The list below is a general guideline of high risk, medium risk and beneficial activities for upper and lower extremity lymphoedema patients. Always take maximum precautions and discuss any planned activities you are unsure of with your therapist.


UPPER EXTREMITY
 
High Risk Medium Risk Beneficial
Gardening Jogging / running Swimming
Tennis/racquet sports Biking (use aero-bars, minimize gripping) Lymphoedema exercise program
Golf Stair Master (with gripping bars on the side) Walking
Moving furniture Exerciser (use min. grip) Stair Master (no grip and elevate arm
Carrying luggage General weight lifting of the rest of the body sometimes)
Carrying grocery bags Easy horse riding (hold the reigns loose) Self MLD
Scrubbing   Yoga
Weight lifting with arm   Water aerobics
Intense horse riding (gripping reigns)    
     
     
LOWER EXTREMITY    
     
High Risk Medium Risk Beneficial
Running  Light jogging Walking
Intense biking Biking longer than 30 min. Easy biking 10 - 20 min
Moving furniture  Golfing Lymphoedema exercises
Soccer Weight lifting (upper extremity) Swimming
Hockey  Exerciser longer than 15 min. Calf pumps
Rugby Stairmaster longer than 5 min. Exerciser 5-10 min.
Sitting or standing over long periods  Volleyball / Tennis (easy) Deep breathing exercises
Weight lifting with legs  Easy horse riding Yoga
Stairmaster longer than 15 min.   Water aerobics
Wrestling    
Intense horse riding    
     
EXERCISE PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR PATIENTS WITH LYMPHOEDEMA
   
● Perform your exercises wearing your compression bandages or garment
● Do not wear tight or restricting clothing (tight underwear or bra, heavy breast prostheses, etc.)
● Try to exercise twice daily for 10- 15 min. and increase the length of the exercise session slowly over a comfortable period of time.
●
 		 Perform each exercise in a slow and controlled manner. After muscle contraction, be sure to relax adequately before beginning again. The time spent relaxing should be at least as long as the time spent during the exercise.
●
 		 Be sure to maintain good posture (e.g. performing your exercises while sitting in a chair) and to keep the muscles not involved in the exercise relaxed. Alternate tensing and relaxing the muscle groups.
● Begin and end each of the exercise sessions with breathing exercises, include proper breathing in every exercise.
● Wait with your exercise program until 20-30 minutes after your MLD treatment
● It is recommended that you rest at least 15-20 minutes with your limb elevated after the exercise session.
●
 		 Patients with lymphoedema of the leg may exercise while lying on the floor, preferably on some kind of cushioned mat or other surface that maintains some firmness.
●
 		 Patients with lymphoedema of the arm may sit on a kitchen chair without leaning back; many of the exercises, however, may be performed lying on the floor.

 
 
  PLEASE NOTE:
● DO NOT PERFORM ANY STRENUOUS OR PAINFUL MOVEMENTS
● DO NOT PERFORM ANY MOVEMENTS THAT YOU FIND CAUSED SORENESS OR RESULT IN CHARLIE HORSE
● AFTER RADIATION THERAPY YOU MUST DISCUSS THE EXERCISE PROGRAM WITH YOUR LYMPHOEDEMA. THERAPIST
   
   
© Allison Dendy. All unauthorized reproduction is forbidden.