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If you have arthritis and are looking for an effective way of exercising which allows you to build strength and improve flexibility while supporting your joints, then Pilates is the answer.  Over the years I've witnessed so many of my Pilates clients reduce their joint pain and stiffness and greatly improve their quality of life with this unique method of exercise.

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is the inflammation of one or more joints that can also involve swelling and pain.  There are more than 100 different types of Arthritis,  with Osteoarthritis being the most common type.  This can be caused by wear and tear of the joint structure when joints are put under strain due to poor alignment, obesity or an injury for example.  The condition often worsens with age and results in pain,  stiffness and swelling in varying degrees.  The second most common form is Rheumatoid Arthritis which is an autoimmune disease.  In this...

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“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” ― Martin Luther King Jr 

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Life has certainly changed dramatically for everyone since my last blog post, as we live our lives in lockdown in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  On a personal level, my physical Pilates studio has now closed temporarily and I have offered my clients' Pilates sessions on Skype.  For those who aren't already members,  I have suggested they join JS Mind Body Pilates my Online Pilates studio.  The main priority is that my clients are able to continue their Pilates training, which is essential for those who rely on Pilates for managing their various health conditions,  until the studio can re-open.  With the situation changing daily,  most of us are dealing with a sense of helplessness as we no longer have control over our daily lives resulting in fear, sadness, anxiety and disturbed sleep.  Some are overwhelmed with working from home whilst supervising and schooling their children.  Others are separated from...

One of my lovely clients presented me with an amazing Christmas gift last year.  It was a custom made cut out wooden sign,  that said: "Breathe".  She said I was always talking about the importance of breathing,  so she thought this would be a perfect addition to my Pilates studio.  I was overwhelmingly touched by her thoughtfulness and her treasured gift is now on display in my Pilates studio as a constant reminder to everyone just how important breathing really is, not just at Pilates, but it's essential for life itself.  In these uncertain times, with a COVID-19 pandemic that attacks the respiratory system, sweeping the world, being in control of your breath has never been more important.  In this post, I will share with you, a very simple but effective breathing technique to help you maintain calm at this difficult time.

As Joseph  Pilates said 'Breathing is the first act of life and also the last.  Our very life depends on...

Recently I received a distress call from a client, "Help! I've rotated my cuff during my gym session.  When can I come to Pilates?  "  Unfortunately, my client had overloaded her shoulder joint when she lifted a weight that was too heavy for her. Fortunately, she put it back down when she realised,  minimising,  but still causing a minor injury to the rotator cuff muscles of her shoulder.
One of the most commonly occurring issues in my Pilates studio over the years has been injuries to the rotator cuff muscles.  It can affect everyone from young elite athletes to new mothers and the elderly.  Fortunately,  Pilates provides all the necessary tools for both rehabilitating these injuries and preventing further injuries in the future.

What Is The Rotator Cuff?

The Rotator Cuff is a group of 4 muscles, supraspinatus,  infraspinatus,  teres minor and subscapularis that surround and stabilise the shoulder joint.  Each muscle has...

Graham started his Pilates journey with me in May 2007 after his wife Joanna, who had already been practicing  Pilates with me for just over a year, started to experience life-changing results and you can read Joanna's story here.  When Joanna became pain-free with Pilates she began to envision her future filled with amazing experiences and travel adventures such as walking tours in various locations around the world.  I shared her enthusiasm for her new life filled with possibility but raised an important point with her  "What about Graham? He doesn't do any exercise and he has back pain.  You don't want to use your newly gained fitness to push him around in a wheelchair in your old age."  Joanna's face said it all as she realised Graham could prevent them from enjoying an active future of travel.  Less than a week later Graham booked in for an Initial Assessment with me,  and in February 2020,  as he is about to...

Joseph Pilates said "Change happens through movement and movement heals." Many people recovering from an illness, injury, or surgery are still following the outdated idea of "resting" or avoiding movement at all costs and genuinely believe they are giving their body the best chance of recovery.
In 2020 this is, unfortunately, a misguided approach and numerous studies have been conducted that have shown the enormous benefit that movement contributes towards healing.  There are of course some exceptions to this rule and movement should be avoided for conditions such as fractured bones and spinal cord injuries among others for example.  As always you should seek advice from a medical practitioner before commencing a movement program to ensure that movement is appropriate for your condition.

What Is Movement?

Movement is essential for our wellbeing and our survival as a species.  Once we have lost our ability to move through injury, for example, we become completely reliant...