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It’s a Wednesday afternoon and I’m walking around New York City like I belong to Monty Python’s Ministry of Silly Walks.
My arms are whirling like wet noodles, my shoulders are pressed back and I’m taking long, deliberate steps. Then there’s the hitting and the breathing: I inhale deeply for five seconds before exhaling and smacking myself in the arm.
This unconventional practice is so-called “lymphatic walking “- a TikTok trend that’s supposed to improve circulation, fight puffiness, boost energy and elevate mood.
The idea appears to have germinated on social media, and hundreds of people have filmed themselves getting involved. I became a lymphatic walker for about a month, doing so nearly daily and largely in public. I walked about 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.
But does it work? Experts say there are benefits though I what I felt, mostly, was silly.
Lymphatic drainage has become a hot wellness topic in recent years with the popularization of jade rollers and other beauty industry tools meant to reduce facial puffiness.
The process massages the skin, seeking to relieve swelling that occurs when the lymphatic system – organs, vessels and tissues that protect the body from infection – is damaged, leading to a build up of clear fluid called lymph. These massages have real benefits, reducing excess fluids and supporting a healthy immune system. And this appears to be how lymphatic walking was born.
Hannah Campbell, a lecturer in applied human physiology at the U.K.’s University of Leeds, wrote a piece about the trend in The Conversation this past August.
There’s some science behind the idea because muscles help move fluid in the lymphatic system, she told The Independent. The more active the muscles, the more fluid that moves through you.
When you’re swinging your arms, you’re helping fluid move through the upper lymph nodes, areas of tissue that filter fluids in the body for harmful cells or substances, Campbell said.
The heel-toe contact of steps helps push lymph through vessels from our feet. Hitting the body is supposed to work similarly, and even breathing deeply shifts pressure in the abdomen that moves fluid around.
However, there just isn’t research supporting the trend as a whole. “In terms of generally healthy individuals, there is no evidence to support this special type of lymphatic movement or lymphatic walking,” she said.
Campbell believes the trend potentially does more good for the nervous system, coordination and motor control than it does for the lymphatic system because of the focus it requires and actions that stimulate the nerves.
To benefit the lymphatic system, other forms of walking and movement work just as well, she said. “Going for walks, lifting weights, dancing. It’s about trying to be more active, or just generally move more,” said Campbell.
I definitely felt more active the first few times I did it. The exaggerated movements were more of a workout than an average walk. However it was hard to tell if it made any difference to my body’s fluid retention.
However, Campbell says – at day’s end – it’s not necessarily about the trend, but what movement does for your body.
That’s a conclusion Rebecca Faria, the founder of Beverly Hills lymphatic massage clinic Detox by Rebecca, agrees with.
“Your heart is a pump. It pushes your blood around your body all day and you never think about it. Your lymphatic system does not have a pump. There is no motor inside,” Faria, who lists actor Anne Hathaway and singer Miley Cyrus among her clients, explained to The Independent. “It only moves when something moves it, and your muscles can do that.”
Unfortunately, Americans’ increasingly sedentary lifestyle raises their risk of painful lymphedema, swelling that occurs when there’s a blockage in the lymphatic system, UCSF Health notes.
Up to 10 million Americans suffer from the condition, according to the Lymphatic Education and Research Network. The condition can raise the risk of deadly skin infections, such as cellulitis.
A lot of people don’t have control over how long they sit if they have long commutes or are desk-bound most of the day.
To help keep the lymphatic system functioning well, Faria advises 10-20 minutes of walking after sitting for a while. Lying down and putting your legs up against a wall for a similar period of time also helps drain any stagnant fluid, with gravity doing the work.
Investing in a pair of compression socks may work, too. They typically sell for at least $25 a pair.
“Compression socks work on the same idea. They give your legs a constant, even hug, so the fluid does not have space to pool down there. Your calf muscles are pumping all day, and the socks help them do that job better,” Faria said.
