![\"While](\"https:\/\/apicms.thestar.com.my\/uploads\/images\/2026\/04\/24\/3875673.JPG\")
While Najwa also does more intense workouts, such as weight training, she ensures that her heart rate does not exceed 139, as recommended by her doctor.<\/p>\n
Her mornings begin slowly and intentionally, with a focus on rest and recovery.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spend time in my backyard to get some sunlight and lie down with my cat to lift my mood,\u201d she says, describing it as a form of grounding \u2013 a practice believed to help reduce stress through contact with the earth\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n
From there, she incorporates gentle, consistent movement into her routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to focus on movements that help stimulate the lymphatic system and lower cortisol levels,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n
Her routine includes using a yoga ball \u2013 commonly known as a birthing ball \u2013 for gentle lymphatic stimulation.<\/p>\n
This helps encourage the movement of lymph fluid, which may reduce swelling and support the body\u2019s natural waste removal processes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also do yoga stretches, which I\u2019ve practised for a long time, and it\u2019s my favourite part of the morning routine,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if I don\u2019t have time for a full session, I\u2019ll still stretch.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to general practitioner Dr Liau Bee Teng, who specialises in functional medicine, even simple movements can support lymphatic flow.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny kind of movement encourages lymphatic circulation, even stretching,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
However, she emphasises the importance of balance.<\/p>\n
\u201cExercise should not be purely catabolic, where you run, pant and sweat excessively.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also need anabolic movement to build muscle, such as light weights, squats and planks, alongside flexibility exercises like yoga, Pilates or tai chi.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Najwa, finding this balance has been key.<\/p>\n
In addition to home workouts, she goes to the gym three to four times a week, combining low- impact cardio, stretching and strength training.<\/p>\n
While movement remains central to her lifestyle, she avoids overly intense workouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cHigh-intensity activities can raise cortisol levels, so I focus on low-impact exercises such as yoga, walking or cycling,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Although she occasionally incorporates more intense sessions, she listens closely to her body.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver-exercising can increase stress levels, which may affect weight and overall well-being,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learned to understand what works best for my body.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still do weight training, but I make sure my heart rate stays within a safe range, as advised by my doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over time, these adjustments have led to noticeable improvements.<\/p>\n
\u201cSymptoms like bloating, puffiness, anxiety and brain fog have improved significantly,\u201d she says, adding that she feels about 90% better following treatment and lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n
Stimulating circulation<\/strong><\/p>\n Najwa is not alone in turning to gentle movement as part of managing a chronic condition.<\/p>\n Twenty-eight-year-old visual merchandiser Hasya, who lives with eczema, also does so. She incorporates self-massage and stretching into her routine, either in the morning or during her free time, to support circulation.<\/p>\n \u201cAt first, physical activity was less about fitness and more about mental well-being,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cOver time, I realised that movement helps improve blood circulation, which can be an issue for people with eczema.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce I understood that, I started incorporating more stretching and self-massage instead of intense workouts.\u201d<\/p>\n While some may seek professional masseurs, Hasya prefers to do it herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never gone for professional massages because eczema makes me anxious about people touching my skin, so I do it myself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cEven now, I do it occasionally, whenever my body feels like it needs it.\u201d<\/p>\n Over time, she has become more aware of how eczema shapes her daily habits, emphasising that lifestyle changes should be personalised.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t simply copy someone else\u2019s routine.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone\u2019s body and daily schedule are different,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Dr Liau adds that while exercise can help reduce stress, it is important to find the right balance.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t move enough, it affects your body.<\/p>\n \u201cBut if you over-exercise, that can be harmful too,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n She also highlights the importance of timing when it comes to physical activity.<\/p>\n \u201cExercise is generally aligned with daytime activity,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cExercising late at night may be perceived by the body as a stress signal, as it is typically a time for rest.\u201d<\/p>\n However, modern lifestyles, she notes, often make this balance difficult to achieve.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past, people moved naturally throughout the day: walking, working outdoors.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, long working hours and commuting mean many people only have time to exercise at night,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n Why sleep matters<\/strong><\/p>\n While exercise supports the lymphatic system, the glymphatic system plays an equally important role in overall health, particularly during sleep.<\/p>\n Dr Liau explains that the glymphatic system is responsible for clearing waste from the brain during sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s essentially how the brain removes toxins,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cThis process mainly occurs at night, typically between 11pm and 3am.\u201d<\/p>\n She adds that poor sleep may contribute to the rise in neurological conditions such as Parkinson\u2019s disease and dementia.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we don\u2019t get enough quality sleep, the brain cannot effectively clear waste, leading to a build-up of toxins over time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n This helps explain why people often feel groggy and unfocused after a poor night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t sleep well, the glymphatic system cannot function properly, which affects concentration and mental clarity the next day,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s fast-paced environment, where people are constantly exposed to information \u2013 from phones, social media and daily interactions \u2013 this process becomes even more important.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t retain everything you experience during the day.<\/p>\n \u201cThe brain needs time to clear unnecessary information,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n Good quality sleep, at the right time and in sufficient duration, is essential for maintaining both brain health and overall well-being, she notes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stiff muscles, persistent fatigue and puffiness are common struggles for people living with hypothyroidism. For 33-year-old beauty entrepreneur…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":771894,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[51056,1728,1198,210,55275,6012,1079,67,132,68,3149],"class_list":{"0":"post-771893","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-chronic-diseases","9":"tag-exercise","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-massage","13":"tag-physical-activity","14":"tag-sleep","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-us","18":"tag-wellness"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116514560995282157","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771893\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/771894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Hasya](\"https:\/\/apicms.thestar.com.my\/uploads\/images\/2026\/04\/24\/3875674.jpg\")
Hasya shares that she does stretching and self-massage for both mental well-being and improved blood circulation. \u2014 EMALIN ZALANI\/The Star<\/p>\n