Lipedema and the pressure of suffering in summer

We have only just celebrated the turn of the year and suddenly summer is just around the corner. For most people, summer is the most beautiful time of the year, but what pleases one person is associated with a great deal of suffering and a reduction in quality of life for most lipedema patients.

The special stresses and strains of lipedema in the summer include

Going swimming to expose yourself to the world? No way, you’d rather forego the fun and – once again – think up an excuse why you can’t go to the lake or the swimming pool this time either. Unfortunately, the warm summer air encourages swelling of the legs, which makes the symptoms much worse. And it is precisely then that it is especially important to support the legs with compression stockings, even if these are predominantly uncomfortable to wear in summer. Not to mention shorts. To counteract the heat somewhat, it is advisable to wear clothing that is as airy as possible and does not cut into the already irritated and tense skin.

But the desire of the summer bodysuit is also there, so what to do? Every lipedema patient knows how frustrating it can be when you do everything you can to keep up with the slim bodies in summer, but despite all your efforts, it doesn’t work out for your own. You make sure you eat a balanced, healthy diet, and despite aching legs, you still manage to exercise, but the results are sobering. If there is any change at all, it is in the upper body – in the unpleasant problem areas, everything remains as it was.

Lipedema and sport – is that even possible?

Even if the thought of sport is associated with mixed feelings, it is important and supports the body in every way. Especially with lipedema, it is very important to strengthen the muscles and tighten the connective tissue. In addition, sport provides a new body feeling and lipedema patients experience a whole new self-confidence. Of course, sport does not cure lipedema, but it can help to improve well-being and symptoms – and this is of particular importance.

Exercise in the water

To counteract the pain and relieve the heavy legs, it is advisable to focus on a sport that takes place in water, such as:

• Swimming,
• aqua-jogging,
• aqua-cycling or
• aqua aerobics.

Swimming is associated with a feeling of shame and a great deal of effort, which a lipedema patient would understandably prefer to avoid. However, you should try to throw these unpleasant feelings overboard. Once you have overcome yourself and start to feel the first results of your body and soul, conquering your own fears will have been worth it in the end.

Workouts at home or in the gym

However, if you can’t bring yourself to do this at all and would rather do land-based sports, make sure in any case that compression stockings are worn to relieve the strain and help blood and lymph fluid to return. When working out at home or in a gym, it is important to focus on endurance sports.

The targeted build-up of muscle mass, on the other hand, should be given as little relevance as possible, as this would cause even more grief to the joints, which are already under strain.

Trying things out is definitely the motto here. There are many sports such as hula-hooping, yoga or simply integrating more movement into your everyday life. But as individual as all sports are, so are our bodies. And not every sport is suitable for every body and every lipedema fighter.

Find the sport that suits you best

A sports diary is also a good way to try things out and cautiously approach them. You can make a note of the sports you have tried and evaluate how you feel and feel good about your body.

In the end, however, it doesn’t matter which sport you choose. In the end, you should always make sure that you do not overload your body and only do exercises that are good for your body.