AUGUST 2026 NEWSLETTER – FITNESS PILATES
Dear Fitness Pilates Member
Welcome to your August 2026 Newsletter.
Hope you all had a lovely July and have been enjoying the sunshine
The SUMMER holidays are here………………..
CLASS’ UPDATE – During the month of September I will be focusing on beginners, improvers and people who just want to get back to basics. It gives new people the opportunity to experience Pilates. Those of you who are regulars but have had time off over the summer and want to return to a lower level. Of course, modifications will be offered to each exercise to give the more experienced the progression/challenge they require. Therefore we will not be using our Handweights during September.
Please note, I will start weighted workouts again the first week in October
If you have any questions about any of the classes then please do get in touch.
Class Timetable from 1st September 2026
Monday – 0930-1015 Stisted Village Hall & ZOOM 1100-1145
Tuesday – Braintree Swim Centre 0930-1015
Wednesday – Wethersfield Village Hall 1100-1145
Thursday – Coggeshall Village Hall 1100-1145 & Stisted Village Hall 1500-1545 Chair Pilates (1st Thursday of the month)
Please note Chair Pilates will be on the 10th September 1500-1545
Friday – 1st Friday of the month – Fitness Pilates/Mindfulness – Carers Connect St Peters Village Hall Braintree 1115-1200
For September only, Carers Pilates will be on the 11th September 1115-1200
Hand weights – August – please bring your hand weights for a weighted workout on 3rd Stisted & Zoom, BSC 4th, Wethersfield 5th and Coggeshall 6th.
BBC News update – Isometric exercises – lowers blood pressure
Wall sits and planks are the best exercises for lowering blood pressure – have a look at the link above, very interesting. This is something that we do regularly in our FP classes, isometric exercises. I think I will have to introduce longer holds :}
News article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66303982
I have recently introduced tapping in our classes and have been asked what the purpose of it is. There is tons of stuff on the internet about it, but to keep it simple this is a mini conclusion………….
TAPPING – boosting our lymphatic system, encourages the movement of lymph fluid, which helps the body naturally detoxify promoting blood flow to the area & flush out the nasty things that we might be storing.
Welcome to the educational series on common health conditions
This month we are talking Plantar Fasciitis & Achilles Tendon Pain
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition that causes pain and inflammation in the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot, connecting the heel to the toes. It is often caused by overuse, poor footwear, tight calf muscles, or improper foot mechanics. The pain is typically worse in the morning or after periods of inactivity.
Why Do You Suddenly Get Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis can appear suddenly, often without an obvious cause, but it usually develops due to a combination of overuse, strain, or biomechanical issues. Here are some of the common reasons:
1️⃣ Sudden Increase in Activity
🔹 Rapidly increasing walking, running, or standing time
🔹 Switching to a new workout routine (e.g., high-impact workouts, more weight-bearing exercises)
🔹 Starting a new job that requires prolonged standing
2️⃣ Footwear Issues
🔹 Worn-out or unsupportive shoes (thin soles, no arch support)
🔹 Sudden switch to flat shoes or barefoot walking
🔹 High heels reducing foot flexibility and leading to strain when switching to flat shoes
3️⃣ Tight or Weak Muscles
🔹 Tight calf muscles or Achilles tendons pulling on the plantar fascia
🔹 Weak foot or ankle muscles, causing instability and extra strain
🔹 Reduced flexibility in the arches of the foot
4️⃣ Weight & Impact-Related Factors
🔹 Sudden weight gain (pregnancy, lifestyle changes, etc.)
🔹 Excessive jumping or running on hard surfaces
🔹 High-impact sports like running, dance, or HIIT without proper recovery
5️⃣ Biomechanical & Posture Issues
🔹 Flat feet or high arches causing foot misalignment
🔹 Overpronation (rolling the foot inward) when walking
🔹 Weak glutes and hips affecting foot mechanics
How Long Does Plantar Fasciitis Last?
The duration of plantar fasciitis varies based on severity, treatment, and daily habits.
📌 Acute Cases: Can resolve in a few weeks to 3 months with proper care
📌 Chronic Cases: Can persist for 6-12 months or longer if untreated or aggravated
Fitness Pilates: Exercises & Modifications for Plantar Fasciitis
✅ DO: Focus on Mobility, Strength, & Stretching
Fitness Pilates can be beneficial for reducing pain and improving foot function when done correctly. Here are some safe and effective exercises:
1️⃣ Foot & Ankle Mobility
✔ Seated or Standing Foot Circles – Helps with mobility
✔ Toe Scrunches/Towel Grabs – Strengthens the foot muscles
✔ Rolling a Ball Under the Foot – Use a small massage or tennis ball to release tension
2️⃣ Calf & Achilles Stretches
✔ Downward Dog (Modified) – Stretch the plantar fascia & calves gently
✔ Seated or Standing Calf Stretch – Use a wall or resistance band
✔ Heel Drops on a Step – Helps lengthen the Achilles and plantar fascia
3️⃣ Strengthening the Lower Leg & Foot
✔ Seated or Standing Toe Taps – Engages foot and arch muscles
✔ Single-Leg Balance Work (with support if needed) – Improves foot stability
✔ Resistance Band Foot Flexion & Extension – Strengthens the foot and ankle
4️⃣ Gentle Core & Hip Strengthening
✔ Glute Bridges – Strengthens the glutes to support foot alignment
✔ Clamshells & Side-Lying Leg Lifts – Helps with hip stability, reducing strain on the feet
✔ Pilates Footwork on the Mat – Using resistance bands instead of reformer
❌ AVOID: High Impact & Excessive Load on the Feet
Some Pilates exercises can aggravate plantar fasciitis if too much pressure is placed on the feet. Be mindful of:
🚫 Jumping or Plyometric Movements – These add excessive stress to the plantar fascia
🚫 Full Plank & Toe-Dominant Movements – opt for forearm planks or knee-supported planks
🚫 Standing Work Without Proper Support – Modify balance exercises if pain is present
🚫 Excessive Dorsiflexion (Toe Stretching) Too Soon – Can overstretch the plantar fascia
Additional Tips for Managing Plantar Fasciitis in Fitness Pilates:
💡 Modify Standing Work – Use a soft surface or towel for cushioning if standing for long periods
💡 Wear Supportive Footwear – If barefoot Pilates worsens symptoms, consider wearing grip socks or arch-support insoles
💡 Use Props for Support – Blocks, small balls, or foam rollers can assist in certain movements
💡 Gradual Progression – Avoid aggressive stretching or prolonged weight-bearing exercises
Achilles tendon pain.
Achilles Tendon Pain – What Causes It and What Can You Do?
Achilles tendon pain is one of the most common lower-limb injuries, particularly in walkers, runners and active adults. It often begins as mild stiffness first thing in the morning before gradually becoming more painful if ignored.
What is the Achilles tendon?
The Achilles tendon is the strong band of tissue connecting your calf muscles to your heel bone. Every step, squat, heel raise and jump relies on this tendon transferring force efficiently from the calf into the foot.
Why does it become painful?
The most common cause is overload—the tendon is simply being asked to do more than it can currently tolerate.
This can happen if you:
- Suddenly increase your walking or running.
- Start a new exercise programme.
- Return to exercise after time off.
- Wear unsupportive footwear.
- Have tight calf muscles or reduced ankle mobility.
- Spend long periods walking or standing on hard surfaces.
As we age, tendons naturally become less elastic and recover more slowly. Following menopause, hormonal changes may also influence tendon health, making women more susceptible to Achilles problems.
Common symptoms
You may notice:
- Pain or stiffness at the back of the heel.
- Morning stiffness when you first get out of bed.
- Symptoms easing once you’ve been moving for a while.
- Pain after longer walks or exercise.
- Tenderness when pressing the tendon.
- Mild swelling or thickening around the tendon.
What should you do?
The good news is that most Achilles tendon problems improve with appropriate management.
✔️ Keep moving but reduce activities that significantly aggravate the pain.
✔️ Gradually strengthen the calf muscles. Research consistently shows progressive strengthening is one of the most effective treatments for Achilles tendinopathy.
✔️ Wear supportive footwear for walking and exercise.
✔️ Increase activity levels gradually rather than doing too much too soon.
✔️ Don’t ignore pain that persists for several weeks or suddenly becomes severe.
Can Fitness Pilates Help?
Absolutely.
Fitness Pilates is an excellent way to maintain strength, mobility and fitness while reducing excessive impact through the tendon.
Exercises focusing on:
- Balance
- Core stability
- Hip and glute strength
- Foot and ankle mobility
- Controlled calf strengthening
can improve movement quality and reduce unnecessary strain on the Achilles tendon.
Fitness Pilates exercises that can help
Foot and ankle mobility
These can help improve ankle movement and reduce stiffness.
- Ankle circles
- Point and flex
- Toe spreads
- Heel-toe rocking
- Foot articulation
- Controlled ankle mobility
Calf strengthening
Progressive strengthening is considered one of the most effective treatments for Achilles tendinopathy.
Try:
- Double-leg heel raises
- Single-leg heel raises (when tolerated)
- Bent-knee heel raises (targets the soleus muscle)
- Slow eccentric heel lowers
- Standing calf pulses
Progress gradually and avoid pushing through significant pain.
Balance exercises
Improving balance helps the lower leg muscles work more efficiently.
- Single-leg balance
- Tandem stance
- Clock reaches
- Standing leg lifts
- Tree pose variations
- Toe taps
Hip and glute strengthening
Weak hips can increase the load placed on the Achilles.
Include:
- Bridge variations
- Clams
- Side-lying leg lifts
- Standing hip abduction
- Squats (within comfort)
- Sit-to-stand
Core stability
A strong core improves whole-body movement and reduces unnecessary strain further down the kinetic chain.
Exercises include:
- Dead Bug
- Four-point kneeling
- Bird Dog
- Toe taps
- Modified plank
- Side plank (as tolerated)
Should you use a resistance band? Yes.
Resistance bands are excellent for:
- Plantarflexion (pointing the foot)
- Dorsiflexion (lifting the foot)
- Inversion
- Eversion
They strengthen all the muscles around the ankle and improve stability.
Bands can also be used around the thighs during bridges, squats and standing exercises to increase glute activation, which can indirectly reduce stress on the Achilles tendon.
What about a spiky massage ball?
Yes—but with some caveats.
A spiky ball won’t repair the tendon itself, but it can help with:
✅ Tight calf muscles
✅ Foot muscles
✅ Plantar fascia
✅ Improving circulation
✅ Relaxation before mobility work
It’s best used:
- Under the sole of the foot.
- On the calf muscles (avoiding direct pressure on the painful part of the tendon).
- Before mobility exercises or after activity.
Avoid pressing directly on a very sore or swollen Achilles tendon.
I hope the above two subjects help. They are certainly both very common.
I just found out that August is recognised as Happiness Happens month. An entire month dedicated to talking about your happiness and celebrating it. How cool is that? And how cool is it to finally find that mental place where you feel happiness?
The thing is happiness does happen but it doesn’t happen the way most of us think it does. We believe that happiness is what we’re seeking but what we truly want is joy. You see, happiness is temporary. It’s due to happenstance. Happiness is circumstantial, fleeting and it evaporates as the environment around us changes.
Feeling happiness is a great thing, but experiencing joy—well that’s taking it to a whole new level. Happiness happens but joy lasts. The Greek word for joy is ‘chara.’ Joy is a feeling of inner gladness. It isn’t based on circumstances but instead comes from a deep satisfaction from within. Pure pleasure, peace, and contentment with who you are. Unshakeable confidence and delight in that person and how you feel about them.
Joy doesn’t just happen. It takes incredible internal work to get to a place where your satisfaction comes from within you. Joy isn’t spontaneous. It’s an achievement to realise you’re no longer looking for fulfilment from the world. A lasting, incredible achievement.
I hope happiness happens for you but more so, I hope you find ‘joy’.
And before I finally sign off, this article is just too good not to share. Love all 10 points, but if I had to pick one then I would say point 9.
10 Hard Things We Should All Do for Ourselves More Often
- Start letting go of rigid and unnecessary ideals.
When a thought comes to mind, ask yourself if it’s helping you grow or holding you back. Take back control! Make the unconscious, conscious, and let go of what isn’t serving you. This form of letting go is not giving up. It’s surrendering any obsessive emotional attachment to particular people, outcomes, or situations. It means showing up every day in your life with the intention to be your best self, and to do the best you know how, without expecting life to go a certain way. Have goals, have dreams, take purposeful action, and build great relationships, but detach from what every aspect of your life must absolutely look like to be “good enough” for you. Just accept reality and then respond effectively. Focus on what matters — what moves you forward today — and let go of what does not.
- Start putting your heart and soul into the little things you do.
There’s a big difference between empty fatigue and gratifying exhaustion. Life is too short. Invest daily in meaningful activities. Don’t wait around! Too often we wait, because we think we need to “find” something new or different to be passionate about. But that’s not true. If you want more passion in your life right now, act accordingly right now!
Put your whole heart and soul into the next thing you do. Not into tomorrow’s opportunities, but the opportunity right in front of you. Not into tomorrow’s tasks, but today’s tasks. Not into tomorrow’s run, but today’s run. Not into tomorrow’s conversations, but today’s conversations. I’m certain you have plenty in your life right now that’s worth your time, energy, and passionate focus. You have people and circumstances in your life that need you as much as you need them. You have a massive reservoir of passionate potential within you, just waiting. Stop waiting! There is no tomorrow. Become it, let it become you, and great things will happen FOR you, TO you, and because of you.
- Start stretching yourself to the edge of your ability.
When you’re struggling to make progress, that’s when you actually are. Let that sink in. It’s far wiser to spend an extremely high quality ten minutes stretching yourself, than it is to spend a mediocre hour sitting comfortably in place. You want to be stretched to the edge of your ability at least once a day; it needs to be somewhat difficult and slightly uncomfortable for a little while. But most of us don’t want to be uncomfortable, so we run from the possibility of discomfort constantly. The obvious problem with this is that, by running from discomfort, we are constrained to partake in only the activities and opportunities within our comfort zones. And since our comfort zones are relativity small, we miss out on most of life’s greatest and healthiest experiences, and we get stuck in a debilitating cycle with our goals. We keep doing what we’ve always done, and thus we keep getting the results we’ve always gotten. And our true potential falls by the wayside.
Choose differently! Go to environments that expand your mind. Spend time with people who inspire you to stretch yourself. Read books. Grow. Get better. Your life is mostly your choice.
- Start giving yourself more grace when things don’t go well.
It’s incredibly easy to overestimate the significance of a single decision, outcome, or event in the heat of the moment. But you must remind yourself to take a deep breath when things don’t go your way. Your results in the long run — good or bad — are always the byproduct of many small steps, outcomes, and events that transpire over time.
The truth is we all fail sometimes. The greater truth is that no single failure ever defines us. Learn from your mistakes, grow wiser, and press on. Character and wisdom are sculpted gradually. They come with loss, lessons, and triumphs. They come after doubts, second guesses, and uncertainty. The seeds of your success are planted in your past troubles and failures. Your best stories will come from overcoming your greatest challenges. Your praises will be birthed from your pains. So, keep standing, keep learning, and keep living.
- Start side-stepping senseless drama.
Tune out the cheap shots people take at you along the way. Don’t waste words on people who deserve your silence. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is nothing at all. Seriously, before you waste it on anger, spite or frustration, think of how precious and irreplaceable your time is today. Give yourself a permanent break from the drama that can be easily avoided — don’t engage in it.
Life is just too short to constantly argue and fight. Count your blessings, value the people who matter, and move on from the drama with your head held high. Remind yourself that calmness is a human superpower. The ability to not overreact or take things personally keeps your mind clear, your heart at peace, and yourself moving forward. So take constructive criticism seriously, but not personally. Listen to others, and then operate with your own intuition and wisdom as your guide.
- Start being true to your values and convictions.
Rejections don’t matter that much in the long run. Accept them and refocus your attention on what does matter. What does matter is how you see yourself. So always make a habit of staying 100% true to your values and convictions, regardless of what others think. Never be ashamed of doing what feels right…
To help you implement this positive habit, start by listing out 5-10 things that are important to you when it comes to building your character and living your life. For example, Honesty, Reliability, Self-Respect, Self-Discipline, Compassion, and Kindness. Having a short list like this to reference will give you an opportunity to consciously invoke and uphold your handpicked traits and behaviours in place of doing something random simply for the purpose of external validation
- Start looking for silver linings.
The most powerful weapon against stress on the average day is our ability to choose one thought over another. Train your mind to see the good. Studies have shown that doctors who are put in a positive mood before making a diagnosis consistently experience significant boosts to their intellectual abilities than doctors in a neutral state, which allows them to make accurate diagnoses almost 20% faster. Similar studies of other vocations have shown that optimistic salespeople outsell their pessimistic counterparts by over 50%, and university students primed to feel happy before taking math exams statistically outperform their neutral peers. It turns out that our minds are literally hardwired to perform at their best not when they are negative, or even neutral, but when they are positive.
So think a little less about managing your problems and a little more about managing your mindset. Do your best to keep it positive.
- Start focusing inward more often.
Do your best to focus inward as often as necessary, especially when you need a moment of clarity. And remember that your time spent focusing inward and finding clarity doesn’t just help you — your mind is powerful and your thoughts create ripples in other people’s lives. When you bring clarity into your life, you bring the best of yourself into everything you do — you tend to treat yourself and others better, communicate more constructively, do things for the right reasons, and ultimately improve the world you’re living in. This is why daily praying, or simply reflecting on some positive quotes, can actually make a real-world difference in your life. A heightened level of your conscious awareness — mental clarity — elevates you in countless ways. And then interesting things begin happening — good things that are outside of your immediate purview… good things you haven’t even thought of yet.
- Start embracing your humanness.
“Human” is the only real label we are born with, yet we forget so easily. To become attached to a loaded label of overweight, divorced, diseased, rejected, or poor, is to be like the rain, that doesn’t know it is also the clouds… or the ice, that forgets it is water. For we are far more than the shape we’re currently in. And we, like the wind, water, and sky, will change forms many times in our lives, while forever remaining beautifully human.
Once we fully embrace our humanness, it’s almost funny to see how quickly we outgrow what we once thought we couldn’t live without… and then we fall in love with what we didn’t even know we wanted. Take this to heart. And don’t forget to pause at least once a day to appreciate how far you’ve come. You’ve been through a lot, and you’ve grown a lot too. Give yourself credit for the steps you’ve taken, so you can step forward again with grace.
- Start taking the next small step, and the next.
Sometimes it’s really hard to get going again. Take one small step every day — one journal entry, one workout, one honest conversation, and so forth — and it will feel good, and you will get stronger.
Now it’s your turn…
The next step forward is yours for the taking. Just pick one of the aforementioned points and start focusing on it for 20 minutes every day. The key is making sustainable shifts in your beliefs and behaviour. That means practicing each point gradually — one at a time, one day at a time, and then letting them build on one another. Go from zero to 10 over the course of 6 to 12 months, not all at once.
Will it be easy? Not likely.
As you marshal forward in life, adversity is inescapable. It’s much like walking into a turbulent winter storm — like the ones Amundsen and Scott encountered on their race in the South Pole — as you fight to push onward, you not only gain strength, but it tears away from you all but the essential parts of you that cannot be torn. Once you come out of the storm, you see yourself as you really are in raw form, without the baggage that’s been holding you back. And that makes all the difference, because it frees you to take the next step, and the next…
https://www.marcandangel.com/2024/07/07/10-hard-things-to-start-doing-for-yourself/
I am loving these kind of workouts. It looks like a massage salon, but they are having great fun. A women’s gym in 1941. https://www.instagram.com/p/C6aI3Dzx21s/
Have a fabulous August.
Love and Best Wishes
Marisa x
Fitness Pilates Health Coach
0781144810
https://marisaswain-fitnesspilates.co.uk
www.facebook/PTSfitnesspilatesclassesBraintree
You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube
WELCOME AUGUST 2026
So here we are, over halfway through this year.
A great moment in time to peep behind and see how far you have come.
Are you who you so very much wanted to be, as the bells welcomed in 2026?
Did you stick to those promises you made yourself?
Or did life take over, as life will, and remind you that you are not here to become a version of perfection, you are here to simply grow, as you flow.
A flow which is never yours to truly control.
And in fact, the version of yourself you are now is more than you could have hoped for, if you look with clear vision.
Because you are so very human, my friend.
You are consistently connected, sharing yourself with this world and radiating light as you go about your journey.
You are continuously brave.
You show up again and again, you rise again, you shine again – and again.
Welcome in this month of August with open arms, and lay fear, regret and judgement, at the back door of July.
You don’t need those heavy burdens going forward. You didn’t need them in January either.
Set them down.
You need space, to let in the good stuff.
7 months in, 5 months left.
Go forward with only what you need.
There is much joy ahead, you cannot yet imagine.
What a thing.
Donna Ashworth