Why your lymph needs movement (and what happens if it doesn’t get it)
Do you ever feel a bit fatigued, puffy, stiff, or headachey, even when you’ve slept well and eaten sensibly? That low-level sluggishness might not be in your head. It could be your lymph.
Your lymphatic system is part of your immune and waste-clearing network, working quietly in the background to support energy, recovery, and overall wellbeing. And many people don’t realise that it relies on movement to function well.
When I learned about this hidden benefit of moving more, I originally attributed it to there not being good blood flow to my tissues and therefore oxygen and nutrition were not getting to the parts they were needed. But on learning about the lymphatic system - it all made a lot more sense.
This is one of the reasons I focus so much on natural, everyday movement in my coaching. When you move in the ways your body was designed to move, both regularly and with variety, you’re not only building strength and mobility. You’re helping your lymphatic system flow - a really important function in the body.
What is the lymphatic system, and why does it matter?
The lymphatic system runs throughout nearly the entire body, closely mirroring the cardiovascular system, but with its own distinct network of vessels and nodes that transport a clear fluid called lymph around your body. That fluid collects waste, supports immune function, and helps you recover from illness, injury, and inflammation.
But unlike blood, which is pumped by the heart in a closed loop, lymph has no central pump and is a one-way drainage system. To flow, it depends on your movement, especially pressure, compression, and breathing.
When it flows well, people often feel more energised, less puffy, and quicker to bounce back after stress or illness.
When lymph gets sluggish
Modern life can slow lymph down. Sitting for long periods, shallow breathing, wearing restrictive clothing, or when we only move in a few familiar patterns (like only walking in straight lines, sitting and standing) we miss out on the movement variety our body needs that also helps lymph flow.
When lymph becomes stagnant, you might notice signs like:
Puffiness in the face, hands, or feet
Feeling heavy, foggy, or unusually tired
If you’ve recently been unwell, under stress, or simply moving less than usual, your lymphatic system might need a little more support.
Movement: your body’s built-in lymph support
The great news is that natural, varied movement is one of the best ways to keep your lymphatic system working well.
Every time you walk, stretch, squat, get down to the ground or reach overhead, you create pressure and change in shape that helps lymph move through your body. Breathing deeply while moving boosts this effect even more.
It doesn’t need to be complicated or intense. It just needs to happen often and in different ways. That’s why in my coaching, we focus on moving in all directions, using full joint ranges, and building in transitions, like getting up and down from the ground, throughout the day.
It’s these kinds of movements, done regularly, that support not only your joints and strength, but also your internal systems - like your lymph.
Supporting lymph flow through small, consistent changes
Instead of thinking of movement as a once-a-day workout, think of it as something you sprinkle across your day. Just shifting your position, standing up for a few minutes, or breathing more fully can help keep things flowing.
One of the most powerful things you can do is to get to the floor once or twice a day and change positions while you’re there. It’s a simple but effective way to shift how your body moves, the pressures on your body parts, and therefore improving how your lymph flows.
The Big 6™: A simple practice to support lymph flow every day
Alongside natural movement, there’s a short practice that was introduced to me by Leah Levitan on my podcast, ‘Make Movement Matter’. Leah recommended this for people looking for an easy way to support lymph flow consistently. It’s called the Big 6™ Lymphatic Reset, originally created by Dr Perry Nickelston (@stopchasingpain on Instagram).
The Big 6™ is a sequence of gentle massage or tapping on six key areas of the body where lymph tends to collect or stagnate. It only takes a few minutes and can be done standing, seated, or lying down. You simply stimulate each point with light, repetitive touch, starting above and below the collarbones, then the sides of the neck under the jaw, the armpits, the upper belly, the groin creases, and finally behind the knees.
The Big 6™ is a brilliant daily tool to layer in, especially on busy days, during travel, or when your movement has been more limited. It’s a great preventative practice as well, helping you feel clearer, lighter, and more connected to your body, no matter how much you've moved.
To go deeper, listen to episode #27 of the ‘Make Movement Matter’ podcast; ‘Your body’s hidden super-hero: Exploring the lymphatic system with Leah Levitan (@lymphloveclub on Instagram).
Keep things flowing
To gain benefits from your everyday movement, you don’t need to overhaul your life or stick to strict routines. But you do need to move more often and in more ways than you probably think; not just for strength and mobility, for your lymph, too.
And on the days when movement doesn’t happen as much? It’s good to know you’ve got a simple tool in your back pocket to help keep your lymph flowing, to keep you feeling good.
