With the arrival of summer and rising temperatures, it’s very common to notice that the scale shows a little more, that rings feel tighter, or that clothes fit more snugly by the end of the day. You’re not dealing with an increase in body fat; in most cases, the culprit is a classic of the summer season: fluid retention.
This issue, which commonly affects the limbs and abdomen, tends to intensify significantly during the hotter months. At Clínica Torrubia Garbayo, we want to explain in a simple way why our body retains more water during this season and which habits and aesthetic solutions you have at your disposal to fight it and feel much lighter.
Fluid retention, medically known as edema, occurs when the body is unable to properly eliminate excess water from the tissues. The reason this problem worsens in summer is due to an adaptive response of our own body to heat:
When outdoor temperatures are very high, veins and capillaries widen to help the body cool down. As they expand, the walls of these vessels become more permeable, allowing blood fluid (plasma) to filter into the surrounding tissues.
In summer, we sweat much more. If we don’t replenish that loss of water consistently, the body enters a sort of “saving mode”: it detects the risk of dehydration and activates hormones to retain as much fluid as possible as a protective measure.
In addition to the climate factor, certain summer habits act as direct triggers:
Eating out, tapas on terraces, cured meats, and processed foods significantly increase sodium intake — a mineral that forces the body to retain water to maintain fluid balance.
Spending many hours sitting still in the car or on a plane during holidays, or simply relaxing too much on a sun lounger, slows down the lymphatic system, which is responsible for draining fluids from the body.
Fluctuations in estrogen levels make women naturally much more prone to this issue, especially during periods such as pregnancy or menopause.
Changing certain daily routines is the first essential step to activate your body and eliminate excess volume. Take note of these simple guidelines:
To eliminate fluids, you need to drink more water. When the body receives abundant and regular hydration (at least two liters a day), it understands there is no shortage and begins to release the accumulated water through urine and sweat glands. You can complement this with fresh natural infusions that have mild draining properties.
Potassium is the antagonist mineral of sodium; it helps regulate bodily fluids and promotes the elimination of liquids through the kidneys. Add foods like bananas, avocados, spinach, asparagus, melon, and watermelon to your diet — all of which also have a very high water content.
Muscle movement stimulates circulation and the lymphatic system. Take advantage of early mornings or late afternoons to walk briskly, swim, or cycle moderately. If you spend the day working in an office, remember to stand up and stretch your legs every sixty minutes.
When changes in diet and exercise aren’t enough to reduce volume and heaviness, technology and cabin therapies become your best allies.
In our center, we approach the care of your silhouette from an integral and professional perspective, offering you specific options within our real service portfolio:
In our Body Treatments Unit, we design personalized protocols using advanced devices and techniques aimed at stimulating the circulatory system. These procedures accelerate the mechanical or manual evacuation of stagnant fluids, providing volume reduction and immediate relief.
In our Aesthetic Medicine Unit, we perform sclerotherapy treatments to eliminate visible spider veins, improving the appearance of the legs.
An excellent manual complement that helps reduce muscle tension and gently stimulates superficial blood circulation, promoting overall body well-being.
A very simple way to check is the “pressure test”: press firmly with your thumb on the swollen area (for example, the ankle or shin) for a few seconds. If, after removing your finger, the skin remains indented for a moment and takes time to return to normal, it’s fluid accumulation (pitting edema). Additionally, retention fluctuates a lot: you may wake up feeling light and end the day feeling very swollen.
Yes, acupuncture is an excellent and natural therapy that we offer at our clinic. Applied to weight loss and body regulation, it helps balance metabolic functions, reduces food-related anxiety, and indirectly improves the processes of toxin and fluid elimination.
Absolutely yes. Alcohol significantly dehydrates the body. When you consume it, the body is forced to retain water desperately to compensate for that loss, which results in greater swelling in the hands, feet, and face the next day.