Breathe with Bobbie, LLC

October can be hard for many! My family included. Much love to all who have lost at any stage…. You are not alone. 👩‍🍼👼🏻🪽🙏🏻

Just like that 🫰September is over!! Welcome October…

Good information!

🪑💧 WHAT DOES SITTING ALL DAY ACTUALLY DO TO YOUR LYMPH?

Your lymphatic system doesn’t suddenly switch off when you sit down.

But your body really does love movement. 🩷

And the reason is far more interesting than simply saying:

❌ “Sitting blocks your lymph.”
❌ “Your lymph becomes stagnant.”
❌ “You need to flush it out.”

Let’s look at what is actually happening inside your legs. 👇🏻

🧬 1. GRAVITY CHANGES THE FLUID DYNAMICS

When you’re sitting or standing upright, gravity increases hydrostatic pressure in the blood vessels of your lower limbs.

This can favour movement of fluid from tiny blood vessels into the surrounding tissues.

Normally, your body has several systems working together to maintain fluid balance — including your veins, kidneys and lymphatic system.

Your lymphatic vessels collect excess interstitial fluid and proteins from the tissues and eventually return lymph toward the bloodstream.

And this brings us to something really important…

🦵 2. YOUR MUSCLES HELP

Your lymphatic system does NOT have one large central pump like your cardiovascular system has the heart.

But that doesn’t mean lymph simply sits there waiting for you to move.

Larger collecting lymphatic vessels contain smooth muscle and specialised functional segments called lymphangions, which can contract rhythmically and help propel lymph forward.

Here’s the clever part:

Movement provides additional assistance.

When your leg muscles repeatedly contract and relax during activities such as walking, they change the pressure around vessels and help support both venous and lymphatic return.

Your muscles are therefore part of a much bigger fluid-transport team. 💪🏻💧

🚪 3. LYMPHATIC VESSELS HAVE ONE-WAY VALVES

Imagine tiny doors positioned along collecting lymphatic vessels.

As lymph is propelled forward, these valves help limit backward movement.

So you have:

💚 Lymphatic vessel contractions
💚 One-way valves
💚 Skeletal-muscle movement
💚 Breathing-related pressure changes
💚 Changes in surrounding tissue pressure

…all contributing to lymph transport.

The lymphatic system is MUCH more dynamic than a simple drainage pipe. 🤯

🪑 4. SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SIT FOR HOURS?

Your lymph does not suddenly become “blocked.”

Instead, prolonged sitting means your lower-limb muscles are contracting less frequently.

That means the vessels receive less of the external mechanical assistance normally provided by regular skeletal-muscle movement.

At the same time, gravity continues influencing pressure in the lower limbs.

That combination helps explain why some people notice things like:

👟 Shoes feeling tighter later in the day
🧦 Sock marks becoming more noticeable
🦶 Ankles feeling puffy
🦵 Legs feeling heavy after prolonged sitting

These experiences do not automatically mean there is a lymphatic disorder or “blocked lymph.”

There are many possible causes of swelling, and persistent, significant, painful, sudden or one-sided swelling should be medically assessed.

🫁 5. AND THEN THERE’S YOUR DIAPHRAGM

Your legs aren’t the whole story.

Breathing changes pressure inside your chest and abdomen.

These pressure changes can assist the movement of lymph through major lymphatic pathways, including lymph returning toward the central circulation.

So your lymphatic system is responding to both movement AND pressure changes occurring throughout your body.

How incredible is that? 🩷

🚶🏻‍♀️ THE GOOD NEWS? YOU DON’T NEED A TWO-HOUR WORKOUT.

If your day involves lots of sitting, think about simply giving your body regular opportunities to move.

Try:

🚶🏻‍♀️ Get up and walk periodically
🦶 Move and circle your ankles
⬆️ Do gentle calf raises if appropriate for you
🫁 Take some slow, comfortable diaphragmatic breaths
💧 Maintain appropriate hydration
🧍🏻‍♀️ Change position regularly

The goal isn’t to obsessively “move your lymph.”

It’s simply to give your body something it was designed to experience:

regular movement. 🩷

🌿 LYMPHIE TAKEAWAY

Sitting isn’t poisoning your lymph.

Your lymph isn’t getting “clogged.”

And your lymphatic system does not switch off because you’ve spent the afternoon at your desk.

But movement provides valuable mechanical assistance to fluid transport.

So perhaps the next time you’ve been sitting for ages, don’t think:

“I need to detox my lymph.”

Think:

“My body has been still for a while. Let me give those muscles a little movement.” 🩷

Sometimes good lymphatic education isn’t about doing MORE.

It’s simply about understanding the incredible physiology already happening inside you. 🌿💧

Educational information only. This content is intended for general lymphatic education and awareness and does not diagnose, treat or assess any medical condition. Swelling can have many causes. New, unexplained, persistent, painful, significant or one-sided swelling should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare professional.

Lymphatica | Lymphatic Education & Awareness 🩷

This is my favorite season…

Friday Oct 2.
10:45, 12:00

Thursday Oct 1
2:45

Wednesday Sept 30
2:15 pm

You guys! 🫶🏼

I just wanted to update you all a little bit… but first, I want to say I’m incredibly grateful for each and every one of you!! I’m blessed to stay so busy in my office.. and that’s because of you!

That said, I need you guys to know

📆 my schedule has been very full the past few weeks! It seems the weeks are filling up much earlier than they had been, so please plan ahead!!

🌅 my evenings and weekends are filling up at least 3-4 weeks in advance!

🚫PLEASE be mindful of my cancellation policy. I ask for a 24 hour notice, however would love to know AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE! I know things come up, but it’s not easy to fill open appointment times at the last minute.

⏰ please arrive a few minutes early to use the restroom and have a brief conversation about how you feel and what your needs are for the session! It is all about YOU!

I am so grateful for you all trusting me with your health and telling your family and friends about me!!

I’ll be posting a few open appointments for this upcoming week and I will plot out some additional appointments for next week so you can plan ahead! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me in advance if you know you have a day you’d like to rest and relax with me!

Thank you all so much! I really do appreciate all of the support!

Bobbie

I feature her homemade goods in my space. She has been creating some new items that would be PERFECT stocking stuffers!! Check her out on facebook!!! And go see her in person at vendor events in the coming weeks! She makes quality goods! 🫶🏼🐥🐤

🌿Help Me Grow the Chickadee Lane Family! 🌿

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I would love for you to invite them to like and follow my page! Every new follower helps support my small business and allows me to share more of the things I love making with all of you.

💕 Like it. Follow it. Share it. Invite a friend! 💕

Thank you for supporting Chickadee Lane Essentials, LLC and all things handmade!

Made with a little creativity, a lot of love, and a touch of country charm.