Hand swelling during exercise: A concern?

What causes hand swelling during exercise? I walk several times a week, and my fingers get puffy to the point that I can't get my rings off.

- Cathy / Kansas

Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Edward Laskowski, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

Answer

Hand swelling during exercise is a fairly common problem. Unfortunately, the cause usually isn't clear.

During exercise, your heart may redirect blood from your hands to the exercising muscles. This cools your hands. In turn, the blood vessels in your hands may overreact — which could lead to more blood flow in your hands and possible hand swelling. Hand swelling during exercise is unlikely to be caused by an electrolyte imbalance, weather conditions or drinking excess water.

There's no proven way to prevent or reduce hand swelling during exercise. Before you exercise, you may want to remove your rings and loosen your watchband. During exercise, it may help to do occasional forward and backward arm circles. You might also stretch your fingers and then make fists several times during exercise.

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