Guide email 8
Your Body's Trail Crew (And Why It Needs You to Keep Moving)
The lymphatic system is one of the most powerful but definitely underrated systems of the body. Think of it as your body's trail crew—it clears debris, hauls waste, and helps your body...
The lymphatic system is one of the most powerful but definitely underrated systems of the body.
Think of it as your body's trail crew—it clears debris, hauls waste, and helps your body stay ready to fight off whatever comes your way. But here's the thing: unlike your heart, the lymphatic system doesn't have a built-in pump. It relies on movement to do its job.
Here's what I learned the hard way:
Back in 2015, I did a backpacking trip in Iceland. The last day, we did this incredible 16-mile round trip hike up to a pass where you could stand on a glacier and look down at the ocean. I felt pretty good during the hike.
Then I jumped on a bus for the two-hour drive back to Reykjavik.
My knees swelled up almost immediately.
At that point, my default was to restrict movement—I figured I'd overdone it (even maybe injured myself) and needed to rest. It took me a long time to recover in part because I wasn’t helping my lymphatic system to move the swelling and inflammation out through movement.
Fast forward to now:
If I feel like I've overdone it or I'm feeling soreness after a long hike, my default has completely swapped. Instead of shrinking back, I find ways to keep moving within my capacity. I use movement to help the lymphatic system to get the waste out.
The takeaway:
When you have something that feels a little bit off, or you're sore from a workout—don't necessarily go do a huge hike. But finding ways to stay moving and active can be a real game changer.
Your body relies on movement in so many different ways to function properly.
Keep moving,
Jeff
P.S. Even simple activities like walking, deep breathing, or ankle circles can get things moving again. Your lymphatic system needs you to stay in motion.
Check it out here:
Enjoy,
Jeff