Is Sitting the New Smoking? Part 2

Last week’s article covered the importance of motion in relation to the health of the spinal discs as well as the Cerebro-Spinal Fluid (CSF.) This second part covers the lymphatic system.

If we were to look at the body’s vessels as roads, there would be three roads that work its way throughout the entire body: the arteries & veins that make up the cardiovascular system, and the lymphatic vessels that makes up the lymphatic system.

Lymphatic vessels are the body’s sewage system where waste is picked up from the cells and the CSF and is ushered out of the body. That’s why when people are doing a detox tend to have lymphatic drainage and/or lymphatic massages to help with the process of moving the fluid through the body. Unlike the veins and arteries of the vascular system that’s pumped by the heart, the lymph system relies on the motion of the body itself to pump its content throughout the body. If this doesn't happen, the system builds up toxins that can't be expelled. Hence, exercise and being active aren’t things to be taken lightly by anyone attempting to live a healthy life.

I usually recommend to patients who have desk jobs, to make it a point to get up on an hourly basis and walk to the water cooler or a nearby spot just to get the lymphatic system pumping as well as 30-second structural corrective exercises to engage the postural muscles. Getting a one-hour workout early in the morning and being seated for the rest of the day at work and home is NOT an alternative since the system needs to be in constant motion throughout the day.

Tidbit: Being motionless in a seated position for a prolonged period of time was an ancient ritual meant for the passing of elders. The stagnation of the lymphatic fluid lead to an accumulation of toxins that was credited to the death of the individual. (Cred: Lisa Best, CCN)