Correct breathing does a lot of good on a physical and emotional level. Incorrect breathing blocked - I experienced this painfully after three operations and the formation of lymphedema Abdomen and thighs. In addition to manual lymphatic drainage, I still get speech therapy to stabilize speech and breath, so that I can literally take deep breaths again through breathing exercises, breathe away pain and speak and sing without being exhausted too quickly.
First of all: Of course, manual lymphatic drainage by physiotherapists and wearing compression garments are very important. Get further advice from the specialist at the next MLD - I would like and may only give you suggestions and bring you closer to the topic.
Since the lymphatic system itself does not have its own drive, it is important to activate the lymph flow in the case of lipoedema and lymphedema through regular exercise and correct breathing. This can speed up the cleansing process and the flow of lymph.
Breathing exercises - starting position
Find a quiet place - you will notice why ... at the beginning maybe in front of a mirror. It's great when you get together with a friend and sit across from you - then you have something to laugh about! Back straight up with the pelvis tilted back slightly, the soles of the feet firmly on the floor, legs a little over hip width apart: a stomach needs space! Be careful not to sit too deep: the angle between the thigh and lower leg should be more than 90 degrees so that blood and lymph flow are not impaired. Some exercise instructions state that such breathing exercises can also be done lying down, but I prefer them for conscious awareness and to support the lymph flow upright posture while sitting. The force of gravity supports the diaphragm.
Exercise 1:
Look at your nose, move it: sniff like a hare with a jerk when you inhale, exhale slowly with lip brake and observe which region of the abdomen is moving. If you deliberately pull your shoulders down, the stomach moves and the chest stays fairly calm. That stimulates the diaphragm!
Exercise 2:
Then try to constrict the nostrils, breathe in slowly and very deeply - what are you observing in yourselves? If you involuntarily hunch your shoulders, then you are only using the chest cavity. You have more breathing volume if you imagine breathing into your lower abdomen. To do this, place both palms on your stomach at the height of the belly button and feel how it arches forward. When you exhale, try to actively draw your stomach in, finally pushing down a little with your stomach muscles - if you want to feel better, put your palms back on your stomach. And: Absolutely WITH compression, even if the tights reach under the chest - that doesn't do any harm!
Exercise 3:
Give your body even more space to breathe by raising your arms and stretching upwards. Then reach with your hands far to the right and left and take your upper body with you, rocking yourself back and forth. Important: Open your hands wide and spread your fingers. You will find that after a short time you have to Yawn, because spreading your hands and stretching your fingers stimulate the breathing center!
Exercise 4:
Next step: Stand up and continue to stretch alternately with your hands upwards, to the sides and then downwards. Pendulum low and loose with the upper body and also give in gently in the knees. There are no fixed movement patterns.
How do you stand there: With both legs firmly on the ground and straight at the same time, or do you switch your weight from one foot to the other? That would be great, because if you only stand rigidly straight as if rooted to the ground, then this posture blocks free breathing. Depressed knees block the Breath flow! Try out how automatically flowing movements arise when stretching and stretching, when arms and legs move in opposite directions alternately. The stretches activate the entire trunk on the back, flanks, chest - this gives the body more room to breathe.
Exercise 5:
The yawning is probably with you all the time, and that's intentional and a good thing. When you yawn you are open from top to bottom like a cannon barrel, breath and oxygen literally flood you through. Another increase: Laughs! And if you don't feel like it, at least try a smile! Take a look at the excerpt on YouTube about the grin from the lecture by Vera Birkenbihl "Humor in everyday life" - Lachflash guaranteed! Grinning for at least 60 seconds signals relaxation to the brain and gives the organism mini relaxation.
Exercise 6:
With simple tools you can peripheral breathing stimuli Trigger it with your hands, for example with a long fireplace match. Take it between the palms of your hands and rub or roll it back and forth. It can also be another thin object - the important thing is: it must not be round, but should be square and offer resistance to the palms. It also works with a hedgehog ball.
Exercise 7:
Das Beste kommt zum Schluss (You notice: my favorite film No. 2)
Play your favorite song out loud and move around the room - just as you feel right now! Even better: SING along! The text does not have to be right, you can also give "tones", any sounds or vowels - the main thing: your voice follows the movements. In other words, in terms of lymph flow: YOUR FAVORITE MELODY MOVES YOU!
It doesn't have to be THE big sport. Even with small measures in everyday life, we can accelerate the lymph flow by up to ten times and set noticeable changes in motion. Give yourself 5 minutes without a crisis spread over the day by laughing and dancing!
The workshop of Astrid Nehls, specialist teacher for physiotherapy at the Berufskolleg Waldenburg eV on patient day of the 1st Lip- & Lymphtage on November 8.11.2019th, 40 in Waldenburg had this brilliant title from the headline, and I have shared what I learned there together with my personal training program Speech therapy and yoga / pilates presented. I write how my beak grew and I also spoke earlier in my lessons and hope you can understand it. Of course, I am always happy to receive feedback - so make comments! Movement and breathing have been and are my subject for XNUMX years as the director of dance and rehab sports courses, but I'm still learning new things.
I wish you lots of fun and success
Your Ursula
