Do you wake up in the morning with puffy hands and feet? Does the first step out of bed feel uncomfortable, with aching joints? An overnight belly and do you suddenly weigh 1kg more than yesterday?
Water retention is a very real condition that affects many, mostly pregnant women or women on their monthly cycle.
Water retention means that access water accumulates around body cells and are not rid off appropriately at the correct amount or pace via the kidneys as urine.
What could be the reason? Let’s discuss the symptoms we can help through yoga:
- Hormonal fluctuations while ovulating or menstruating. Use hormone balancing poses to help the endocrine system function properly.
- Sudden weight gain during pregnancy. Weight gain is inevitable during pregnancy; try doing Mama Vinyasa and long walks or swimming to keep up light cardio. It is advised to keep the heart rate around 140 bpm while pregnant.
- Sitting or standing for long hours, like on a flight or in the office. On a flights there is also a change in air pressure so water retention is very common. Whether sitting on an airplane seat or office chair, try to raise your hands above your head for a few breaths. Extend the knees, lift and circle your feet regularly. Enjoy gentle seater twists and forward folds.
- Diet, especially eating high sodium foods. If you are a salt lover, know that your body might hold back on some fluids to balance the blood volume. But doing light cardio like vinyasa, walking, swimming will help you to sweat it out.
- Not drinking enough water. The best way to drink water is to keep sipping small amounts throughout the day. Rather than drinking a large quantity at once. When you drink a large quantity the chance is that most of that will work it’s way through the kidneys and out through the bladder. Sipping small amounts regularly will allow your blood volume to decrease and level out.
- Slow digestion. Pregnancy, hormones and lifestyle all slows down digestion. Try safe twists and Gentle stretches over the abdomen to increase blood flow to digestive organs.
- Poor lymph drainage. Inversions like downward dog, forward fold and shoulder stand (choose a safe variation of pregnant) effectively fight gravity and assists lymph to drain. Also poses where the hands & feet are elevated while doing circular movements.
For a sequence to help you improve your lymph draining, detoxing and treat water retention please follow my videos on my my page.
Other factors like a weak heart rate, swelling of the veins, blood clots in the legs, unstable hormones and edema can be treated by your doctor with hormones and other medicines or interventions. Always ask your healthcare professional for medical intervention when needed. Yoga is not a cure, but rather a lifestyle enhancement to minimize symptoms and maintain good health.
Namasté.