Tag: Pilates

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Getting back into exercise

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Perhaps like a lot of people in the new year you are thinking about dusting off your trainers and getting back into exercise? The question is how do you set yourself up for success? Whether you’re returning after a long break or just revamping your routine, it’s crucial to approach it thoughtfully and safely.


First things first—be gentle with yourself as you restart your fitness journey. Begin with light workouts or physical activities that you genuinely enjoy, like cycling, dancing in the kitchen swimming, or even brisk walks. The key is to ease your body back into the rhythm of regular exercise without overwhelming it. If you are wanting to learn a new skill such as yoga, Pilates or start resistance training with free weights I would strongly recommend classes or a trainer. That way you learn the correct form and exercises can be adapted to your needs. This is especially important if you have old or existing injuries or underlying health conditions. Nothing ruins a good intention like an injury.

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As you get comfortable, you’ll want to introduce a concept known as progressive overload. This means gradually increasing the weight, intensity, or duration of your workouts to continue challenging your muscles and seeing improvements. It’s a crucial strategy to keep progressing, but always listen to your body and adjust accordingly. If you don’t incorporate progressive overload at best you stop progressing but at worst you can even regress. The body is incredibly good at adapting which means if you don’t continue to challenge it, your body will adapt to the stimulation so we’ll the starting program will no longer do much. If you are working with a trainer or coach they will handle this aspect for you.

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After a while you might lose the motivation to continue, you will I’m sure have very personal reasons as to why you started it’s worth remembering this initial motivation. Here are a few potential reasons to move that hopefully will keep you motivated.

1. **Bone Health**: Regular exercise, particularly weight-bearing activities like walking and weightlifting, is essential for maintaining bone density. This helps prevent conditions like osteoporosis, keeping your bones strong as you age (Hamdy, 2021).

2. **Preventing Sarcopenia**: As we age, muscle mass naturally declines, a process known as sarcopenia. Staying active and engaging in resistance training can slow down this process, helping maintain muscle strength and size (Janssen, 2018).

3. **Independence and Enjoyment**: Fitness isn’t just about looking good—it’s about feeling good and being able to live life on your terms. Regular movement helps maintain independence, making daily tasks easier and more enjoyable. Whether it’s playing with your kids, gardening, or dancing, staying active enhances your quality of life.

Finally how do you set yourself up for the best chance of success?

– **Set Realistic Goals**: Start with achievable targets and slowly increase them as you build strength and endurance.
 
– **Find a Buddy**: Sometimes, having a workout partner can provide extra motivation and make activities more enjoyable.

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– **Hire a Trainer**: Perhaps you already know you struggle with what to do and when or sticking to a program. Having an appointment keeps you accountable and takes care of “where do I start and what do I do”. It is also really important to seek the advise of someone who knows what they are doing if you are recovering from illness or injury. Part of which might be getting clearance from your doctor then seeking a trainer who can work with/around that condition.
 
– **Celebrate Small Wins**: Every step forward is progress. Celebrate milestones, no matter how small.

– **Remember why you started**: Keep in mind your personal reasons for starting as well as those listed above. Exercise is a lot like brushing our teeth, we don’t always want to do it, but we know it’s critical to good health.

Remember, the goal is to enjoy the journey as much as the results. Stay patient, be consistent, and your efforts will surely pay off.

If you would like to have personal training, yoga or Pilates in a private gym in Alnwick please get in touch.

### References

– Hamdy, R.C. (2021). The Effect of Exercise on Bone Density. *Journal of Osteoporosis*, [online] Available at: <https://www.journalofosteoporosis.com&gt;
 
– Janssen, I. (2018). The Challenge of Sarcopenia: Musculoskeletal Declines with Aging. *Public Health Reviews*, [online] Available at: <https://www.publichealthreviews.com&gt;

If you would like to work with a personal trainer also qualified in yoga and Pilates in a private home gym in Alnwick please get in touch.

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What to consider when hiring a trainer

When considering hiring a personal trainer, it’s essential to evaluate your needs and the type of environment where you’ll thrive. Do you prefer the bustling atmosphere of a busy gym, or do you find solace in a quieter, more private setting? Are there specific areas of concern such as sensory overwhelm or allergies?

Recognising this will narrow down your choices and ensure you feel comfortable and motivated during your training sessions.

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For those with specific health concerns, it’s crucial to find a trainer with the requisite expertise or experience in dealing with such issues. A trainer with several years under their belt may offer invaluable insights and precautions tailored to your unique requirements.

The modern world offers ample ways to vet your potential trainer. Start by exploring if they have a professional website or a presence on social media. This not only gives you a glimpse into their training philosophy but may also showcase reviews and testimonials. Positive feedback from past clients can provide reassurance about their skills and professionalism.

Qualifications are indispensable in the fitness industry. Don’t hesitate to ask to see evidence of their certifications. A certified trainer should proudly present their qualifications, assuring you of their competency.

Equally don’t be afraid to ask details about the qualifications, a weekend course is not the same as a year long one. Short day long or weekend courses or even entirely online are becoming common in the yoga and Pilates world. The depth of this type of qualification is not the same as one taken over many months or years in a studio

Similarly, inquire about their experience. This can be of particular importance of you have specific health concerns or needs that are relevant to your training.

Some trainers specialise in specific areas, while others cover a spectrum that includes yoga, Pilates, resistance, and cardio training. Know what you’re looking for in a training programme to ensure it aligns with your personal goals and interests.

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Budget constraints can be a significant factor in decision-making. Generally, a newly qualified trainer working within a public gym will be more affordable than a seasoned trainer with their premises. Remember, the more advanced and varied the trainer’s qualifications, the higher their rate might be. Therefore, it’s about finding a balance between expertise and affordability.

Finally check what their billing schedule is, some trainers ask for a minimum booking others week to week. I for example work on a week to week basis with no minimum booking required but I do have a 24 hour cancellation policy.

Ultimately, hiring a personal trainer is a personal decision. Aim to get the best value for your budget while ensuring they are the right fit for you. Always feel empowered to ask questions and be transparent about what you’re seeking in your fitness journey. If unsure ask to meet beforehand and have a chat about what you are looking for to see if that trainer fits your bill.

If you would like to have personal training, yoga or Pilates in a private gym in Alnwick Northumberland please get in touch.



[^1]: Smith, J. (2022). “The Benefits of Personal Training.” Fitness Journal.
[^2]: Brown, L. (2021). “Understanding Qualifications: A Guide to Fitness Training Certifications.” Health & Fitness Review.

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Setting boundaries when you aren’t good at it!

The past couple of months I’ve been working on setting boundaries. I am really not very good at doing this and basically want everyone I care about to be happy. I think it’s not uncommon for mums to find themselves in this situation, especially if they have children with additional needs. My 3 children all had significant challenges growing up ranging from depression, autism (and the unwillingness of the world to be a kind place to autistic people) to cancer and an especially nasty cancer causing genetic disorder.

I always saw it as my role to smooth things over, to make their life easier when at times it was far from it. Which of course is the right thing to do, but then I kept doing it not only for them but for well anyone I loved. I continually put myself last and well I found myself exhausted. Bone tired exhausted, regularly doing things for other people that actually they could do for themselves. I was the person who would say yes to everyone and bend over backwards to make everyone’s life easier.

You will think this is ridiculous, but it wasn’t till I started working with a counsellor dealing with some of the issues I have from childhood trauma and some of the awful years where my children were suffering that I realised this was a problem. Somewhere in my psyche I have a belief that in order to be loved I need to look after everyone. That unless I am making sure they are happy they won’t love me. Perhaps it stems from being years of being bullied, perhaps later years and bad relationships. I honestly don’t know. But it’s there as a belief and it’s one that I’m working with.

I started with family boundaries, allowing people to do things for themselves that they were more than capable of. There are people in my life who have significant struggles not all of which they can manage on their own I still help with areas they need. But I was taking on a lot that they are more than capable of and that was primarily my fault. I hadn’t set the boundaries for myself and felt my input was vital. The reasons of childhood cancer etc are more than understandable. But still that’s where I found myself, taking over when people didn’t actually need it.

But finding myself waking up at 5 am and not stopping till 8 pm was becoming unsustainable and I was just making myself miserable.

At 50 I am in a process of re-finding myself and allowing myself to come first sometimes. I was not just put on this earth to look after everyone else and nothing more than that. I deserve to explore my own joy and ambitions. I deserve to have time to read a book, relax in a bath or see friends. Other people deserve the chance to try and sometimes fail on their own and by doing so grow in the way we all have to.

That is a work in progress, saying no sometimes, and backing off when it’s not really my place to take responsibility.

The next set of boundaries I have started to set are with work. I am a self employed personal trainer which means everything is my responsibility from advertising to looking after equipment, keeping records on clients, planning and of course delivering the session. Not to mention the actual delivery of the session. For every hour taught there is another 20 to 30 minutes spent on setting the room up, then tidying it up, note making and planning.

After a month of a great deal of cancellations and numerous evenings on the phone re-arranging appointments I was talking to my counsellor who suggested that was another boundary I should set. He was of course right. I needed work boundaries. Just as I could not be there for family 24/7 I needed to have some stability in my working life. I previously had taught classes which is a very different way of working and not reliant on an individual in the same way. The transition into working out of a home gym means I am learning as I go along and I had not at the outset stated clear guidelines.

All of my clients are genuinely lovely people and likely hadn’t even thought about the issues it causes when there are a lot of cancellations especially last minute.

Before becoming self employed I did not realise the frustration of turning work away because I believed I was fully booked to have so many cancellations you lose a full day of work. I am a great deal more considerate now of my fellow self employed friends.

There’s the added complication that unlike a hairdresser or a beauty therapist for example I can’t fit in a new client ad hoc. To be able to see everyone in a given week I can only have a finite number of clients. Occasional clients isn’t really a thing in this line of work.

Any new client I take on is going to want regular sessions be it weekly or fortnightly.

I also want my little business to be as successful as possible and to be able to help as many people as possible in a given week.

My new rules then for work were

1. Not replying to messages after 6.30 pm

2. Instituting cancellation terms. Fairly standard ones nothing exciting.

3. If anyone really is unreliable let them go as a client.

I emailed everyone with my new terms and I immediately lost a couple of clients. Strangely they were clients who already did everything I had outlined in the cancellation terms, which really took me aback.

With both setting boundaries with family and with work there was a similar reaction, some people totally understood it. Others took it personally when it wasn’t.

As someone who struggles with setting boundaries any negative reaction is very tough, which is very much a me thing. It felt especially with loved ones like it reinforced my fear that to be loved I need to be forever available.

With family and friends I chose to focus on the people who loved me anyway, who offered to help me because they knew I was flat out busy. Who loved me regardless for who I am not what I do, even when I am too tired to have anything to give.

With clients it is a little more simple, they come and go it’s the nature of the business and I will always respect the choice of anyone who has decided it is no longer for them. Even if I will miss them.

When setting boundaries we do not control how the other person will react. That is an aspect of the process we need to accept.

Their reaction is their own and they absolutely have a right to it, that doesn’t mean it was wrong to set the boundary, although you may question yourself.

Each of us has a finite amount of energy and time to give to family, friends and work. Accepting that and working with it long term is to the benefit of everyone. None of us is a great deal of use if we are totally burned out and overwhelmed.

Now I have boundaries in place, as much in my mind as anywhere else I feel genuinely lighter and more optimistic for the future. I feel less like I am running to stand still and more like I can start to plan things to look forward to. It is never an easy thing to do, but if your lines are so blurred you don’t ever have time to yourself, time to relax or be open to plans and feel as though you exist for everyone else you may need to do the same.

Remember

  1. You are entitled to boundaries both in your private and work life. You are not here to look after everyone else at the expense of your own health.
  2. Not everyone will like it.
  3. You don’t control how anyone else reacts or views your decision.
  4. You may lose some people from your personal or professional life and not understand why.
  5. It is still worth setting the boundaries, once through the process of doing so your life will improve as a result. Likely your relationships will benefit due to this.

If you would like a female personal trainer in Alnwick Northumberland who is well versed in different types of training including working with health issues please get in touch.

I am also a qualified yoga teacher and Pilates instructor.

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Last picked for every team


Some people excel at sport and athleticism from an early age, it is woven into their DNA. They take to any physical activity they try with ease and grace. The kind of people who won every race at sports day and captained every team. Then there’s those like me who were quite literally picked last for every team in PE, I swear to god if my classmates could have chosen the school bench over me they would. To be fair it would have probably done a better job at the time.

I was skinny, knock kneed, had an undiagnosed hypermobility spectrum disorder and the serious lack of muscle tone that goes with it. As is often the case when we are awful at something I avoided it like the plague, I don’t know if things have changed but in my day PE teachers had no interest in those without natural athleticism never mind the reasons why.

To be entirely honest my experiences at school with regard to fitness were not just negative they were actually traumatic. I was openly bullied for my lack of physicality and knock knees and viciously name called. I’m not sure though out of the laughter or the pity clap I would sometimes get coming in dead last for something…again which one was worse. I still won’t even so much as take part in a 5k race in public as a result, the idea of any type of competition fills me with horror to the point where I actually feel physically sick.

Why am I telling you this? It’s not for pity or sympathy, I am honestly quite fine. The past is the past. I want you to read this if you like me had no natural ability and let you know that it does not and never did exclude you from looking after yourself physically. No matter how rubbish you were at PE you can still benefit from various forms of movement. Heck you might even enjoy it. I certainly do, in fact I can’t imagine a life where I don’t get up and exercise pretty much every day. I am so grateful that I discovered first yoga and Pilates in my 20s which I found I actually quite naturally built for and being the antithesis of competitive sports allowed me to tune in with my body and learn to love moving it. It was this love of movement I took into CrossFit and strength training, the difference being in that situation I was pretty rubbish to begin with. However many years later of keeping at it I am actually

pretty strong and certainly fit.

That for me is the important aspect, being fit and healthy, being strong enough to squat down to the ground with a heavy back pack and stand back up, being able to walk briskly up hills without losing my breath, being limber enough to fold into my legs with no discomfort, being able to lift heavy suitcases over head for other passengers on trains. These are the things that matter to me. That and the sheer love of movement, oh heavens it is simply glorious to just move, there is a delight in using your body that is with language almost inexpressible. As though different movements all have their own flavor and to engage in more than one is like a banquet for the body. Plus as a result I honestly feel better at nearly 50 than I did my entire adult life.

Don’t let a perceived idea of not being athletic dictate to you that exercise isn’t for you, it is for everyone from those like my husband who are naturally talented in a particular field (running) and thrive in competition to those like myself who myself who had to work at it. In fact I think those of us who are not naturals potentially benefit even more as there are often underlying conditions that make us that way which are improved by movement.

Exercise is for all of us and is certainly one of the keys to health and longevity.

If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!

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Breathe and let go

I struggle with the meditative side of mind body practices. I always have done, my mind is like a pinball machine bouncing around. Never still, never quiet. But when I do take the time for that side of it, oh it’s glorious. There’s something incredibly powerful in the quiet moments of just breathing. You don’t need to make it complicated just sit close your eyes and breathe, focus on your breath aim to stay focused on the breath. Your mind will wander, thoughts will intrude. That’s ok, when it does gently lovingly bring it back. Give it try let me know how it goes

💚If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!

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Rebellious aging

A few thoughts on rebellious aging

– Wear whatever you want. Clothes are fun they don’t have to stop being fun because your birthday cake now has enough candles to start a small house fire.
– Go grey, don’t go grey, shave your head, dye your hair purple, ignore whatever the “hair for over 40s/50s” pages say and wear it however you want.
– Keep being fearless, go where you want to, dance when you feel like it, travel, find new adventures we are NEVER too old for new adventures.
– Re-invent yourself, if it was good enough for Bowie it’s good enough for us. Take a degree, learn a new skill, take up an instrument. We live at an amazing time where we can change and learn at any time.
– Ignore anyone who tells you you’re too old for this that or the other, unless it’s soft play, we probably aren’t allowed in soft play areas for good reasons.
– Move and enjoy it, bodies love to move remember how amazing it was as a kid just to taste different shapes with your body? Find a type of movement you enjoy and indulge in the sheer sensory experience of it!
– Most of all have fun, yes there are things in life we have to do but don’t let your days become so crowded you lose all time for fun. You matter too.
– Finally be proud of your age, you have achieved so much and come so far. The last time someone called me old (as an insult) I replied “yes I’m old as f**k and that’s neither the revelation nor the insult you think it is!”

Here’s to rebellious aging! My dress reads “I didn’t wear this for you” especially for all the people who think nearly 50s/ over 50s shouldn’t wear short dresses

If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!

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Getting moving

Firstly don’t over complicate it, find something you either enjoy or at least feel comfortable with and do that activity. Doesn’t matter what it is, if you enjoy it and it gets you moving it’s perfect.

This simple act of choosing something you enjoy is really important you can’t commit to something if you feel dread every time you have a session planned.

You might manage to force yourself to run or lift for a few months but if you hate it you’ll quit, guaranteed. Then you’ll be telling everyone you “just don’t like exercise” which isn’t true, you didn’t like that exercise.

In short stop doing xyz because you think it’s good for you, do something you actually like which can be as simple as walking a bit more.

Secondly give yourself a bit of external motivation. This can be anything from a target weight to lift, an extra few seconds off a 5k or a virtual steps challenge.

At the moment one of my external motivations is a step challenge. I’m virtually walking the Pacific Crest Trail with The Conqueror Challenges For me this has huge significance. When my daughter had cancer I read a book called Wild by Cheryl Strayed it was hugely inspirational and an idea from it became my mantra.

While walking the PCT each and every day Cheryl would get up put on her huge back pack she nicknamed “monster” and simply put one step in front of the other. This became a metaphor to me each day I’d get up and put one foot in front of the other while carrying the weight of what was happening in our lives.

Some days just keeping and getting the basics done was a struggle but I committed to every day to keep moving forward. I finished my postgraduate law conversion during the year after her cancer for me that was part of moving forwards.

Because of this to finish the PCT myself albeit virtually will be a huge achievement, quite an emotional one actually. This of course makes getting there important and motivates me to get a few extra steps in. Each of us will find a different why, but I find it really helps to have that extra why.

I personally try to avoid aesthetic or weight loss motivations as they feed into more negative feelings I have but they do work for many.

That’s it, find something you enjoy, give yourself external motivation in some form and have fun with it.

As much as I’d love to have you take up Pilates or yoga I’d be just as happy for you to take up hiking or go to any of the other wonderful classes/ gyms around and find the movement you enjoy. Just get moving 💚

If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!

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The joy of spring!

I love teaching any time of the year but Spring is my favourite, especially at Alnwick Gardens where we are surrounded by glass walls that allow you to feel like you are in the middle of the first burst of spring while in a class. The ducks are back, it won’t be long till they have duckings who do seem to enjoy walking through the class! It’s unbelievably cute!

If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick get in touch!

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Exercise and aging

I’m no spring chicken. I’m turning 49 in a few short months which means next year is 50! Holy crap how did that happen!!

This means the body I have is a different body to the one I had when I began practicing yoga and Pilates in my 20s. This body has carried and birthed children, this body has endured injuries and extreme stress when my daughter had cancer. It has carried me through good days and bad and into early menopause due to a hysterectomy.

But when I wake up nothing hurts, I don’t have joint pain or back ache. I don’t start the day with painkillers and I still enjoy all the activities I did when I was younger. In fact I actually exercise more than I did in my 20s.

At this point you may be thinking “oh well bloody awesome for you all of me hurts” and the thing is I’ve been there.

I had years on and off serious ill health due to a hypermobility spectrum disorder. Wow did everything hurt. It was exercise that turned it round, I needed to add more of strength training focus to my movement to stabilise my joints. After that life at least physically became a lot easier.

Thanks to exercise menopause as yet has not been a problem, I’m now 4 years into menopause and haven’t gained weight and recently actually saw the peaking through of abs. I sleep well and my energy is pretty good. I started my PhD in September 2020, go out regularly with friends and honestly am loving life right now with no intentions of showing down.

How does this ramble apply to you? Well you don’t have to accept aches and pains as a for gone conclusion of the aging process, if we stay flexible and look after our muscles we can enjoy the later years of our life as much as the early ones if not more! You can also turn things round if you are waking up aching, oh boy can you turn things round. I’ve had students who were seen monthly at the pain clinic within 6 months stop talking painkillers altogether. Others went from being in serious pain and hardly sleeping to still being a little sore but sleeping through the night.

But it does take a little work, an aging body like a classic car needs a little tlc, we need to use good fuel we need to keep moving, and we need to do both with some intelligence.

I’m rubbish at blowing my own trumpet, honestly I hate the self promotion stuff BUT I have lots of personal experience, two decades of teaching experience and 6 teacher training qualifications and would be happy to help you get moving in a way that works for you!

If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!

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Menopause movement and me

I entered full menopause at 46, a little earlier than average due to a full hysterectomy. As my menopause was a surgical menopause it was a little different to natural menopause, if you think of natural menopause as being a run down a steep stony hill, at times tricky and not at all easy then surgical menopause is being thrown straight off a cliff without a cord parachute or anything soft to land on.

My main worry with menopause was that it would stop me exercising. Movement is such a huge part of who I am and honestly it’s how I stayed sane through some very difficult times such as my daughter’s cancer and rare disease diagnosis.

I had heard so many stories of people changing almost entirely post menopause that honestly I was a little terrified.

The hysterectomy was itself very straight forward and I actually went for a very short walk/shuffle the day after. I did this every day for the first month after, by 4 weeks I started to walk/run.

At two weeks I was able to start HRT, for me it felt like the best option. I was under 50 and wanted to protect my bones and heart. I also wanted a quality of life.

So what issues did I face post menopause?

Weight does seem to settle more around my middle and my face than it use to which I manage by moving in ways that I enjoy and eating well focusing on fruit veg and proteins. Of course with some fun things too.

Sleep at times was a problem, sometimes getting to sleep has been tricky other times I’ll wake at a silly time and not be able to get back to sleep. Exercise helps so much with sleep, I honestly cannot express how much it helps. As does bright light early in the morning.

Pelvic floor, now I don’t know if it was due to the surgery or if it was due to surgical menopause but after about 3 months I found myself waking 3 to 4 times a night to pee. I did a lot of work both strengthening and creating flexibility in my pelvic floor. Now I wake at most once a night. We do a lot of pelvic floor work in Pilates, if you are having issues there are also some really good pelvic floor PTs that can help. I didn’t see one but if I hadn’t managed to get things in check myself I would have.

HRT, it took me a long time to find the right type and levels for me. Now I’m using estrogen patches and a little testosterone. If HRT is something you want to try and it doesn’t work after a few months or as well as you think it should don’t be afraid to try another type.

Anxiety, I have never had anxiety in my entire life until menopause and then BOOM out of nowhere, even with HRT. Both movement generally and the mindful movement that we find in yoga and Pilates helped with this. Just sitting breathing slowly and consciously can reduce heart rate and drop both cortisol and adrenaline levels.

Blood pressure, I have always had super low blood pressure. Passing out kind of low, after surgical menopause it went up. Not dangerously high but higher than I wanted. It’s not uncommon for this to happen in surgical menopause, no one really knows why. I brought it back into control through diet and exercise. It’s still something I need to be aware of and another reason to keep moving.

Caffeine, I can’t take more than a couple of cups of coffee a day and any after midday and I can’t sleep.

Other than that menopause for me so far has been a thoroughly positive experience, no more periods and no more mood swings thank God!!! But without exercise I’m not sure how it would have been at all.

If you would like a bit of help with getting moving while transitioning into the best years of your life get in touch 💚

If you would like to work with a personal trainer in a quiet setting in Alnwick Northumberland get in touch!