But, while that’s all well and good, we still haven’t answered the most important question.
What Is the Lymphatic System?
As we’ve already hinted at, the lymphatic system actually serves many purposes. Whenever we engage in more strenuous physical activity or put any kind of strain on our bodies, we tend to get some swelling. Well, if everything is going well, the swelling usually settles down after a while thanks to the lymphatic system.
As our blood vessels lead oxygen-filled blood to our muscles and organs, there’s often an overflow that happens. The blood that isn’t sent back to the heart enters the lymphatic system, where it becomes lymph. This fluid is mostly water since it’s devoid of red blood cells. Eventually, the lymph rejoins the blood, once it’s been sufficiently filtered through the lymph nodes.
The whole system consists of the lymph fluid, the vessels that shuffle it along, and lymphoid organs. You may even know some of them — the tonsils and adenoids in your throat, the thymus near the heart, and the spleen, which is on the bottom right side of the ribcage.
Other than the removal of extra fluids from tissues, the lymphatic system has three other functions. For one, it’s the first line of defense against viruses and bacteria when they come into our bodies. Although lymph doesn’t have red blood cells, it does have white blood cells. The lymph nodes also warn the rest of the immune system if something serious has managed to enter the body.
The third function of the lymphatic system is to transport antigen-presenting cells to the lymph nodes. This is another offshoot of our immune systems. Finally, the lymphatic system also transports fats and fatty acids away from the digestive system. If you’re curious how all this happens, here’s a brief explanation.
How the Lymphatic System Works
So let’s bring it back a bit to when our oxygen-filled blood is being shuttled off to bring all sorts of nutrients to tissues around the body. As you may be aware, this fresh blood is delivered by arteries. These vessels run alongside the veins that take the blood back to the heart.
Along the way, these two types of vessels are connected by capillary beds. That’s actually where the transfer of nutrients to the tissues happens. The arteries drop off the water and the nutrients, while the veins absorb the excess blood. However, the liquid that doesn’t get inside the veins quickly enough is swept away by the network of lymphatic vessels that wind their way around the blood vessels.
The lymphatic vessels themselves permit the excess liquid to enter only if the pressure on the outside of the vessels is greater than that inside of them. Once the fluids are inside the lymphatic systems, they become lymph.
However, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump like the cardiovascular system does. Therefore, we need to physically move the lymph along toward the heart, where it will rejoin the rest of the blood. So the lymph only moves toward the heart — which is how lymph massage and dry brushing works. That’s also why using a rebounder trampoline for lymphatic system encouragement works so well. All the up and down movements serve to prod the lymph along on its way.
Now, if the lymphatic system were to malfunction in any way, you’d feel the effects immediately. Your limbs would start swelling first, then you’d experience the symptoms of low blood pressure. The consequences may even be fatal.
Lymphatic System and Absorption
After we eat our daily meals, the food goes through the digestive tract for processing. By the time the food reaches the small intestine, it’s split up into more manageable pieces. Some of these nutrients pass through the intestine into the portal vein.
So, you see, the claim that the lymphatic system is simply our body’s waste management is wrong. It also transports some of the nutrients from the small intestine toward the heart, where they join the next round of nutrient-rich arterial blood. Therefore, by jumping on a rebounder trampoline for lymphatic system health, you’re promoting the proper absorption of fat and fatty acids.
Lymphatic System and Immunity
In addition to transporting nutrients, the lymph also transports white blood cells, our bodies’ natural defense. This connection to the immune system is the reason why we don’t get horribly ill every time we scrape our knees. The lymph nodes filter out the bacteria that come into our bodies in these instances. For example, the staphylococcus bacteria that live on the surface of our skin. However, if it comes inside the body, it can cause staph infections.
If the lymphatic system is functioning properly, it will stop the infection in its tracks. Usually, our lymph nodes deal with minor infections like these every day without a hitch. In more serious cases, the lymph nodes can signal to the immune system to release more antibodies into the bloodstream.
While the bone marrow makes some of our bodies’ white blood cells, the thymus and the spleen do make some types of antibodies as well. When these lymphoid organs produce white blood cells, you may feel some discomfort in some of the nodes along the vessels. That’s why you’ll notice some swelling and tenderness in your tonsils when you’re sick.
Of course, the lymphatic system is also involved when the body needs to defend against a greater illness, such as cancer. Sometimes, an infection will be too much for the lymph nodes to handle. In this case, you might develop lymphedema, lymphadenopathy, or one of the other disorders of this system.
Fortunately, you can also use rebounding for lymphedema recovery, among other things. But before we explain how you can use a trampoline for lymph nodes stimulation, let’s discuss some of the most common lymphatic system disorders.
Common Lymphatic System Disorders
There are several conditions that might cause our lymphatic system to malfunction. One of the most common conditions is lymphedema. Essentially, this is only a swelling of the areas around groups of nodes. However, it can also occur as a consequence of some treatments that have disrupted the immune system. For example, some breast cancer survivors can develop this condition 3 years after their surgery.
Another possible consequence of cancer or some types of infections may be the painful enlargement of lymph nodes, or lymphadenopathy. In fact, you can also develop lymphoma, which is cancer along the lymphatic system itself. But let’s not rush to any conclusions. The symptoms of lymphatic cancer are eerily similar to those of Castleman’s Disease, which is often curable. And so is lymphoma, if you catch it early.
Finally, people could also be born with a lymphatic system disorder. Lymphangiomatosis is a genetic disorder that causes an abnormal formation of cysts along lymphatic vessels. However, this condition is incredibly rare, so you don’t need to worry about it.
At this point, we’d say that we all know enough about the lymphatic system to consider some courses of treatment if there’s a backup of fluid. Of course, we’re talking about using a rebounder trampoline for lymphatic system drainage. But, really, is rebounding good for lymphatic system drainage?
How Does Jumping on a Trampoline Help the Lymphatic System?
Rebounding for lymphatic health is a fairly standard practice. Some physicians even recommend it to some of the younger and more active patients with the disorders we’ve just mentioned. So before we talk about the best rebounder for lymph drainage, let’s see if trampoline workouts for lymphatic drainage could actually work.
Well, as we now know, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump to move the lymph fluid through the vessels. So human bodies have to promote drainage manually. Naturally, we do this by contracting the muscles that surround the lymphatic vessels.
Even the simple act of walking stimulates several of the most important lymph nodes. As our heads shift to look both ways before crossing a street, we’re stimulating the nodes in the neck. We move our legs and arms as we walk, which engages the nodes under the armpits and between the legs. This is all a delicate balance. Still, if you’d rather have some fun, you can also just use a rebounder trampoline for lymphatic system health. Now all that’s left is to get your very own mini trampoline for lymphatic drainage — we’ve got a few recommendations.
Best Rebounder for Lymphatic Drainage
When it comes to getting the best rebounder for lymph drainage, there are plenty of options to choose from. Still, we’ve managed to narrow down your choices to three final contenders.
Stamina 36-Inch Folding Trampoline
This 36-inch wide folding trampoline from Stamina is certainly the best rebounder for lymph drainage in its price category. The trampoline is your standard circular rebounding surface with 30 tension bands underneath a safety pad. It’s completely secure, and it can actually withstand up to 250 pounds of weight.
The 8.75-inch steel legs can fold under the mat, so you’ll be able to slide it under a bed. Additionally, the legs have rubber caps, making the trampoline slip-proof. If you have a really tiny storage space, you can even fold the hoop itself in 4 spots. But we don’t really see an occasion when you’d need to move such a tiny exercise tool, anyway. You’ll definitely be able to use this rebounder trampoline for lymphatic system drainage exercises. In fact, this trampoline comes with free access to 3 workout videos.
Pros:
- Easily foldable
- Supports 250 pounds
- Affordable
Cons:
- The quality of the materials might match the low price
MXL MaXimus Life Bounce & Burn Mini Trampoline
If you’re thrilled with the 3 workout videos the previous trampoline offered, you’ll definitely be happy with the 3 months workout video membership this product comes with. In fact, this 38-inch rebounder comes with a workout DVD and a bounce counter as well.
The trampoline is quarter-folding like the previous one and it does have foldable legs. However, unlike the previous one, this one has V-shape coil springs, rather than tension bands. So it’s more like a full-size trampoline in that respect. This product also has a 265-pound weight limit.
If we had to find one issue with this product, it would have to be the cost increase. It’s definitely pricier than the previous trampoline, though not the most expensive mini trampoline on the market.
Pros:
- Easily foldable
- Supports 265 pounds
- Mid-range price could mean good things for the build quality
Cons:
- Pricier than the previous product
Urban Rebounder Trampoline
This 40-inch wide rebounder trampoline is the most expensive of the three products we’ll recommend. However, it’s actually still in the mid-range cost. The metal coil springs are V-shape. That means that the trampoline should have more bounce and stability as well. In fact, the manufacturer claims that this product can withstand 300 pounds of weight. It also contains a DVD with 6 workouts.
The one thing we’re a bit skeptical about is the mixed bag of reviews this product has. Some people absolutely adore it while others complain about the build quality. Still, we believe that it could be a great tool for people who are looking to start doing trampoline exercises for lymphatic drainage.
Pros:
- Easily foldable
- Supports 300 pounds
- Mid-range price could mean good things for the build quality
Cons:
- Pricier than the previous two products
Rebounder Exercises for the Lymphatic System
Finally, we’ve reached the part you must be interested in: which trampoline exercises for lymphatic drainage are the most effective? Well, essentially, anything will do as long as you’re keeping a proper form.
If you want to stick to the basics, you can stand on the trampoline with your feet about 6 inches apart, relax your knees, and jump. Make sure that you’re actually coming off the trampoline. Remember, this should also be fun!
On the other hand, if you don’t have that range of mobility, you can also bounce with your feet firmly on the trampoline. The important thing is that the upward motion is forcing the lymph up. And, if you’re a trampoline pro, you can try jumping higher, to about 12 inches off the mat!
Another exercise you might want to try involves doing knee raises on the trampoline. You can do 30 lifts per leg. You can even do jumping squats, butt kickers, and jumping jacks on your rebounder. Basically, none of this will hurt your joints, so you’re free to do anything you’d like.
Your trampoline workouts for lymphatic health don’t need to last longer than 10 minutes. However, you can also keep bouncing for the duration of your favorite sitcom or even in small increments several times a day.
Using a rebounder trampoline for lymphatic system stimulation is definitely a productive way to spend the time — and just think of all the benefits you’ll enjoy!
