# Why Your Hands Swell When You Run or Walk, and What to Do About It
Hand swelling during exercise happens to runners, walkers, and hikers all the time. The culprit is straightforward physiology rather than a cause for alarm.
When you exercise, your body redirects blood flow to your working muscles. Your heart pumps harder and faster, increasing overall circulation. Simultaneously, your blood vessels dilate to deliver oxygen-rich blood where it's needed most. Your hands and feet, which swing below your heart while you move, experience fluid accumulation in the tissues. This swelling, called exercise-induced edema, is temporary and harmless in most cases.
Several factors intensify the effect. Warm weather causes blood vessels to dilate even further, increasing hand puffiness. Holding your arms down at your sides, rather than pumping them higher, restricts return blood flow from your hands back to your heart. Salty foods consumed before exercise can also worsen fluid retention throughout your body.
The good news: you can minimize swelling with simple adjustments.
Pump your arms while walking or running. Keep them at chest height or higher. This positioning helps gravity push blood and fluid back toward your heart more efficiently. Swing your arms in a natural rhythm rather than letting them hang.
Stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise. Counterintuitively, drinking enough water prevents your body from clinging to fluids. If you're dehydrated, your body retains more sodium and water, making swelling worse.
Elevate your hands above your heart after your workout. Lie on your back with your arms extended upward for five to ten minutes. The swelling usually subsides within thirty minutes to an hour after you stop exercising.
Consider the timing of salty meals. Eat salty foods after your workout rather than before