Why moving your body every day can make such a difference

Moving your body every day is one of the most important foundations of The Lipoedema Wellbeing Programme. It's also one of the things that has made the biggest difference to my own life, particularly through daily walking and Pilates.

But my relationship with exercise hasn't always been this way!

In the past, I'd try to get to the gym once or twice a week, using the weights machines or joining a high-intensity class. My thinking was that if I wasn't bright purple, sweating buckets and completely exhausted by the end, I simply hadn't worked hard enough!

I didn't really understand what my body needed, and I often pushed myself through workouts that left me feeling exhausted and uncomfortable.

During my 40s, I gradually stopped exercising altogether. I had a very demanding, high-stress job, very little downtime and spent a lot of time living out of hotels. My eating habits weren't particularly good either, and by the time I reached 50, I honestly felt about 90!

But things changed when I decided to take early retirement shortly before my 52nd birthday.

I joined a gym again and started attending Pilates classes four or five times a week. Having access to my own kitchen also meant I could prepare fresh, homemade meals and move towards a whole-food, lower-carbohydrate way of eating.

The difference I noticed was incredible. Within about six weeks, I'd lost around a stone, my body wasn't aching all the time and I generally felt so much better.

I hadn't expected Pilates to have such a profound impact on my life. In fact, I loved it so much that the following year I trained as a Pilates instructor and started my own business, 101 Pilates.

Looking back, I realise that it wasn't about exercising harder. It was about finding a way of moving and looking after myself that I could enjoy and sustain.

Why movement matters

Over the next five days, I'll take you through the science behind the types of movement I choose and explain why regular activity is so important when living with lipoedema.

We'll explore how movement can help support:

• Muscle strength and joint stability.

• Mobility, flexibility and balance.

• Circulation and normal lymphatic flow.

• Everyday function and independence.

• Mood, energy and general wellbeing.

My message is simple:

Movement is medicine for your wellbeing – not a punishment for your body.

Let's start with the 10-minute movement challenge!

All I want you to do is find 10 minutes every day to move your body.

I've provided a short Pilates class for five days of the week. On the other two days, you could enjoy a walk, a swim, a gentle bike ride or another activity you love.

There are no fitness targets to hit and no pressure to do more than feels comfortable.

The aim is simply to start building a habit of daily movement.

Don't exercise because you want to change your body. Move because your body deserves to be cared for, strengthened and supported.