The System You’re Ignoring Is The One Slowing You Down.
- Apr 26
- 4 min read
You train, you push, you eat, you drink, you overthink and ruminate… you deal with the odd niggle when something starts complaining. But the system that actually clears the mess from all of that—both physical and mental—is the one that gets completely overlooked.
Like the cleaners behind the scene, they keep the show running, but most people walk straight past without a word.
It doesn’t shout for attention, it’s not something you see in the mirror, and it doesn’t have a pump like the heart, but it’s doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps you functioning properly.
The system we're talking is your Lymphatic System.
Clearing waste, managing inflammation, helping your body recover from everything you throw at it. And when it slows down… things just start to feel heavier, a bit more sluggish, like you’re carrying something you can’t quite shake off.
What you’re actually looking at.
That green network running through the body in the image… that’s basically your internal drainage system. You’ve got vessels acting like pipes, nodes working as filters, and organs like the spleen and thymus supporting the whole process.
It’s your clean-up crew.
Where it starts going wrong.
Blood has the heart to move it around. Lymph doesn’t have that luxury. It moves when you move, and when your tissues have enough freedom to actually let things pass through.
Now look at a typical day…
You’re sitting for hours, then you go train—if that’s your thing—or head straight into after-work drinks… either way, you’re already tight, breathing’s shallow without you noticing, and stress is ticking away in the background like it never switches off. Over time, that’s a perfect setup for congestion.
The tricky part is it doesn’t show up as something obvious. It shows up as those things you kind of brush off: your legs feel heavier than they should your hips just don’t open, no matter how much stretching you try recovery takes longer than it used to there’s always that low-level fatigue sitting there your head feels a bit foggy, like you’re not fully switched on. .
About massage… and where people get confused.
Most men hear “lymphatic massage” and immediately picture spa-style work—the kind their wife or partner might book. And yeah, that approach has its place for women and for men. But here’s the part that gets missed. If the structure is tight, if the your connective tissue is restricted, fluid isn’t going to move properly, no matter how gentle you go.
You can be as light as you want, but if things are locked underneath, nothing’s really shifting. It's like trying to clear a blocked drain without actually dealing with what’s blocking it. It might feel good for a bit, but nothing really changes.
The breathing part most men ignore.
Your diaphragm does a lot more than just keep you breathing. It’s one of the main drivers for moving lymph through the body. So if your breathing is shallow, stuck in the chest, and your ribcage is tight—which is pretty common—you’re basically limiting that movement all day without realising it.
Add that on top of tight tissue and long hours sitting, and yeah… things slow down.
What it feels like when things start working again.
It’s not that floaty, switched-off “relaxed” feeling people talk about. It’s more grounded than that. Your body feels lighter, like it’s not dragging behind you movement feels easier, less forced pressure in certain joints just isn’t there in the same way your head feels clearer sleep tends to come easier and go deeper.
You just feel more like yourself again, without having to think about it.
If you’re training, working long hours, carrying stress, and never really clearing any of it properly… You’re building load on top of load.
You need your body to move, drain, and function the way it’s supposed to.
Don’t let stagnation settle in your system.
The “big 6” lymphatic routine.
Disclaimer: Avoid this technique if you have heart/circulation issues, acute infections, or in case for women-pregnancy, or have been diagnosed with cancer without speaking to a doctor first.
The "Big 6" was coined and arramged as self-care protocol by Dr Perry Nickelston, putting togehter older techineques in a cohesive sequence. Do this in the morning, before the day starts stacking up.
Think light tapping, relaxed hands… you’re waking the system up.
1. collarbone (the main exit point)
Start here. It’s now well understood that the brain clears its own waste through fluid movement—mainly cerebrospinal fluid—especially during sleep.
So this part around the neck matters more than people think.
Lightly rub and tap just above and below your collarbones, both sides - around 10 taps per area is enough.
This is where everything drains into—so you open this first, otherwise you’re pushing fluid into a closed door.
2. side of the neck
Move to the sides of your neck.
Work just behind the jawline and down towards the base of the neck, around the ear area.
Gentle strokes or tapping—nothing aggressive.
3. armpits
Lift your arm slightly and work into the armpit.
Rub and tap the area for 15–20 seconds each side.
This helps clear the upper body—chest, shoulders, arms.
4. abdomen
Around the belly button.
Slow circles, light pressure.
This one matters more than people think—your gut and lymph are closely linked, especially if stress and digestion are off.
5. groin
Along the crease where the leg meets the body.
Same idea—light tapping or rubbing.
This helps drain the lower body.
6. behind the knees
Finish at the back of the knees.
Small area, but important.
Tap or rub for 10–15 seconds each side.
how to do it (don’t overthink it)
Use a loose, cupped hand.
Light tapping, light rubbing—think “wake up the system,” not “boxing yourself at 7am.”
Whole thing takes 2–3 minutes.
Do it consistently and it adds up.
Link to Dr Perry Nickelston demostration below
And if you still don’t feel like yourself - come to see me.
Stay Tuned,
All the Best.
Sergio Alexander Norton.
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