Exercising with Lipedema
Exercising with Lipedema is a topic that makes those of us with Lipedema cringe. It’s not because we hate to exercise. It’s the associated pain, swelling and bruising that accompanies most attempts of traditional exercise routines that deters us from trying to exercise.
What we need to know and understand is that our bodies are different from others. The disproportionate weight distribution in our abdomen, hips, thighs, legs and arms creates balance, gait and mobility issues which can lend to falls, sprains and unusual bruising situations. In the later stages of the disease it may be a struggle just to walk never mind consider an exercise routine.
Knee and Back Issues
In addition to the weight distribution issue we need to think about our knees and back. With most of our weight between the hips and thighs, our knees are being taxed trying to carry much more of a load than non-Lipedema or Lymphedema people. The same applies to our backs. Excess weight in the hips down to the ankles can pull on the lower spine making it difficult to walk or stand for any length of time.
In the later stages of Lipedema or Lipo-Lymphedema the knees may have developed osteoarthritis (wearing down of tissue (cartilage) at the end of your bones until bones rubs against bone), where just walking a short distance can create excruciating pain in the knees and legs. I have severe osteoarthritis in both my knees and used to get cortisone injections as needed to help manage the pain. Now I use food and supplements to manage my inflammation and pain. Strengthening our knees and legs early in the disease is key to continued mobility!
Connective Tissue Issue
Another issue we face is poor connective tissues. Connective tissues essentially hold the body together, from skin, bone, tendon, cartilage, tendons, to blood vessels and more. Most of this connective tissue is made from collagen and runs through 80% of our body. (1)
Weak or faulty collagen can cause us to become lax, which can cause joints to move in and out of place or giving us a very “bendy” or hypermobile ability. (Note: weak connective tissue and hypermobility are also signs of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), specifically Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) or the more specific hypermobile EDS (or hEDS), which could very well be a co-morbid condition to our Lipedema.) At my size of a stage 4 person with a huge amount of weight from the abdomen down to my feet I can still bend down and pick something off the floor without bending my knees! I am hypermobile, which explains why my knees, elbows, hips and shoulders “pop in and out” with little effort and movement.
Bruising Issue
Speaking of tissue issues be careful of bruising, which damages your skin. Some of us can bruise from the slightest bumps into objects or from a light touch or squeeze from someone. My 15 pound dog can easily bruise my leg if he stands or sits on me the wrong way. And some of us bruise so easily we can’t even remember how we got a newly formed bruise!
Low impact workouts can cause bruising. If you see bruising after a workout, consider toning down the stress you are putting on your muscles and skin. I was doing some simple stretching exercises and overstretched my right leg causing a seven inch oblong bruise right above my knee. It hurt for a couple weeks and a year later the bruise outline is still visible. You need to be the best gauge of your limits. Any exercise that hurts, causes swelling or creates bruising should be avoided!
Heat Issue
Another good point to remember is the impact of heat on a Lipedema or Lipo-Lymphedema body. Gravity will force fluid to accumulate, usually in the lowest parts of your body, and combined with the heat generated from movement will cause your affected area to swell. The longer and harder the workout the more swelling (and pain) will be generated. Be mindful of this and choose exercises that are in cool places, using cold technology or even a cool water solution.
Now that we have looked at the things to consider before choosing an exercise regimen, you will want to stay away from any pounding, hitting or high impact workouts to avoid further damage to your body. And no, we are not just talking about going for a walk as our only exercise option. There are several things you can do to help maintain muscle tone, weight, and good body form. Again, choose a form of exercise that works best for your body type and ability that does not cause pain, swelling and bruising!
Building Your Core
Before moving into a specific exercise regimen, I believe everyone should develop a strong muscle core where your back, hips, pelvis and abdomen work together to provide stability and balance to your entire system. I’m not talking about trying to get those 6-pack abs, but building enough mid-body strength where walking and daily tasks are safer and easier, not to mention improve lower back pain.
You should wear your compression garments during exercise or stretching regimens (except swimming) as they will aid in blood circulation and lymph flow. Since your lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump, like your circulatory system (the heart), it is important to move your muscles to generate a “squeezing” action that keeps lymph fluid moving out of the damaged areas. The extra compression will help keep affected areas from swelling and provide a massaging action similar to a lymph pump.
If you already have a strong core skip to one of the programs below. If not, read on to learn how to build your core muscle group.
You do not need to do aerobics, ab crunches (unless you can), join a gym or buy special weights, balls or tension bands to help work on your core unless you want to for a change in routine. In fact, I do my exercises in bed when I first get up. After I injured my back in a fall in March of 2018 and was bedridden for over week, I realized I had very little strength in my mid-section to try and get myself out of bed and into my bathroom. My therapist advised me to start working my core so walking would be easier and I could heal quicker. So here is my first exercise for the core.
Minimal lifts
While laying flat on your back raise your right arm stretched out fully in front of you while lifting your left leg. You just need to lift them a little to feel the tight pull diagonally across your body. Hold for a count of five seconds, more when you’re stronger, and repeat with the opposite side.
Suggested Videos
- Here is a video for those who get on hands and knees and may have a bad back
- Modified core building exercises for a plus size woman
- 20 minute chair workout (for those not stable on their knees and legs)
- Lipo Workout for Lipedema
Water Exercises
Exercising in a pool or chest deep water makes good physiological sense as movements are low impact, meaning there are no pounding, jamming or twisting moves that can damage affected Lipedema body parts, especially the knees. The hydro-static pressure of the water provides great resistance against any movement and acts as a natural compression to the lower body. This pressure increases circulation and helps to reduce swelling. It’s like getting a free water massage!
Many women report feeling more toned and refreshed when exercising in water. Some women actually report a reduction in the size of their Lipedema areas when exercising regularly in water. Cooler water temperatures are better for your system than warmer water, which can facilitate unnecessary swelling or edema.
If you don’t have your own pool check with your health provider to see if they have a therapy pool in their network you could use. Therapy pools have a greater chance of employing special lifts, ramps ad rails to help those needing additional safety to enter and exit the pool. You could also use a local community pool, semi-private pool in a housing community or take a vacation at the beach where you can get some water exercise time. If you are reserved about public pools (like me) you might be able to pull together a group of Lippy women to rent a pool for an hour or so for some dedicated exercise time.
Suggested Videos
Walking
Plain old walking is a great low impact means of exercise. Make sure you wear your compression garments for extra support and find a comfortable sneaker that will provide adequate support for you feet, legs, knees and back. Start out slow and build your endurance. Remember to pull back if walking causes any pain or swelling. Some Lipedema folks may be able to walk a marathon while others can barely walk around their house. That’s okay. We all have to start somewhere.
Don’t like walking alone? This is a great exercise to share with the family. Take the dog or babies for a walk. Get together with a group of friends or Lippy ladies to walk as a group. Find a park track, hike a forest trail, walk along a beach, use a school track, walk the mall or local fair or just walk around your block. Wherever your walking pleasure takes you, be mindful of any pain or swelling and scale back as necessary to maintain your Lipedema health.
Walk as much as you safely can even if it is two times around the house. Moving is key to keeping those muscles working and pumping blood and lymph around your body!
Cycling
Cycling, including actual biking on a path or street, using a stationary bike or using an elliptical machine, could be a good form of exercise for those in early Lipedema stages. The pedaling action is great for working leg and gluteus muscles not to mention burning some calories. However, for others it may cause pain in the muscles or knees performing the repetitive cycling action. And it could also cause rubbing or knocking of the ankles on the frame if you have large cuffs (overhang of skin folds) that hit the bike frame.
Choosing a type of bike or whether to bike at all is an individual decision. Remember, biking should be a comfortable exercise and not cause pain, bruising or swelling when engaging in this activity. Since our goal is creating and maintaining good muscle tone rather than burning calories, make sure this activity works for you. Otherwise, find another form of exercise that is safe and works for your body.
Pilates and Yoga
Pilates and Yoga exercise programs are great low impact mind-body movements that can help in toning and strengthening your body. These programs are about changing the way your body feels, looks and performs. They build strength without bulk by helping tone troublesome body areas. You just need a mat with the option to purchase additional equipment for advanced moves.
Since Pilates and Yoga are not about burning calories most people with Lipedema can achieve non-impact moves that work with Lipedema affected areas. You will benefit by strengthening your core, creating good posture, body awareness, additional flexibility and agility, and graceful movements. With certain moves you can even help alleviate back pain.
As with all exercise programs do not engage in moves that create pain, bruising or further swelling.
Suggested Videos:
- FDRS 2019 Conference – Introduction to Lymphatic Yoga and Deep Breathing
- Live Streaming Yoga – Yoga With Shoosh (focus on women with Lipedema)
Vibration Plates
Whole Body Vibration (WBV) exercises have been shown to help those suffering from Lipedema, Lymphedema or Lipo-Lymphedema. There are many benefits associated with using a vibration plate depending on your health goals.
Benefits may include:
- Increasing lymphatic flow and drainage
- Reducing fat stores (and overall weight)
- Reduce inflammation and fibrosis
- Increase muscle strength
- Increase circulation
- Increase metabolism
- Improve flexibility
- Reduce joint stress
Note: those with with heart or joint conditions should consult their doctor PRIOR to purchasing or engaging in WBV therapy to avoid injury.
WBV therapy is not for everyone and should be thoroughly discussed with your physical therapist to see if it is a safe option for you and what type works best for your needs. Some require a full size WBV platform with hand supports while other work well with a simpler floor model.
There are a couple types of vibration plates. You will want an oscillating machine, one that essentially moves up and down like a playground see-saw, if trying to stimulate your lymphatics. It is also important to note the weight limits of the machine and not exceed them for your safety.
Here are some examples of oscillating vibration plates successfully used by people with Lipedema. Again, you and your physical therapist should discuss the pros and cons of using WBV and which type of platform works best for your needs.
Resources:
- Lipedema Treatment Guide – A Personal Trainer’s Guide to Lipedema
- Fat Disorders Research Society – Pumping, Vibration, and Dry Brushing #FDRS2016
- Vibration for Fat Disorders Facebook Support Group
Other Exercises
Swimming and cycling are not the only forms of exercise you can choose for yourself. Keep in mind that excessive standing or sitting, hot temperatures and not wearing compression garments will cause your body to swell, so choose an exercise that doesn’t produce negative consequences.
Remember, do not choose an exercise or sport that has jumping, twisting, joint jamming or physical contact with others as it can be harsh on already taxed knees and cause additional damage to your Lipedema areas. These include activities like football, tennis, basketball, step aerobics, running, jogging, etc.
To your improved health!
References:
- (1) LinkedIn – Collagen and Collagen Disorders
Hello. Do you think it would be ok to do billy blanks tae bo with this disease?
Hi Theresa,
Thank you for bearing with me while I recovered from a bad bout of cellulitis! Lipedema affects everyone differently so there are no real right or wrong exercises to do to help tone muscle or keep you in shape. The caveat to this is to only do those exercises that do NOT cause pain, especially in the joints, bruising, swelling or other type of harm to your body. If you happen to have co-occurring conditions such as lymphedema or EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), particularly hypermobile EDS, you may want to choose exercises that are gentler on the joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles as damage is much more likely.
The Billy Blanks Tae Bo program looks like a good cardio and muscle development program. However, since I do not know the extent of your condition(s), your tolerance for pain, history of subluxations and dislocations and your general health, you would be the best person to evaluate which type of exercise regimen works best for you. Please keep in mind Lipedema is a progressive condition so go gentler on your joints as they will need to carry you for the rest of your life, hopefully as pain-free as possible.
Wishing you a successful health journey!
I have lipedema in my arms. I’m looking up liposuction . It is hard to tone up with this condition. I noticed As I turn 40 is so harder to loose it in my arms. I would much rather have it my lower half. Another thing is running with a upper body sauna suite good for it and weight training. I sweat so much I feel better. I feel I notice a difference.
Hi Mel,
I can totally relate to your frustration in having Lipedema (and possibly Lymphedema) in your arms! Since I have been eating a low carb diet I have lost weight in both my upper and lower arms, but the Lipedema fat is still very much present. Now instead of a smoother fatter arm I now have lumpy sagging arms where you can easily see and feel the Lipedema nodules. I have not seen anything yet that can tone up or rid the abnormal Lipedema fat from the arms outside of liposuction or having brachioplasty surgery. It certainly makes wearing shirts with sleeves challenging!
Keep doing what you can to build and tone muscle in your arms as long as it does not cause you pain or bruising. Hand weights are a good way to strengthen the arms and help reduce normal fat in that area. Let me know if you find a good way to reduce the upper arms as many women with Lipedema or Lipo-Lymphedema are in this position and struggle with larger painful arms.
Wishing you a successful health journey!!
Esther
Hi I’m from india I’m a male and i have lipedema i discovered that my lower body was fatty compare to my lower body at age of 15. My grandmother also has lipedema and i had low testosterone and high estrogen level at young age. I wanted to ask u if i can develop muscle with my condition?
Welcome to the Lipedema tribe! It is rare to see Lipedema in males, but your stated hormonal imbalance would certainly lend itself to developing Lipedema, especially if you already have a family history. I am not a medical specialist and can only offer you my opinion based on what I know, have experienced and have seen in our community. What does your diet and exercise routine look like?
Lipedema is a connective tissue condition where the collagen that binds our cells together in skin, bone, tendon, cartilage, tendons, to blood vessels and more is defective. You may also have other co-morbid conditions that add to the connective tissue condition. This can potentially limit the amount of muscle mass you may be able to develop if you are seeking to do any serious body-building. I have found by switching to a keto or low carb diet (high fat, medium protein and very low carbs) has helped rebuild and strengthen my muscles while also losing unwanted fat. I use hand weights regularly to build arm muscles and try to walk as much as possible to strengthen my leg muscles. What have been your findings when trying to develop good muscle tone and strength?
I would also love to hear from others with Lipedema if they have been able to significantly increase their muscle tone, mass and strength with this condition.
Wishing you much success on your health journey!
Esther
Hi esther
I have lipedema . I always wonder about my legs but just recently things got worth and even my upper arm got bigger so I started google it and found out what I have. I went to see proffecor Mortimer in hospital . He confirm its lipedema . He advise me to loose 20 kg before I start go under surgery as for now with my overweight its waste of money and time because I dont have healthy eating habits the fat will come back . I also have appointment for garments . I hope it’s not too late . He referred me for gp to get pills to help me losing all this weight . But the gp refuse to give me those pills. So I started diet and sport . Since I see professor Mortimer thing starting to get worse very fast . Even My lower legs starting to swell .
Here are some questions i hope you can help me with:
Is rowing is a good sport for this situation?
What is the best? I want to do sport every day but would like to find things I like so I will not give up .
Is there any specific diet for it or any healthy diet can help?
Shell I go for band surgery to loose all these kilograms?
Do you know if I can get help of NHS to have draining lymphatic massage?
Thanks so much for your help.
I can truly empathize and sympathize with your situation! Managing Lipedema and associated co-morbidities, such as Lymphedema, can be challenging, but there are several things, including exercise, that can help your situation. You may have to do some experimenting to see how each aspects affects your health and you can maintain. There are two key concepts to remember. First, do nothing that causes your body harm. I cannot tell you which exercise programs to engage in, but they must not cause you pain, bruising or additional inflammation. Most people with this condition find water activities best as they lessen stress on the joints while helping move fluid out of the legs and arms. Second, attempts to reduce swelling, inflammation and pain must be sustainable as you will be managing this condition for life. I cannot tell you to have or not have band surgery, but many have found bariatric reduction surgeries do help much and it does NOT reduce your lipedema fat. Have you tried changing your way of eating to include a low carb lifestyle? Many have found, including myself, that eating low carb or keto not only significantly reduces inflammation and pain, but it also promotes weight loss. This change in eating habits is a gamechanger without undergoing risky bariatric surgery.
I am not familiar with what the NHS will cover or not for this condition, but your doctor and a licensed physical therapist specializing in Lipedema and Lymphedema can be great resources in securing you the correct compression garments and perhaps a pneumatic pump solution that is designed for your specific situation. It is NEVER TOO LATE to invest in your health! There are also support groups (in Facebook) that are a great source of ideas, advocacy, education and support for those of us living with these conditions. I do encourage people to join not only for assistance with physical needs but also for emotional support as this condition can have significant impacts on our self image and ability to socialize. I hope you have some help here and wish you much success on your journey back to good health!!!
Hi I just looked and self diagnosed myself with this. Is there a way to make the lumps/ skin look a little smoother? Would an elliptical be a good form of exercise?
Hi Theresa,
There are some really great forms of exercise, such as swimming and cycling, that are good for keeping your lymph system functioning optimally and toning muscles. I am stage 4, so I have many dimples and pockets of skin, fat and lymph fluid that are uneven up and down my legs. However, every lippy lady is different in appearance based on their stage and phenotype. The only thing I have found to help “even out” the lumps and look smoother is dry brushing and MLD. Massaging the skin helps move out excess fluid and flatten fat cells. It helps but you may still not end up with the desired smooth look and feel found on other women’s legs. It’s the nature of the condition, unfortunately! Staying well hydrated also helps. I would certainly love to hear if others have found solutions that help in this area!!
Esther
Thanks for the great info! It wouldn’t let me “reply” so adding a new comment. I read that spin class may be too strenuous, but I’ve been doing that for years. I hope I haven’t been contributing to the progression all this time! But since cycling itself is good, as long as spin class isn’t causing pain or swelling, is it like the stair climber…should be ok as long as I’m not experiencing pain or swelling? I’ve been doing spin classes for years and enjoy it, but I don’t want to do more harm than good, of course!
Hi Melissa,
I have not read anywhere (yet) that spin classes are necessarily a bad exercise for you, specifically in doing more harm to your lipedema condition. However, like with all exercise routines, we need to be very mindful of dialing back or avoiding exercises that cause any pain, bruising or swelling. I am not sure how often and how long you cycle but, also be aware of potential damage to your back, hips and knees as over time these could lead to muscle or joint strain. Those of us with connective tissue disorders will stretch, pull and tear joints, tendons, muscles and blood vessels more easily than others, so please keep that in mind when choosing your physical exercise activity. Remember to listen to your body and adjust your activities accordingly!
I will also add swimming, walking and cycling are good ways to keep the leg, thigh and hip muscles toned as well as optimize lymphatic fluid movement, thereby helping to prevent lymphedema (as a common lipedema co-morbidity).
Hope this helps! To your improved health!
Esther
Hi! So glad to had found this page! I just got diagnosed with Lipedema two days ago, and now it makes sense why I’ve been exercising for so long and not seeing any results from it. I’ve been doing spin classes, treadmill, and the stair climbing machine. And from what I’ve read online, walking and cycling are good for Lipedema. But I could not find anything about the stair climbing machine. It’s not step aerobics because I’m not literally stepping on and off a platform, just on the moving stairs so I would think that’s low impact. But I wanted your opinion – if this is something that would stress to lymphatic system? Another question is that everything I read says not to do strenuous exercise because it could cause inflammation. But I’m not sure what the definition of strenuous is. I do work out pretty hard and I’m sweating and breathing heavy, which is normal with workouts, but now that I know I have lipedema, I’m wondering if I need to take it back a notch? I am currently stage two and I still have full mobility and fortunately not experiencing any pain yet. So I want to exercise to try to slow the progression of the disease but obviously I don’t want to aggravate it further. Any advice would be super helpful!
Hi Melissa,
Welcome to the tribe! It is great you are staying active not only for general health reasons but, to help slow the progression of the lipedema, too. As you have read exercise is a great way of toning and maintaining muscle integrity, but it has no impact on reducing lipedema fat.
What constitutes “strenuous” varies from person to person. The key is to stop or reduce your exercise intensity or activities if they start to give you pain, cause bruising or increase swelling. If the stair climbing machine isn’t causing you any of the aforementioned issues, you can probably safely continue to do it. Water activities are preferred as they are least impactful on joints, especially for those of us with osteoarthritis, and the water pressure is also good for stimulating lymphatic flow as you move around in the water!
Exercise is only one part of the inflammation issue. What we consume can significantly raise our inflammation and pain levels. Consumption of excessive carbohydrates, especially sugars, can lead to chronic inflammation and pain that can cripple us physically, mentally and emotional. We have found that eating a low carb or ketogenic meal plan can substantially prohibit chronic inflammation and pain, promote weight loss (of normal fat deposits), increase mental clarity and much more. You can read more on my keto page.
I hope this helps you on your lipedema journey. To your improved health!
Hello, thank you for this helpful article. I have lipedema too and I often get knee pain and have extra lumps of fat on the sides of my knees.
My question is: is always resting legs on an elevated surface while sitting good in general? And
Have you found any particular massage effective for lessening or reversing lipedema?
I would love to wear jeans but cannot.
Hi Rachel,
The fat pads around our knees can be quite debilitating and painful, not to mention prohibit us from wearing certain clothing like jeans. If you have lymphedema associated with your lipedema then yes, elevating your legs higher than your abdomen level is good for movement of fluid out of the leg areas. I have had great success in reducing fluid by elevating my legs a couple hours per day using my adjustable bed.
I do not believe lipedema itself can be reversed, but you can certainly reduce the fluid and fat areas around the lipedema fat. I use a sequential pneumatic pump every day to move fluid and massage the legs. I also use a dry brush on my legs to help move fluid and stimulate the lymphatics. You can do a level of manual lymph drainage yourself, following the right massage pattern, to move excess fluid as well. Some people may need the help of a therapist, a care provider or a loved one to assist in hard to reach areas. Just remember to be gentle and slow with whatever technique you choose as you do not want to cause pain or trauma to the area.
Some people engage a professional massage therapist for helping with the lipedema in their legs. My word of caution is to find someone who understands lipedema, lymphedema and connective tissue disorders. They will adjust their massage technique to minimize pain caused by deep tissue work, promote good lymphatic flow and reduce bruising.
Diet can also be another strategy to reduce the fat pads around the knees. In my experience, eating a high level of carbohydrates will increase the pain and inflammation of the tissues and joints in the hips and legs. This can exacerbate any osteoarthritis in the knees and inhibit mobility. Reducing carbohydrate levels to below 50 grams per day, preferably 20 grams if doing keto, can significantly reduce pain, inflammation and excess fluid levels in lipedema areas thus improving your mobility and general health!
Hope this helps so someday you just might get back into those jeans! It is one of my goals, too!
Esther
Hi, what causes bruising with lipedema? I have always bruised easily but recently (I have turned60) I am bruising very often and badly often for little reason. Anything I can do?
Hi Sandy,
I believe those of us with lipedema have weak connective tissues and faulty collagen. This makes the blood vessels around the lipedema fat very fragile, which in turn can make them rupture with minimal touch or stretching of the skin. Some will bruise easier than others and as we age it gets worse. I have noticed that eating a low carb diet, avoiding sugars and processed foods, staying hydrated, and keeping the skin moisturized helps reduce the bruising quite a bit. Make sure you are good with your vitamins and minerals levels, too. Be gentle when you exercise to not cause pain or strain your muscles and skin that would lead to unnecessary bruising. If you are doing massages, MLD, skin brushing or other skin movement techniques, make sure you are doing them lightly with plenty of healing time in between. I am sorry you get to share in our challenges with this condition! Please take good care of yourself!!!
Hi I’ve just been diagnosed with this, I do have a excerise bike but it causes my knee to ache and I usually end up with bruises after using it, could you advise something else I could do
Hi Debbie,
Welcome to the lipedema club! Glad to hear you are trying to remain active, which is great for maintaining muscle strength and keeping the lymphatic system working optimally. You definitely want to choose your type of exercise carefully. Anything that causes pain, inflammation, swelling, and bruising should be avoided! The type of exercise to be considered will largely depend on your lipedema stage (1-4), whether you have lymphedema present, your general mobility and the strength of your muscles. Swimming is probably our best friend as the water significantly reduces the weight and pressure on our joints and allows the water to act as a natural pump for the lymphatics. If you can’t readily get to a pool, then perhaps taking regular walks will help strengthen your lower body. Just be careful of too much pain and strain on your joints, especially if you already have knee or hip pain (or osteoarthritis). You can also try strategic stretching and movement exercises, such as pilates or yoga. I personally do some of the Sit and Be Fit series exercises (usually seated) with some hand weights to help build arm, leg and core muscles.
I hope these suggestions help. Please take good care of yourself!
-Esther
Hi
i suffer from lip-edema close 20 years i am 35 years old girl.i
just wonder to know why step aerobic is not good for person who has lip-edema cuz for specific time i did aerobic and it worked for me unforchunetly it back again cuz i left gym for diffrenet reason
please guide me
Greetings!
I am sorry to hear you suffer with this debilitating disease, too! Hopefully, you have been able to manage it well and take great care of yourself.
Those in an early stage of Lipedema may be able to perform light step aerobics and not feel the effects on their knees. However, as the disease progresses your knees start to feel the effects of pressure from fat pads overhanging the knees and the uneven weight distribution from the hips on down the legs. Many lose cartilage in the knees, sometimes unevenly, and may even have their gait altered from the uneven distribution of Lipedema fat. It is ill-advised to continue exercises that place pressure on compromised knee joints, risking further inflammation, pain, bruising and damage. Many have found non-weight bearing exercises, such as swimming, pool aerobics, cycling, yoga, etc., to be a better alternative in preventing further damage to compromised joints.
Hope this helps!
Esther
Can a circulatory machine help
Hi Laura,
Can you elaborate on what constitutes a circulatory machine? If you mean something like a vibration plate, then yes, some people have reported pain relief and increased lymphatic flow. I am personally too large to benefit from them right now. If you mean something like a stationary bicycle or floor pedal exerciser, then yes, those could definitely too. I can’t use mine right as my ankles are too large and keep hitting the bar between the pedals. All of these could be great ways to help stimulate lymphatic flow, get some pain relief and tone muscle. Whichever one you choose, just be sure it does not increase your pain or create negative consequences. Please let me know your experiences or if you have another type of machine to suggest!
Thanks,
Esther