Does anybody else get 'fat hands'?

[MaryAB]

Hello

I graduated ages and ages ago, well about March! I've been running regularly since then but over the last couple of weeks when i've been running my hands have been swelling up like clown hands!

They don't hurt but i can't make a fist or bend my fingers, it's pretty weird!

I never had this issue before, it's a pretty new thing but I don't know whats causing it. I always make sure i'm well hydrated before and after I run.

Anybody else get this or am I freaky?

Mary

[Pixel Graduate]

How do you hold your hands? Do you hang them down by your side, or are you actively moving them with your arms?

When your exercising, your heart is bumping blood around your body faster (so it's pumping blood to your extremities faster), and a mix of this plus gravity means that there's more fluid reaching your hands, so they swell. Or at least this is how I've always understood it!

Your best remedy is to periodically clench then relax as you walk, or hold them at bent elbows.

[sarmkel Graduate]

You could be experiencing this due to the heat your body generates when exercising coupled with the weather at the moment is very humid and close. This could be your body's way of cooling down, sending blood to vessels near to surface and it's not working too well because is can't cool down quick enough.

However if your not happy see the doc

[lm51 Graduate]

yes I get it! I always hold a water bottle and phone in either hand so thought it was somehow due to that

[flowerbox Graduate]

Yes, I do, I struggle with my rings after running.

[didntrunthat Graduate]

I don't get it so much when I run, but I get it when I walk longer distances at high speed (not quite power walking!) Therefore I put it down to how I swing my arms and the blood flow to my arms.

When I walk fast I am BIG arm swinger and would get to the point of having my arms out straight on the back swing. Running - not so much, I keep my elbows bent the majority of the time, but still have the swing there, maybe that is the difference?

I never thought about it until now

[GoogleMe Graduate]

I get this when out of bed for any length of time and it can get very painful - just part of my overall health problem. In some ways, it is not so bad when doing running sessions because I keep my hands up (ie my forearms are horizontal, elbows bent)

[Oldgirl Graduate]

I used to get this when I was a hillwalker, but we did used to go up big munroes and walk up to 20 miles. By the end of the day my hands and fingers would be very swollen. It soon settled down though. If you wear rings take them off before you start otherwise you could have problems with the circulation being cut off.

[jinnie Graduate]

I get it and the doctor said it was dehydration was doing it

[ellerunner Graduate]

I get it when walking but not running!

To prevent it when walking I hold onto my backpack straps up at my shoulders - not suggesting that you do this running tho. When I run i keep my elbows quite bent and use my arms a lot - I probably look like I'm doing a 100m sprint rather than the slow jog! but so far my hands have been fine.

Hope you find the cure for yours.