Spending hours upon hours a week parked on your butt in front of your desk falls into the same category as spooning yourself an entire carton of ice cream in one sitting or staying up past 3 a.m. on a work night to catch up on The Bachelor: It’s just not all that good for you. And as I write this, I have the sitting-induced hip and leg pain to prove it. But according to pros, there are certain ways you can sit at your desk that are marginally less bad for your than others. Since most people likely don’t have the option of trading in their usual workspace seating for, say, the beachfront lounge chairs I’ve been petitioning for, it’s worth taking their cues for the sake of your own unhappy joints and muscles.
“I think the worst three things you can do would be sitting too low, sitting in a chair that’s too soft—which can create compression on the hips and cause groin pain, hip pain, and labral tears—and not having your feet on the floor,” says Dr. Emily Kiberd, a chiropractor and founder of the Urban Wellness Clinic.
So first things first: un-cross those legs. “We like to analyze sitting positions from the ground up, and can’t emphasize enough the importance of making sure that feet are supported on the floor,” says Dariusz Stankiewicz, physical therapist and co-founder of New York City’s Body Evolved. His tips: If you can’t quite reach the actual floor, place something underneath your chair on which you can rest your feet flat atop. Next, raise your chair so your hips are set slightly higher than a 90-degree angle, and keep your back straight and supported. Finally, rest your wrists so they’re supported on top of your desk, keep your eyes directly in line with your monitor, and you’re ready to get to work.
I’m personally in this weird habit of sitting in the crossed-legged pose (the way you’d instruct a kindergartner to) whenever my hips start to hurt from being at my desk too long—which happens approximately 15 times per day. And while I know this both makes me look like a total weirdo in the office and makes wearing skirts to work difficult, what can I say? When I ask Dr. Kiberd about this (and preface the question with, “I’m sure this probably isn’t great but…”), she informed me that my child-friendly sitting style actually isn’t as bad as you’d probably think—as long as I’m not doing it all day, every day.
“With any kind of sitting, the idea is to create dynamic movement and to keep changing it—so if you’re sitting cross-legged for 10 or 20 minutes, you’re probably fine. If you’re doing that for eight hours, it will start to create compensations or overuse,” she says, noting that no one can sit in perfect posture all day long (or, if you’re like me, for more than 15 minutes), so shifting in your seat or crossing your legs every once in a while is totally fine. “If you feel yourself fatigue, and you’re hunched over your computer and rounded like a little T-rex, listen to your body. Take a break, get some water, take a walk, change it up.”
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Thanks to innovations in health and wellness tech, you don’t have to book an expensive lymphatic drainage massage to give your system a boost. Dry brushes, gua sha tools, foam rollers—they’re all readily available and more accessible than the cost of manual lymph work. And now, apparently, we can add “lymphatic drainage onesie” to the list of recovery tools out there that can potentially give your lymph nodes some love.
bioregulator medical expert at the BioMed Center in Scottsdale
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I was skeptical when I first heard about Heat Healer’s Activated Lymphatic Onesie ($200), a one-piece jumpsuit that claims to reduce bloating, improve recovery, and increase circulation just by wearing it. It sounded too good to be true. But as someone training for a 10k and traveling frequently for work, I decided to try it for 30 days—couldn’t hurt, right?
The timing was spot on—I was about to head to Mexico City for Marriott’s Masters of the Craft, a culinary competition where I’d be eating and drinking my days away watching a cook-off between Marriott’s top talent. If there was ever a time to test a garment promising to reduce bloating and improve recovery, this was it.
About the Heat Healer Activated Lymphatic Onesie
Heat Healer’s Activated Lymphatic Onesie is effectively a compression suit that amplifies your body’s natural detox system. Using what the brand calls “Antigravity Technology,” this onesie combines strategic compression and raised fabric patterns to stimulate lymphatic flow, helping your system clear excess fluid and waste while boosting circulation and oxygenation. Think of it as a wearable self-care tool for optimizing your body’s drainage network.
“Moving lymph allows your cells to breathe ‘freely’ and is akin to doing a biological oil change,” explains Jeoff Drobot, NMD, a bioregulator medical expert in Scottsdale. He adds we filter about 5 liters of lymph daily—equivalent to our total blood volume. When this system isn’t flowing efficiently, it can leave us feeling bloated, fatigued, and sluggish. However, with proper stimulation, like that provided by lymphatic drainage techniques (or in this case, the Activated Lymphatic Onesie), people often report improved energy levels, digestion, and even better sleep.
“Lymphatic onesies can be helpful after workouts to support recovery, reduce muscle soreness, and minimize swelling,” says Carrie Riley, lymphatic massage specialist and founder of Cincinnati Massage for Mental Health. “They’re also a great option for long flights, as they can help counteract fluid retention and improve circulation during extended periods of sitting. The same is also true for someone with long hours at a desk job.”
My review
What I love
Feeling better just by wearing a jumpsuit sounded great, but could it really deliver on its claims? I was determined to find out.
I can confirm that the onesie—a short-sleeved jumpsuit with leggings—provided immediate relief, starting from the very first wear; my body felt light and floaty as if I’d somehow shed fatigue buried in my bones. During my time in Mexico City, where I sampled everything from tequila to Michelin-star tacos, the onesie was a lifesaver. Between the elevation and rich meals, my body was working overtime, but slipping this suit over my skin back at my hotel brought me a sense of recovery I didn’t expect.
Photo: Author
Its benefits were even more apparent after an especially enthusiastic evening at Handshake Speakeasy (currently ranked as the World’s Best Bar). Normally, cocktails leave me bloated and shaky the next day. But, waking up in the middle of the night with the sense of an oncoming hangover, I crawled into the onesie and collapsed back into bed, hoping for the best. By morning, I was shocked by how much better I felt—so much so that I even took a class at a local fitness studio. During my 10K training, it became an essential part of my recovery routine, easing post-run fatigue and helping me bounce back faster—I like to think that it helped me hit my personal record on race day.
I found the onesie was also a game-changer for long flights. While bathroom breaks were challenging (airplane gymnastics, anyone?), its ability to counter travel-related gastro-stress made them worth it. Over 30 days, I wore it on eight flights and experienced a level of comfort I’ve never had before. It helps that the onesie is fashionable and easy to pair with sweats or oversized button-downs. While Dr. Drobot says that the lymphatic onesies such as Heat Healer’s pale in comparison to manual lymphatic drainage from a highly-trained practitioner, I appreciated that I could take it on the go with me.
What I don’t love
Getting into the onesie requires dedication, especially that first time. I followed the recommendation to size down, and although it wasn’t as tight as shapewear, I still performed an interpretive dance just to shimmy it on. Once it was on, the effort felt worth it, but the process was still tedious.
As mentioned, bathroom breaks presented another challenge, only from a logistics standpoint. Wrestling with the onesie in an airplane bathroom felt like an Olympic event. But as soon as I stepped out of the stall and felt its effects, I forgot the inconvenience.
Final thoughts
After 30 days of testing—from excessive evenings in Mexico City to 10K training and long-haul flights—I’m convinced it’s worth a spot in your recovery routine. While it’s not a miracle solution, the lymphatic onesie supported me through bloating, recovery, and even hangovers.
Riley offers some perspective for anyone considering a lymphatic drainage onesie, “Think of the onesie as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for professional care.” That said, while lymphatic drainage has anecdotal support and some research backing, the science around wearable tools like this isn’t yet conclusive. As always, consult your doctor before trying new wellness products, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or concerns. In the meantime, while I don’t foresee myself wearing my onesie every day, I will definitely be pulling it out on days I need a little pick-me-up.
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