Seriously, why do we get so puffy in summer?

Could it be those darned long-haul flights, or those (gorgeous) salty dinners and scorching temperatures? Everyone’s on an anti-inflammatory diet, but we still want to have fun! Here's what's really happening and why the solution is simpler than you might think.

Most of us feel our best at summer. Longer days, fresh air, glowing tans, and amazing holidays should leave us feeling energised, yet for many people, the reality is quite different. Your rings feel tighter on your fingers, and your face looks puffier in photos. Why do my legs feel 10 tonnes after stepping of a flight? Now you’re waking up bloated despite spending the previous day walking 20,000 steps around a new city. Make it make sense…

If you are to listen to any influencer, they would say it’s inflammation. A fave buzzword of the wellness community, what many of us experience during the summer isn't necessarily inflammation in the clinical sense. Inflammation is your body's natural immune response to injury, infection, or irritation. When you cut your finger or catch a virus, your immune system releases chemicals that increase blood flow and recruit immune cells to help repair tissue.

But actually, what we experience in summer is completely normal. The puffy, sluggish feeling many of us experience after travelling rarely has a single cause. Instead, it's often the result of several factors acting together. Heat, dehydration, alcohol, disrupted sleep, salty meals and long periods of sitting can all influence the body's fluid balance. On holiday, these habits tend to occur at the same time, making their combined effects more noticeable.

Take the heat for example: hot weather causes blood vessels to widen to help release heat. While it's an essential cooling mechanism in our bodies, but it can also contribute to temporary swelling, particularly in the hands, feet, and face. At the same time, we tend to eat differently on holiday. Restaurant meals are often higher in sodium, we snack more frequently, enjoy a few extra drinks, and stick less rigidly to our usual routines.

Now do note: this is not the problem per se. We should be allowed to enjoy a bag of Lays in our hotel room and indulge in a luxurious dinner at the buffet. But do take note on how this may leave you feeling. The instinctive response is often to drink more water (which is helpful btw).

The good news is you don’t have to buy into another wellness trend to combat this. Gua sha’s were once hailed as the summer puffiness epidemics best friend, and then we moved onto strict and suffocating anti-inflammatory diets. But if you don’t want to chew fish skins on the beach with your mates (who does?), then simply focus your body on the fundamentals.

Stay hydrated always, don’t wait for a parched throat. And replace those electrolytes lost whilst prioritising sleep, keeping your meals a little balanced, and build in moments of recovery by stopping for an ice cream, or taking some time to sit and rest.

Wellness certainly shouldn't mean fearing every indulgence or searching for a miracle fix after your holiday. Summer is meant to be enjoyed! But understanding why your body feels different, and giving it the support it actually needs, is far more effective than blaming inflammation every time your Havianas feel a little tighter around the toes.