Moving with Confidence – Supporting Movement with Lipoedema
- Suzanne
- Jun 30
- 7 min read
Mobilates Introduction
At Mobilates we embrace everyone's individuality and provide a person-centred approach to exercise activities. Below you will find details about Lipoedema – a condition that some of our members live with. You'll find information about the condition alongside top tips on exercising whilst staying safe, supported, and adapting movement to suit your individual needs.
Our Moving with Confidence blog series explores how gentle, adaptable movement can support people in a way that feels safe, achievable, and person-centred.
This latest blog focuses on Lipoedema and how movement can be adapted to support symptoms such as heaviness, pain, fatigue, and reduced mobility.
A Note from Our Members
Throughout this blog, you'll find insights from a Mobilates member living with Lipoedema. These comments help bring the information to life by sharing real experiences of exercising with the condition and the adaptations that can make movement feel more comfortable and achievable.
1. Definition: What is Lipoedema?
Lipoedema is a long-term condition that causes an abnormal build-up of fat, most commonly in the legs, hips, buttocks, and sometimes the arms. It can be painful and affect everyday life, including mobility and exercise. The feet and hands are usually not affected, creating a noticeable difference in body shape. The condition almost exclusively affects women.
Unlike general weight gain, lipoedema fat does not respond in the same way to diet and exercise. Although maintaining a healthy lifestyle and staying active are important for overall health and managing symptoms, they do not remove the lipoedema tissue itself.
Many people experience symptoms such as:
A feeling of heaviness in the legs or arms
Pain or tenderness in the affected areas
Easy bruising
Fatigue
Reduced mobility
Difficulty standing for long periods
Lipoedema is often misunderstood and may be mistaken for obesity or lymphoedema, which can sometimes delay diagnosis and access to appropriate support.
Many people spend years trying to lose weight before receiving a diagnosis, which can be both frustrating and emotionally challenging.
"With Lipoedema your legs are very heavy and won't move normally. It is very difficult to lift legs."
2. What Causes Lipoedema?
The exact cause of Lipoedema is not yet fully understood. Current research suggests it is likely to be influenced by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors, which is why it often develops or becomes more noticeable during times of hormonal change, such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.
Lipoedema is not caused by being overweight or by a lack of exercise. While maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for overall health and wellbeing, diet and exercise alone cannot prevent or cure the condition.
Although there is currently no cure for Lipoedema, many people find that a combination of regular movement, symptom management, compression garments (where appropriate), and specialist support can help them manage symptoms and maintain their quality of life.
Early recognition and diagnosis can help people access appropriate advice, treatment, and support, making it easier to manage the condition and remain active.
3. Focus
Living with Lipoedema can affect much more than appearance. The condition may influence how people move, how long they can stand, and how much energy everyday activities require. Symptoms such as heaviness, pain, tenderness, and fatigue can make movement feel more challenging, particularly when exercises involve lifting the legs or standing for longer periods.
For some people, movements that others perform automatically require much more concentration and effort. This can make it more difficult to keep up with faster-paced activities and may mean that extra time is needed to move comfortably and with control.
"Because you have to consciously think about every movement you make – they don't just move automatically. It takes longer to move them and so you cannot go fast."
Some people also find that standing for long periods is more difficult than walking and choose to alternate between standing and sitting during exercise.
Gentle, adaptable movement can help maintain joint mobility, muscle strength, balance, confidence, and overall wellbeing. The aim is not to push through pain or fatigue, but to find ways of staying active that feel achievable and sustainable.
At Mobilates, we encourage everyone to work at their own pace, adapt movements where needed, and choose the options that feel right for their body on that particular day.
4. Exercise Tips
When exercising with Lipoedema, comfort, pacing, and individual adaptations are key.
Everyone's experience is different, so it's important to work in a way that feels supportive rather than pushing through pain or fatigue.
Some helpful tips include:
Move at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Choose seated, standing, or lying options depending on how your body feels.
Reduce the height of leg lifts if they become difficult or uncomfortable.
Use equipment, such as resistance bands, to support movement where appropriate.
Avoid positions or equipment that place uncomfortable pressure on painful areas.
Alternate between sitting and standing if prolonged standing becomes tiring.
Take regular breaks and remember that resting is part of exercising well.
"Using a band is very helpful or just go onto tiptoe rather than lifting."
Some people may also find that traditional exercise positions need adapting.
"Touching them can be very painful. Holding them together or putting a loop band round them can be painful. I tend to just leave a space between them and have a loose, soft band."
Small changes like these can make movement feel more comfortable while still allowing you to enjoy the benefits of exercise.
5. Exercises to Try
The following Mobilates exercises can all be adapted to be completed seated, standing, or lying, depending on what feels most comfortable for your body. Choose the option that best suits your energy levels, mobility, and symptoms on the day.
1. Pelvic Tilts
Improve spinal mobility, pelvic control, and gentle core activation.
Can be performed lying on your back or seated in a chair.
Gently tilt the pelvis backwards and forwards.
Keep the movement small and comfortable.
Coordinate the movement with relaxed breathing.
2. Heel Presses
Gently activate the legs and encourage circulation.
Can be performed lying or seated.
Gently press your heels into the floor, then release.
Work one leg at a time or both together.
3. Calf Raises
Strengthen the lower legs and support circulation.
Can be performed standing with support or seated.
Rise gently onto your tiptoes, then lower slowly with control.
Work within a comfortable range.
"Using a band is very helpful or just go onto tiptoe rather than lifting."
4. Ankle Pumps
Promote circulation and reduce stiffness.
Can be performed seated, standing, or lying.
Slowly point and flex your feet.
Repeat at a comfortable pace.
5. Cat-Cow
Encourage gentle spinal mobility and reduce stiffness.
Can be performed on hands and knees or adapted in sitting.
Slowly round and lengthen the spine.
Coordinate the movement with relaxed breathing.
6. Diaphragmatic Breathing
Promote relaxation and body awareness.
Can be performed seated, standing, or lying.
Breathe slowly in through your nose, allowing your tummy and lower ribs to expand.
Breathe out gently through your mouth.
Keep your shoulders relaxed throughout.
Gentle Reminder
If your muscles begin to tire or movements become more difficult, it's perfectly okay to stop, rest, or reduce the number of repetitions. Small, comfortable movements completed with control are often more beneficial than pushing through fatigue.
"The only other thing I can think of is that my legs get too tired to move quite quickly and so I just stop if a movement goes on too long for me."
6. Final Thought
Living with Lipoedema can make movement feel more challenging, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible or worthwhile. Small adaptations, gentle movement, and listening to your body can all help you stay active in a way that feels comfortable and achievable.
There is no single "right" way to exercise. Some days you may feel able to do more than others, and that's okay. The aim isn't to push through pain or fatigue, but to find ways of moving that support your health, confidence, and wellbeing over the long term.
At Mobilates, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy movement, regardless of their health condition or mobility level. By offering choice, encouragement, and adaptable exercises, we hope to help every member discover what movement looks like for them.
7. Member Comment – Hazel
I have been taking part in Mobilates classes since they first started in Willand and then continued online during lockdown. I now take part in four different classes each week.
Mobilates has kept my joints moving and therefore kept me mobile. I believe I would be in a wheelchair by now without it.
I have no self-discipline and would not do my physiotherapy exercises on my own, but having regular classes to attend keeps me going. Most of the physiotherapy exercises
I have been given are included within Mobilates classes, which makes it much easier to keep them up.
The social aspect keeps me from becoming depressed, and I enjoy the chats both during classes and in our social sessions.
The interactive nature of the classes is very important to me because I wouldn't make the effort without the personal feedback and encouragement.
8. Further Information and Guidance
These organisations provide trusted information, support, and resources about Lipoedema, including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and practical advice for living well with the condition.
You can read other blogs in this series by clicking on the links below:
Already a member? Book your online Mobilates classes here.
Not yet a member? Then you can book your free online Mobilates trial here.
Mobilates CIC provides inclusive, adapted exercise for people living with long term health conditions, chronic pain, fatigue and disability.
We create safe, welcoming spaces to move, connect and build confidence in what your body CAN do, whether you join a class in person, online, or from your bed. We’re led by lived experience and powered by community. Together, we’re redefining what movement can look like.
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