Originally Posted by mo1258
Rootsnatty - thanks for starting this thread and your many thoughtful posts!One of my PE principles is that excess edema due to lymph fluid is bad and should be avoided. This is particularly important to me as my body ages with a progressively less effective lymphatic system. So, I like the concept of water pumping and this thread is helpful to explain WHY water pumping can reduce edema.
I think my real challenge is the mechanics (technique) of water pumping. In other words, I now know (thanks to this thread) why water pumping works but how can I water pump effectively and consistently? I am reminded of my many readings about the benefits of exercise, types of exercise, etc. only for me to realize that the “best” exercise for me is what I can do consistently, without injury, and with a positive result.
If I recall, in previous threads here on water vs air pumping, the issue is not whether water pumping is effective but rather that water pumping is more difficult and inconvenient to do properly and frequently. I hope this thread will encourage more discussion about “how to…”
Thank you for the kind words.
You are right, water pumping is more of a hassle, but not prohibitively more. Especially not when it comes to the benefits vs. hassle relationship. The thing is, however, if something is too much of a hassle to do consistently it really doesn’t matter how good it works.
I primarily hang, and it is pretty inconvenient in its own way. A large portion of my living room is basically an extended hanging station. By setting up things this way, however, I have made my hanging sessions much more efficient, everything is right there: my IR lamp, my two chairs, my wrapping, my tape, my weights and my hanger. I leave the wrap on between hangs, this reduces hassle. I have my hanger pre-adjusted just the way I like it and I have its attachment down almost to the point of muscle memory. My point is, if something isn’t convenient, do your best to make it convenient.
With regard to water pumping, the bathmate (and its clone) is a step in the right direction in terms of convenience - I mean you basically need a bathmate, a water source, and a bucket and you can water pump anywhere in your home. I do not own one, but the gator system makes it difficult to achieve the type of static progressive stretch pumping I am describing here. Nevertheless, many have gotten great results without the fluid retention common with air pumps.
I have a brake bleeder with a reservoir. Not quite as convenient, but much more dynamic. And it is modular so you just have to get a new tube if you outgrow the one you are using. I think this is the current “professional” way to water pump due to the many options the system gives you.