13 types of Exercises for Ladies w Lipedema
By Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT
Certified Lymphedema Therapist and ACE Certified Personal Trainer
(Be sure to also read Part 1 of this article here about what side effects of lipedema to keep in mind while training a client with lipedema: https://medium.com/@Kathleenlisson/10-things-personal-trainers-should-know-about-lipedema-side-effects-db8c9e864c66)
Lipedema is a chronic, progressive and painful fat disorder thought to affect around ten percent of the female population in America. Lipedema was first described by Doctors Allen and Hines of the Mayo Clinic in 1940. Almost 80 years later, the condition is often mistaken for ‘obesity’ and not well known in the medical community. For many women, lipedema fat starts appearing on the butt, thighs and calves at puberty.
Just as there are many human beings in America, there are many different types of exercises. Some types of exercise are more comfortable and less harmful to the body affected by lipedema than others. Exercises that move our joints, especially using our calf muscles, can help to improve lymphatic flow. Movement and physical activity may be better terms than ‘exercise’. High intensity exercise or activities that cause or aggravate pain or bruising should be avoided (Fetzer & Wise, 2015) — or at least minimise the risks of joint strain and bruising. The following forms of physical activity can improve muscle strength, reduce strain on joints, stabilise joints, increase lymphatic flow and have psychosocial benefits, improving quality of life.
- Aerobics focused on joint movement
- Aquatic exercise, Swimming and Water Aerobic exercises
- Cycling
- Dancing and other rhythmic whole body exercise that is easy on the knee joints
- Elliptical machine
- Pilates
- Rebounding
- Resistance Band Exercises
- Stretching
- Tai Chi and Qi Gong (minimize deep knee bends)
- Walking, Nordic Walking
- Weight lifting and bodyweight exercises with exercise bands
- Lymphatic Yoga
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic: Exercise levels should not be too intense. According to the Fat Disorders Research Society, “intense exercise like running, spin class, or heavy weight training can deprive your muscles of oxygen which causes inflammation and can aggravate your lipedema. In general, if you can ‘feel the burn,’ then that activity is too intense for you” (Exercise, n.d.).
Kathleen Lisson is a Certified Lymphedema Therapist and the author of Lipedema Treatment Guide, available on Amazon at http://a.co/6x3HTCz
Resources:
Exercise. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.fatdisorders.org/excercise/
Fetzer A. & Wise C. (2015). Living with lipoedema: reviewing different self-management techniques. British Journal of Community Nursing . Oct2015, Vol. 20 Issue Sup10, pS14-S19. 5p.
