Try this quick at-home Pilates sequence to reduce water retention, support lymphatic drainage and ease bloating naturally.

Feeling the bloat? Pilates Linfodrenante® – Italian for ‘Pilates for lymphatic drainage’ – combines classic Pilates moves with techniques designed to stimulate the lymphatic system and promote drainage. Developed by Carlotta Gagna, co-founder of Traininpink, each session works to quickly ease bloating and water retention while also toning the whole body.

‘Every session opens at the six main lymphatic stations and flows without pauses, toning the body while pushing the lymph along its natural drainage path,’ Carlotta explains. ‘It’s like a lymphatic-drainage massage, but through movement.’

And according to Carlotta, a quick daily practice – 15 minutes, five times a week – is enough to see and feel a difference. Try this quick at-home Pilates Linfodrenante® sequence to reduce water retention, support lymphatic drainage and ease bloating naturally.

At-home Pilates sequence to reduce water retention and bloating

Lymphatic tapping warm-up (1 minute 30 seconds)

woman doing Lymphatic tapping warm-up deep breathing with hands on belly
woman doing lymphatic tapping warm-up tapping her ears
woman doing lymphatic tapping warm-up tapping her collarbone and armpits
woman doing lymphatic tapping warm-up tapping her belly and groin area
woman doing lymphatic tapping warm-up tapping behind her knees
woman doing lymphatic tapping warm-up tapping around her ankles
  1. Place your hands on your belly, just below your ribcage, and gently press. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth three times.
  2. Now, place your hands above the collarbones and start tapping, then just below your ears, under the armpits, along both sides of the groin, behind the knees, and around the ankles. These movements stimulate the six main lymphatic stations before we start moving.

Benefit: This opens the body’s main drainage points and shifts the body into ‘drainage mode’, preparing the lymphatic system to work throughout the session.

Pelvic tilts (1 minute)

woman performs Pilates pelvic tilts lying on her back, tilting pelvic to arch lower back
woman performs Pilates pelvic tilts lying on her back, tilting pelvis under to press lower back into the floor
  1. Lie on your back, knees bent.
  2. Inhale, arch slightly; exhale, curl your tailbone under and press your lower back into the mat.
  3. Try to complete 8 reps, roughly 1 minute. This connects your breath to your core and establishes the foundation for every exercise that follows.

Benefit: It activates the deep core and coordinates breath with movement, the foundation that makes every following exercise more effective at moving the lymph.

Core series (2 minutes)

woman performs Pilates core series, lying on back with knees bent and hand behind her head
woman performs Pilates core series, lying on back with knees bent and hand behind her head, lifting head and shoulders off the floor
woman performs Pilates core series, lying on back with knees bent and hand behind her head, lifting head and shoulders off the floor and rotating torso to the left
woman performs Pilates core series, lying on back with knees bent and hand behind her head, lifting head and shoulders off the floor and rotating torso to the right
woman performs Pilates core series, lying on back with knees bent, reaching down to her left ankle
woman performs Pilates core series, lying on back with knees bent, reaching down to her right ankle
  1. Bring your hands behind your head with your elbows wide.
  2. Inhale to prepare; exhale, curl up from your breastbone. Do 8 curls up.
  3. On the last one, stay up and rotate side to side, looking behind you as you rotate. Do 8 rotations per side.
  4. Finish with 8 side bends per side, reaching for your ankle.

Benefit: The deep abdominal work tones the midsection while the rotations and side bends create a gentle compression and release through the torso, encouraging lymphatic flow and easing bloating.

Tabletop toe taps (1 minute)

woman doing Pilates tabletop toe taps, lying on back with head and shoulders lifted, lifting both feet with knees bent
woman doing Pilates tabletop toe taps, lying on back with head and shoulders lifted, tapping one foot to the floor
woman doing Pilates tabletop toe taps, lying on back with head and shoulders lifted, lowering both feet to the floor with knees bent
woman doing Pilates tabletop toe taps, lifting both feet off the floor with knees bent
  1. Bring both legs to tabletop (knees bent, forming a 90-degree angle).
  2. Inhale, lower one foot to tap the mat; exhale, lift it back up. Complete 8 reps per leg. Make sure you’re moving from your hips, not your knees.
  3. Now, repeat another 8 reps with both legs together.

Benefit: It strengthens the deep core and pelvic stabilisers, and the controlled movement through the lower body supports drainage in the pelvic and abdominal region.

Leg circles – first side (1 minute)

woman performs Pilates lymphatic drainage workout, she is lying on her back with arms outstretched circling her right leg
woman performs Pilates leg circles for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her back with arms outstretched circling her right leg
woman performs Pilates leg circles for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her back with arms outstretched circling her right leg out to the side
  1. Extend your legs and open your arms out to a T.
  2. Reach one leg up to the ceiling. Imagine it’s a pencil and start drawing circles on the ceiling: first you open the leg out to the side, then lower it to a low diagonal, then circle it back up. Do 5 circles and switch directions.
  3. On the last one, when the leg crosses over, roll onto your side for the next exercise.

Benefit: With the leg raised above the heart, this inversion helps fluid return from the lower body, while the circular motion mobilises the hip joint where a key lymphatic station sits.

Side-lying sculpt – first side (1 minute)

woman performs Pilates side lying sculpt move for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her left side
woman performs Pilates side lying sculpt move for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her left side and lifting the top leg
woman performs Pilates side lying sculpt move for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her left side, top leg lifted and flexing her foot
woman performs Pilates side lying sculpt move for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her left side, top leg lifted and pointing her toes
  1. With your top hand, press your top hip away from your ribcage to create some space; you should have a small gap underneath your waist. Make your top leg as long as possible.
  2. Inhale to prepare; exhale, lift the top leg up; inhale, lower it. Do 10 reps.
  3. When you’re done, hold your foot in line with your top hip and point and flex 10 times.

Benefit: It tones the outer hips and glutes for pelvic stability, and the point-and-flex fires the foot and calf pump, one of the first pushes of venous and lymphatic return from below.

Hover knees (1 minute)

woman performs Pilates hover knees move, starting on all fours hands and knees
woman performs Pilates hover knees move, from all fours she lifts and hovers her knees off the floor
  1. Come to all fours with your hands right below your shoulders and your knees right below your hips. Press the floor away with your hands and come to a flat back.
  2. Inhale to prepare; exhale, hover your knees off the mat. Stay here for the full exhale. Inhale, lower. Repeat 5 times.

Benefit: It builds deep core and shoulder stability through controlled activation, strengthening the postural muscles that keep the body aligned and the lymph flowing freely.

Plank (30 seconds)

woman holds a strong plank position
  1. Extend one leg at a time and come to a full plank. Hold for 5 counts.

Benefit: A full-body activation that engages the deep muscles from head to toe, building the strength and control that underpin the whole method.

Leg circles – second side (1 minute)

woman performs Pilates lymphatic drainage workout, she is lying on her back with arms outstretched circling her left leg
woman performs Pilates leg circles for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her back with arms outstretched circling her left leg
woman performs Pilates leg circles for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her back with arms outstretched circling her left leg out to the side
  1. Lie on your back again. Extend your legs and open your arms out to a T.
  2. Reach the other leg up to the ceiling (whichever side you didn’t do previously). Imagine it’s a pencil and start drawing circles on the ceiling: first you open the leg out to the side, then lower it to a low diagonal, then circle it back up. Do 5 circles and switch directions.
  3. On the last one, when the leg crosses over, roll onto your side.

Benefit: With the leg raised above the heart, this inversion helps fluid return from the lower body, while the circular motion mobilises the hip joint where a key lymphatic station sits.

Side-lying sculpt – second side (1 minute)

woman performs Pilates side lying sculpt move for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her right side
woman performs Pilates side lying sculpt move for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her right side and lifting the top leg
woman performs Pilates side lying sculpt move for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her right side, top leg lifted and flexing her foot
woman performs Pilates side lying sculpt move for lymphatic drainage, she is lying on her right side, top leg lifted and pointing her toes
  1. With your top hand, press your top hip away from your ribcage to create some space; you should have a small gap underneath your waist. Make your top leg as long as possible.
  2. Inhale to prepare; exhale, lift the top leg up; inhale, lower it. Do 10 reps.
  3. When you’re done, hold your foot in line with your top hip and point and flex 10 times.

Benefit: It tones the outer hips and glutes for pelvic stability, and the point-and-flex fires the foot and calf pump, one of the first pushes of venous and lymphatic return from below.

Close (1 minute)

woman sits with one hand on her chest and one hand on her belly, she is performing deep diaphragmatic breathing at the end of a Pilates workout for lymphatic drainage
  1. Sit with your legs crossed. Place one hand on your chest, one hand on your belly, and close your eyes.
  2. Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Do 3 long breaths, then gently open your eyes.

Benefit: The deep diaphragmatic breathing gives the thoracic duct a final pump and lowers tension in the nervous system, closing the session in a calm, restorative state.

Aim to spend 15 minutes each day working through this Pilates sequence to promote lymphatic drainage, ease bloating and reduce water retention fast. Find out more about the Pilates Linfodrenante® method at traininpink.net.