Should people with lipedema still exercise, specifically those that feel they need more rest days than the average person? Or someone in later stages? Can progressive overload actually cause more harm than good for the muscles for someone with lipedema if the muscles may not be recovering well? Seems like something the individual might not even recognize till it’s too late. Obviously I’m not talking about over exerting yourself, or over doing it, but trying to build muscles in general. .This disease just seems like an end all. Really discouraging every corner you turn.
I do want to hear different views on this, because I personally love lifting weights. Strength training is incredibly valuable for bone health, mitochondrial function, metabolic health, and overall resilience, and muscle is metabolically important tissue. At the same time, I think lipedema forces us to ask whether “normal” training advice always applies in the same way to every body. Current lipedema guidance still supports exercise as part of conservative care, including muscle strengthening, low-impact movement, gait work, and aquatic exercise, rather than avoiding exercise altogether. 
So my answer would be no, I do not think lipedema means people should stop exercising or stop trying to build muscle. But I do think some people with lipedema may need a different recovery rhythm, a different training dose, and a more individualized approach than the average person. That is especially relevant in later stages, where pain, swelling, mobility limitations, and exercise intolerance can be more pronounced, and where recent reviews have raised the possibility that muscle quality itself may be affected in ways we still do not fully understand. 
I also think your concern about progressive overload is a fair one. In the general fitness world, progressive overload is usually presented as an unquestioned good, but with lipedema the picture may be more nuanced. The newer dynapenia and myosteatosis review does not say that strength training is harmful or that people with lipedema should avoid building muscle. What it does say is that in more advanced disease, there may be a mismatch between tissue size and muscle function, and that pain, inflammation, edema, and impaired recovery could make certain types of loading harder to tolerate. In that context, progression may still matter, but it may need to be slower, more symptom-guided, and more recovery-aware than standard gym advice would suggest. 
So I would not frame this as “lifting is bad” or “building muscle is pointless.” I would frame it as a genuine question about dosing. Some women may thrive with strength training. Others may need more rest days, lower volume, less impact, or a different progression pattern. That does not mean the body is failing. It may simply mean the body needs a more tailored strategy. The current literature still supports exercise, but it also increasingly supports individualized programming rather than a push-harder mentality. 
And I really want to say this clearly. Lipedema is not an end all, even if it can feel incredibly discouraging. The science is still evolving, and one of the most important things we can do is stay open to nuance instead of forcing lipedema bodies into frameworks that were never designed for them. We need more research on muscle quality, recovery, and training tolerance in lipedema, but that is very different from saying movement is hopeless. It means we need better questions, better data, and more respect for what patients are actually feeling in their own bodies.
Should people with lipedema still exercise, specifically those that feel they need more rest days than the average person? Or someone in later stages? Can progressive overload actually cause more harm than good for the muscles for someone with lipedema if the muscles may not be recovering well? Seems like something the individual might not even recognize till it’s too late. Obviously I’m not talking about over exerting yourself, or over doing it, but trying to build muscles in general. .This disease just seems like an end all. Really discouraging every corner you turn.
Thanks for your comment.
I do want to hear different views on this, because I personally love lifting weights. Strength training is incredibly valuable for bone health, mitochondrial function, metabolic health, and overall resilience, and muscle is metabolically important tissue. At the same time, I think lipedema forces us to ask whether “normal” training advice always applies in the same way to every body. Current lipedema guidance still supports exercise as part of conservative care, including muscle strengthening, low-impact movement, gait work, and aquatic exercise, rather than avoiding exercise altogether. 
So my answer would be no, I do not think lipedema means people should stop exercising or stop trying to build muscle. But I do think some people with lipedema may need a different recovery rhythm, a different training dose, and a more individualized approach than the average person. That is especially relevant in later stages, where pain, swelling, mobility limitations, and exercise intolerance can be more pronounced, and where recent reviews have raised the possibility that muscle quality itself may be affected in ways we still do not fully understand. 
I also think your concern about progressive overload is a fair one. In the general fitness world, progressive overload is usually presented as an unquestioned good, but with lipedema the picture may be more nuanced. The newer dynapenia and myosteatosis review does not say that strength training is harmful or that people with lipedema should avoid building muscle. What it does say is that in more advanced disease, there may be a mismatch between tissue size and muscle function, and that pain, inflammation, edema, and impaired recovery could make certain types of loading harder to tolerate. In that context, progression may still matter, but it may need to be slower, more symptom-guided, and more recovery-aware than standard gym advice would suggest. 
So I would not frame this as “lifting is bad” or “building muscle is pointless.” I would frame it as a genuine question about dosing. Some women may thrive with strength training. Others may need more rest days, lower volume, less impact, or a different progression pattern. That does not mean the body is failing. It may simply mean the body needs a more tailored strategy. The current literature still supports exercise, but it also increasingly supports individualized programming rather than a push-harder mentality. 
And I really want to say this clearly. Lipedema is not an end all, even if it can feel incredibly discouraging. The science is still evolving, and one of the most important things we can do is stay open to nuance instead of forcing lipedema bodies into frameworks that were never designed for them. We need more research on muscle quality, recovery, and training tolerance in lipedema, but that is very different from saying movement is hopeless. It means we need better questions, better data, and more respect for what patients are actually feeling in their own bodies.