Can’t get rid of leg edema and obesity? Chinese medicine doctor Chen Yanren: 3 exercises to beautify your legs, strengthen your spleen and reduce edema

Many women are troubled by the problem of edema and obesity in the lower body. Chinese medicine practitioner Chen Yanren said that traditional Chinese medicine believes that edema-type obesity is closely related to spleen deficiency. If you want to improve the edema of the lower body, doing spleen meridian stretching exercises on the inner side of the calves and thighs every day can also have a good effect in reducing edema.

Poor lymphatic metabolism, spleen deficiency and prone to edema

According to the TCM view, "the spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation" and is responsible for the metabolism of water and moisture. When the spleen is dysfunctional, the circulation of Qi and blood is affected, and water and moisture cannot be excreted from the body normally. Water accumulates in the body and edema occurs, making the person appear obese. If you are someone who is prone to edema in the lower body, you can massage the inside of your calves and thighs, or do leg stretching exercises, to regulate the function of the spleen meridian, promote blood circulation in the legs and the metabolism of excess water, tighten the leg lines, and make your legs look slimmer.

Chinese medicine practitioner Chen Yanren said that the main cause of lower body edema is poor lymphatic circulation. In addition to massage to unblock the flow of qi and blood and make the return smoother, doing some leg stretching exercises every day can stimulate lymphatic return and smooth the flow of qi and blood in the spleen meridian through skeletal muscle movement, which helps with water metabolism and improves edema-type obesity. However, if it is fat type obesity, massaging or stretching the spleen meridian is not very effective.

People who are prone to edema in the lower body can massage the inside of the calves and thighs, or do leg stretching exercises to regulate the function of the spleen meridian, promote blood circulation in the legs and the metabolism of excess water.

3 exercises to strengthen your spleen and reduce edema

Want to get rid of leg edema? Rehabilitation physiotherapist He Zhiyao designed three leg spleen meridian stretching exercises to reduce weight and eliminate edema for the thigh adductor muscles, including the gracilis, adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis and pectineus. Do them twice a day, 20 times each time, and slow down the movements as much as possible. This can not only tighten the loose leg muscles, but also help to expel excess water from the body, helping to eliminate edema.

[Move 1 / Squat and stand up with legs spread]

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ball in front of your abdomen with both hands.

2. Keep holding the ball and squat down slowly.

3. Half squat, hold the ball in front of your abdomen with both hands and keep the same posture.

4. Keep holding the ball and stand up slowly.

5. Return to the position with feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ball in front of your abdomen with both hands.

Step 1: Squat down and stand up with your legs spread. (Photo provided by Tong General Hospital)

[Trick 2 / Lie on your side and lift your legs]

1. Lie on your side, raise your left foot and place it on a normal chair at home, prop up your head with a pillow so that your body is parallel, and hold the ball on your abdomen with your left hand.

2. Slowly lift your right foot and place it parallel to your left foot, and stay there for 3 seconds.

3. Slowly lower your right foot.

4. After repeating the right leg lift movement 20 times, switch sides and do the same 20 times with your left leg.

Step 2: Lie on your side and lift your legs. (Photo provided by Tong General Hospital)

[Move 3 / Raise your leg and hold the ball]

1. Lie flat on your back with pillows to raise your head to the same height as your body, and bend your knees.

2. Slowly lift your calf to form a 90-degree angle with your thigh and keep it there for 3 seconds, while keeping the ball between your knees.

3. Slowly lower your calf.

Move 3/Raise your legs and hold the ball. (Photo provided by Tong General Hospital)