- The unexpected health benefits of jumping on a trampoline
- Are you suffering these lymphatic warning symptoms?
- The laziest and most pleasurable way to boost your body’s ‘secret river’
When they were young, my kids used to have a trampoline.
It was a huge thing that totally spoiled the look of the garden.
Twice it almost blew away in storms and after every winter it needed mildew and grime wiped from it by a very grumpy Dad.
But…
It was a well-used garden item for many years.
That was, until the kids turned into sullen, moody late-teens and became too cool for jumping up and down.
And that was the end of the trampoline.
It went on the Freecycle website and someone turned up in a van to take it away.
However, now I’m wondering if I should have kept it.
Because there is evidence that a daily bounce on a trampoline could be really good for you.
But not in the way you might expect.
After all, you’d assume that the main benefit would be cardiovascular.
A good jump around gets the blood flowing!
However, it does something else too…
When you bounce on a trampoline, the combination of gravity and your muscles contracting helps the circulation and drainage of your lymphatic system.
Your body’s ‘secret river’
This system is important, because it helps eliminate waste from your body via ‘lymph’, a fluid that’s full of white blood cells that fight infections.
But it’s more than simply a waste-disposal service.
According to Gerald Lemole, the author of Lymph & Longevity: the Untapped Secret to Health, the lymphatic system is involved in “every organ and process of the body”.
He calls it the body’s “secret river”.
It carries nutrients and chemical messages to all your organs, including your brain.
When it’s not circulating properly, you may suffer from fatigue, brain fog, muscle and joint stiffness as well as bloating after eating.
These are common health niggles, so if you’ve not yet pin-pointed any causes behind these symptoms, then it could be worth considering this.
A complete ‘lymph system workout’
One of the easiest natural ways to get your ‘secret river’ flowing is by having a session on a trampoline.
Now, as someone who grumbled about their kids’ trampoline, I’m no expert in this, but I looked online to find someone who is.
Aly Giampolo runs a studio in New York City that offers trampoline classes. He suggests the following three moves as lymph-boosters:
- Bounce ‘down’ rather than up. By this he means that you should think about the way your body forces down on the trampoline, rather than focussing on the bit where you go up. Squat down and then use your core to drive your heels down into the trampoline, then lift with all your might.
- Jump up, keeping your shoulders squared, but twist the lower part of your body to one side. Land on the trampoline, then jump and twist to the other side. Then repeat.
- Go high – effectively push up and away from the trampoline as high as you can, using all the muscles of your body.
Now I realise that for some readers this might be a Good Life Letter tip too far.
I mean – where does one access a trampoline? Or get enough access to do this regularly?
What’s more, there is a certain age where people might decide that the time for taking up trampolining are waaaaay behind them.
That’s fine.
If all this sounds exhausting or you’re not quite in the right condition to get on a trampoline, there are alternatives.
Natural ways to give your lymph nodes a boost
Yoga and Pilates for example, are two ways to help improve the flow of your lymphatic system. Swimming is another low impact exercise that’s fairly accessible for most.
And you can get pretty good results simply from a daily stretching session.
However, bear in mind that those need to be what are known as ‘dynamic’ stretches – where your body is in motion – rather than ‘static’ ones where you simply move into a single position and hold it.
And for the laziest, most enjoyable natural lymph workout…
Get yourself a massage!
Deep tissue and sports massage will get that secret river flowing properly.
Finally – here’s one that’s right up my street…
A quick nutritional guide to healthy lymph nodes
In Lymph & Longevity: the Untapped Secret to Health Gerald Lemole suggests adding the following herbs and spices to your diet on a regular basis:
- Cayenne pepper
- Cinnamon
- Oregano
- Basil
- Turmeric
These are said to relax your lymph vessels. You can also eat citrus fruits and berries, plenty of leafy greens, along with pumpkin seeds and chia seeds.
On top of that, many nutritionists recommend that you consider adding chlorophyll to your diet, which also helps the lymphatic system.
That’s a pretty easy one to sort out, because we have an excellent chlorophyll supplement in our shop that will do the job nicely.
Chlorella has a higher chlorophyll content than any other plant. It contains 45% protein, as well as B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D and E, and also minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.
You can find out more here: Chlorella
Finally, it’s also important to stay hydrated, so if you are concerned about a flagging lymphatic system, drink plenty of water.
