In Her Campus’ series The College Try, our writers test out viral wellness, dating, fashion, productivity, and pop culture trends firsthand. This time, Aleyni Ramos gives lymphatic drainage exercises the ol’ college try.
Let’s face it, doomscrolling isn’t the first thing we should do in the morning, and if you’re also on HealthTok or the self-care side of YouTube, you’ve probably seen hundreds of recommendations for different morning routines: five-minute yoga stretches, quick breathing exercises, 5 a.m. Pilates — which I have never gotten enough sleep to commit to — and lymphatic drainage exercises.Â
Essentially, lymphatic drainage is a naturally occurring process where excess fluid moves out of your body tissues and back into your bloodstream, and according to these lymphatic drainage TikToks, doing specific lymphatic drainage exercises can create and expedite this movement. Along with moving excess fluid, these exercises are said to reduce swelling, prevent water retention, and boost the immune system, according to much of the wellness community on social media.
But it’s not just influencers who recommend lymphatic drainage exercises — in fact, Dr. Sean Doherty, a board-certified plastic surgeon, says they have some pretty big benefits. “Gentle movement and muscle contractions do help support the normal movement of lymphatic fluid through the body,” Doherty says. “Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system does not have a central pump like the heart — so movement, muscle contraction, and breathing all contribute to lymphatic flow.”
That’s not to say that these TikTok-viral exercises are instantly going to heal your lymphatic system. “The lymphatic system does play an important role in immune function,” Dr. Andrew Cohen, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon, says, “but supporting lymphatic flow is different from saying that a particular exercise will improve your immunity.”
So, I decided to finally try to get to the bottom of whether lymphatic drainage exercises were worth it or not by trying them out for myself. And honestly, the results and responses were not what I expected.
Day 1
Waking up the first morning, I opened a TikTok I had saved the night before and started it immediately. Quickly, I found that my favorite exercises were the body waves, arm swings, and “dead arms,” which are swinging your arms around your body as you twist slightly. These felt like they stretched my muscles and joints the most, so I felt more ready for the day ahead than if I had just rolled out of bed and thrown on clothes.
Throughout the day, though, I did not feel a physical difference in my body besides less tension from the early stretch, so I figured it would take a few days to see things like swelling or bloating decrease.Â
DAY 2 & 3
A couple of days in, I started to enjoy the slow wake-up that the exercises provided in place of the regular get-up and drag yourself to the bathroom that would be my usual. The exercises felt like they woke my body up and stretched the stiffness of the night out of my muscles, but I still didn’t see or feel any difference as far as bloating or a boosted immune system. On the contrary, I began feeling like I was developing a cold that night, although luckily it passed (lymphatic drainage exercises to the rescue?). Needless to say, I was enjoying the benefits of movement in the morning, but I wasn’t seeing the specific benefits these exact exercises were supposed to provide. So I became more skeptical and lost a bit of hope in their truthfulness
Days 5-7
By the end of the week, I became certain that, at least within a week, I wasn’t seeing the results that the exercises promised. I still felt more stretched, woke up faster, and was more mentally ready for the day, but the results were about the same as they were on day one.
On Day 6, I also woke up with random lower back pain that made doing the body waves harder since that exercise requires you to fold forward. If you are trying out these exercises for yourself, I would recommend skipping or being gentle with your body during body waves and trunk twists, which both require a bit of back stretching and muscle activation.
If all you’re looking for is a fun stretch to wake you up in the morning to replace your doomscrolling habit, no one is stopping you from trying lymphatic drainage exercises. And while they don’t do everything people say they can, they also cause no harm. So, if you’re ever looking for some stretches to wake up your body in the morning in a fun way, I highly recommend all of these arm-swinging, body-shaking lymphatic drainage exercises — just don’t expect everything to change in an instant.
