Swollen hands from exercise

[Night Elf]

I've started a daily walking regime. I've only done 2 days so far! :D

 

I found out swollen hands can be from the blood vessels working hard to pump the blood back up the arms. I also found out I should be aware of some salt and water intake, "not too much and not too little". :001_huh: What does that mean?

 

FWIW, I don't like salt. I don't put it on my food and I don't cook with it. I'm not a fan of salty foods. I drank about 8 cups of water throughout the day and then walked for 50 minutes in the early evening. How do I know what is too much or too little?

[mrs.m]

Just keep walking. You'll grow the capalaries necessary to pump the blood over time. Which helps lower blood pressure over all. My hands no longer swell from exercise like they did the first few weeks. But do drink a lot of water. I never heard about the salt except to avoid it to help ease water retention.

[flobee76]

That has always happened to me... but never knew why? :confused:

[Chris in VA]

I get "fat fingers" from walking. Now that I'm walking dogs, it's pretty uncomfortable. I have to limit pickles (my weakness, among others) and make sure the diet soda I sometimes have is low sodium.

I agree it'll pass with more time. Until then, try keeping one of those small squishy balls in your hand as you walk, and squeeze it on and off.

[abbeyej]

Some amount of swelling is normal, particularly if you haven't been very active prior to this. The more you work out, the less it will happen.

 

Dehydration (actual lack of water, or an imbalance due to a sodium deficiency) and being overheated will make it worse.

 

In terms of water intake, take your bodyweight in lbs and divide in half. That's the minimum number of ounces of water you should aim for in a 24 hour period. So if you're a 200lb woman, you want to aim for 100oz (far more than 8 *cups*) of water. And spread out over the course of the day. You can't absorb more than 1-2 cups every 15-30 minutes.

 

Can you tolerate drinking broth or miso soup? Both are good sources of sodium.

[6packofun]

I get this, too, but only when walking long distances, NOT when I run! I think that it's the arm pumping that prevents it, so when I'm just walking, I try to move my arms more AND I take several opportunities to stretch my arms up over my head while still walking just to counteract gravity a bit. lol

[Hen]

I get this too, I have a circulation problem and reynaud's so I thought it was because of that..but, someone up thread said dehydration, and yes, I am usually pretty dehydrated. Another reason I need to drink more water.

 

It does help if I keep my arms up, like a runner does, instead of letting them swing/hand down like normal.

[Mejane]

My hands don't swell, but they get cold and tingle. I do know I have genetic poor circulation.

 

The new hydration guidelines are half your body weight in ounces plus an extra 8oz for every twenty minutes you exercise. Not sure about the salt.

[Gracily]

This happens to me too when I walk. It drives me crazy! I usually put my arms above my head to help with the swelling.

[DarlaS]

I get this too, I have a circulation problem and reynaud's so I thought it was because of that..but, someone up thread said dehydration, and yes, I am usually pretty dehydrated. Another reason I need to drink more water.

 

It does help if I keep my arms up, like a runner does, instead of letting them swing/hand down like normal.

 

:iagree:

 

I find it easier to remember to do this if I'm holding light (1 lb) handweights. Gets the arms a little workout too.

 

Not that I've worked out lately... :leaving:

[LG Gone Wild]

Hands hanging down when you are walking (for me anyway). Shake em out, shake out your shoulders, squeeze fists - every so often while you walk.

Edited April 9, 2011 by LG Gone Wild

[Jennifer in MI]

YES!!! I had trained for a marathon - running. But, I got injured right beforehand and I had to walk most of it. Ugh. During the marathon my hands were SO swollen!!! I kept freaking out!

 

Keep drinking. Keep walking!!! It'll get better!!!!

[Karen FL]

Yep. That used to happen to me when I started walking for 30 minutes to one hour every day in 09. It just goes away if you hang in there. Drink plenty of water.

[Night Elf]

Thanks ladies! I'll just keep plugging along! I just look so pitiful after I walk. My hands are swollen and my face is beet red. I'm not exercising too hard though because I can carry on a regular conversation while walking. I'm walking at a comfortable pace, not trying to exert myself at all really. I'm just trying to slide back into some sort of exercising because it's been quite a while since I've exercised.

[TeacherZee]

I get the swollen hands, as does my mother, we find it gets a bit better if we walk with our hands on our heads for a while (of course we walk in the woods and aren't likely to meet anyone other than our neighbours who already think we are weird:D)