Hands swell during exercise

Honeyacid

I try to exercise 3-4 days a week and walk everyday for 1-2 hours. During the time I'm working out, specifically walking, I've noticed that my hands start to swell. They don't hurt or cause me any discomfort but it's still a concerning matter since I'm fairly young. Has anyone else experienced this?

youngmomtaz

I think it’s fairly common. Has always happened to me and a few friends since we were teens in gym class. I would just make sure my rings were off before cardio when it seems worse, and get lots of water before and after. The sausage fingers suck though.

BZAH10

My hands will do that occasionally while walking if it's really hot or I'm retaining water for whatever reason. When that happens I'll bend my elbows and move my arms the same way runners do. Not as fast or as big of movements but raising the elevation of your hands seems to help.

Do you already do that or do you just let your arms swing beside you while walking?

ladyreva78

https://www.mayoclinic.org/hand-swelling/expert-answers/faq-20058255

Flexing the hands and/or rotating arms forward/backwards regularly during exercise seems to help (as per the link above).

Happens to me too and and the flexing/making fist is usually what helps me the best.

Terytha

Add me to the flexing fingers/making a fist group. I have this problem a lot when I walk, and moving my hands really helps.

My feet do this too but I haven't found a decent solution other than wearing socks for the compression.

puffbrat

Happens to me as well. Along with the suggestions above, making sure I am staying properly hydrated and even drinking small amounts of something with electrolytes seems to help.

texasredreb

It happens to me too. I raise my arms above my head and move them around a lot while I'm walking. I don't do wild movements because that can be counter-productive for me; I stick with controlled rhythmic arm/hand movements.

capops

It's because your blood is trying to cool your core and leaving your arms/hands it's totally normal! Moving them around and lifting them above your head may help!

collectingblues

Totally normal. Happens to me every half marathon, including the ones in cold rain.

WholeFoods4Lyfe

Happens to me. As a matter of fact, I just got back from a 30 minute walk. I just walk with closed fists and periodically open and close them a few times. Seems to do the trick for the most part. I still can't get my wedding ring off, but at least it doesn't feel like it's cutting off of my circulation.

lynn_glenmont

capops wrote: »

It's because your blood is trying to cool your core and leaving your arms/hands it's totally normal! Moving them around and lifting them above your head may help!

Advice good. Explanation, not so much. If your body is trying to cool any part of itself through blood circulation (as opposed to perspiration, the more normal method) it would have to run the blood from the hot parts to vessels near the surface -- it couldn't accomplish anything (other than tissue death in the extremities) by pooling the blood in the core.

Also, if blood were leaving your arms/hands, they would not be swelling, they'd be shriveling.

What is actually happening is that your body, like everything else, is affected by gravity, and if you leave your hands dangling at your sides during your walk, they're below your heart, and it's easier for blood to get to places below your heart and harder for it to return from places below your heart, and the same principle (absent the specific relationship to the heart) applies to other liquids in your body. It's the same principle that leads to the advice to elevate a sprained ankle or other injured body part to reduce swelling.

whoami67

If I hold my house keys in my hand while walking, that hand doesn't swell. I guess that's about the same as making a fist.

bluesheeponahill

I'm sure its normal for the most part, but it also wouldn't hurt to see a doctor too for overall health check if you haven't done so already. when I worked out my hands used to swell up and it would be uncomfortable. I actually had high blood pressure and needed medication to bring it down. since then, my hands don't swell like they used to now. (i'm 34, so it was a surprise to me as well to have high blood pressure)

MelanieCN77

I get this when I'm walking only, it seems to just be circulatory as if I raise my hands higher it alleviates the issue, and I never get it running or doing anything else.