OCTOBER 2026 NEWSLETTER – FITNESS PILATES
Dear Fitness Pilates Member
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Hope you have had a great September.
With the clocks going back later this month, taking us deeper into autumn – don’t be SAD. I have the perfect medicine to stave off Seasonal Affective Disorder and improve your mood, by attending regular Fitness Pilates training workouts and getting in touch with nature by exercising outside as much as you can, even if it’s for a short brisk walk.
As you know I subscribe to Zoe Health and this week’s podcast is on sleep deprivation and the impact it has on our lives. Sleep is our most important driver. We are more prone to Cognitive Decline ie Dementia if we lack sleep. Theres is tons of information in there. Hope you enjoy it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxMIz7Ac8nA
Class Timetable
Monday – Stisted Village Hall 0930-1015 & 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)
Friday – 1st Friday of the month – Fitness Pilates/Mindfulness – Carers Connect – St Peters Village Hall, Braintree 1115-1200
NOTIFICATION OF CLASS INFO:-
Alex will be covering Coggeshall on the 8th October and there will be no classes on Monday 12th October ie Stisted & Zoom.
Braintree Swim Centre – you will need to check if the class on the 13th October will be covered.
Future Payment of Classes
I just wanted to make you aware that you are welcome to pay for your classes via bank transfer or pre book through my website. I know some of you prefer to do it that way. It’s entirely up to you. If you prefer to leave your payment by cash then that’s absolutely fine.
If you would like to pay via bank transfer then message me by email, marisaswain@btinternet.com, text 07811441810 or WhatsApp, I can then let you have my bank details.
Or would like to pre-book via the website, here is the address https://www.marisaswain-fitnesspilates.co.uk/
Christchurch Clinic Wellbeing Service
I just wanted to share the amazing experience I had at Christchurch Pharmacy last month on the Coggeshall Road, Braintree. Their wellbeing service was excellent, and they were so thorough with my check-ups. They tested the usual, weight, height, blood pressure, HR, but also gave a full breakdown as to my cholesterol levels, rather than one basic figure. It was fascinating. The service is free and I highly recommend that everyone should go. I must have been in there for 30+ minutes too.
If you would like to know any more details then please ask me.
Were you aware that October is World Menopause Month?
October marks Menopause Awareness Month. We’re putting the spotlight on the support available if you are going through the menopause or experiencing menopausal symptoms following cancer treatment.
Have a look at the link below it gives some much information and advice.
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-awareness/menopause-awareness-month#:~:text=October%20marks%20Menopause%20Awareness%20Month,menopausal%20symptoms%20following%20cancer%20treatment.
On the 12th October is the World Arthritis Day
World Arthritis Day is celebrated on 12th October every year. This day is designed to raise global awareness about the conditions of Arthritis. Doctors try to raise awareness through activities and awareness campaigns
What is Arthritis? Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in a joint.
Arthritis affects people of all ages, including children.
10 million people in the UK have arthritis – exercise and joint mobility is helpful for managing pain
It is important to keep joints supple and muscles around the joints strong, therefore
light low impact exercises are beneficial to this condition. I use light mobility exercises during the Pilates classes for the whole body and focus on hands, wrists, fingers health as they can become swollen and have a limited range of motion.
#arthritisawareness #pilates #mobility #handandwristhealth
September is FOR SURE the new JANUARY. It was a great month to create your plans and goals for the final quarter of the year – professional, personal, health, fitness, body and in business/career, and if you haven’t done already, then it’s never too late.
Did you know that our Muscles work like a Pharmacy!
Skeletal muscles act as a natural internal pharmacy because contracting them triggers the release of potent healing and signalling proteins directly into your bloodstream.
When you move and contract your muscles, they function as an endocrine organ—a system that secretes hormones and chemical messengers rather than just creating physical movement.
How the Muscle Pharmacy Works
- Myokines: These are specialised proteins and signalling molecules manufactured and released by muscle fibres when they contract. They are sometimes called “hope molecules”.
- The Rule of the Pharmacy: The chemical factory stays shut down when you are sedentary, but active movement opens it up; no contraction means no prescriptions.
- System-Wide Benefits: Once released into the blood, these compounds travel to distant organs to lower overall inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and protect metabolic health.
- Brain and Mood Protection: Specific myokines act like natural antidepressants, support emotional balance, and stimulate the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus.
- Natural GLP-1 Release: Muscle contraction helps stimulate natural GLP-1 hormone release, which supports metabolic health similarly to targeted weight loss drugs
Absolutely fascinating isn’t it!
Ive been watching/listening to this very interesting podcast on bone health with Zoe Health. Here is the link….
Fix your gut, strengthen your bones! The truth about anti-aging, muscle and balance
It’s not just about avoiding broken bones, but about learning to understand one of the most important living tissues in our body. As we get older we are at more risk of breaking bones, and the Doctor explains how we can protect them.
Our educational series this month is on:-
Knee Osteoarthritis
This week, we’re looking at knee osteoarthritis – what it is, why so many people struggle with it, the common causes and contributing factors, and, importantly, how we can adapt our Fitness Pilates sessions to support clients experiencing knee pain and stiffness.
We’ll also look at which Fitness Pilates exercises and small equipment can be particularly useful, along with movements and exercises that may need to be modified or avoided.
Fitness Pilates & Knee Osteoarthritis
What is it, why do people struggle and how can we help?
Knee osteoarthritis is something most of us will encounter regularly when teaching Fitness Pilates, particularly when working with midlife and older adults.
You may hear clients say:
“I’ve got wear and tear in my knee.”
“I’ve been told not to squat.”
“My knee is bone on bone.”
“I can’t kneel anymore.”
“Stairs are really difficult.”
And very often the response is to become extremely cautious with the knee.
But movement and appropriately progressed strengthening can be incredibly important for people living with knee osteoarthritis.
So, what do we need to know as Fitness Pilates instructors?
What is knee osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, or OA, is a condition affecting the whole joint.
It isn’t simply the cartilage gradually “wearing out”.
Changes can occur in the articular cartilage, underlying bone, synovium and other structures surrounding the knee.
People can experience:
- Pain
- Stiffness, particularly after being inactive
- Reduced range of movement
- Swelling
- Crepitus – clicking, grinding or crunching
- Reduced confidence in the knee
- Difficulty with stairs
- Difficulty getting up and down from a chair
- Difficulty kneeling
- Reduced walking tolerance
- Weakness around the knee and hip
One really important point for instructors is that the amount of structural change seen on an X-ray doesn’t always correspond with the amount of pain somebody experiences.
Someone can have significant radiographic OA and relatively few symptoms, while another person can experience considerable pain and disability.
What causes knee osteoarthritis?
There isn’t usually one single cause.
Age is a risk factor, but OA shouldn’t simply be dismissed as an inevitable consequence of getting older.
Factors associated with an increased risk include:
Previous knee injury
A history of significant knee injury, including ligament or meniscus injuries, can increase the likelihood of developing OA later.
Genetics
There can be a genetic component to osteoarthritis.
Body weight and metabolic factors
Higher body weight can increase mechanical loading through the knee, while metabolic and inflammatory factors may also play a role.
Joint anatomy and alignment
The way forces are distributed through the joint can influence OA development.
Muscle weakness
Reduced strength, particularly around the quadriceps, can contribute to poorer physical function.
Occupational and repetitive loading
Certain occupations involving substantial repetitive knee loading may increase risk.
It is therefore better to think of knee OA as multifactorial, rather than simply telling clients that they’ve “worn their knees out”.
Why do people with knee OA struggle?
This is where Fitness Pilates can become really interesting.
Pain can lead to someone moving less.
Moving less can lead to reduced strength and physical capacity.
As the quadriceps, glutes and surrounding musculature become weaker, everyday activities can feel increasingly difficult.
The person moves even less because those activities now hurt or feel unsafe.
We can end up with:
Pain → less movement → weakness → reduced capacity → everyday activities become harder → less movement
There can also be fear around exercise.
If someone has been told their knee is “bone on bone”, they may understandably think:
“Surely exercising will wear it out even more?”
This can create fear avoidance and further reduce activity.
Our role isn’t to diagnose or treat osteoarthritis, but we can help people move appropriately, progressively build strength and develop confidence in what their body CAN do.
Should Clients with Knee OA Squat?
This is a great discussion point.
A diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis doesn’t automatically mean somebody should never squat.
Think about how often we effectively squat during everyday life:
Sitting on the toilet.
Getting out of a chair.
Getting in and out of a car.
Picking something up.
If we remove the movement completely, are we actually helping the person maintain their independence?
Instead, we can modify the squat.
Try:
Sit-to-Stand
Start from a higher chair or box.
Feet comfortable, hinge slightly through the hips and stand.
Initially, hands can provide assistance if required.
Progress towards less assistance and/or a lower seat as appropriate.
Supported Squat
Hold a barre, chair or wall for additional confidence.
Work through a comfortable range rather than insisting on depth.
Mini Squat
A smaller range may be much more tolerable.
Over time, range can potentially increase as strength and confidence improve.
Fitness Pilates Exercises to Consider
The appropriate exercises will depend on the individual, but there are lots of possibilities.
Standing
Supported squats
Sit-to-stands
Mini squats
Hip hinges
Standing hip extension
Standing hip abduction
Calf raises
Supported balance work
Controlled weight transfers
Low-level functional movement patterns
Supine
Glute bridges
Bridge variations
Heel slides
Bent-knee fallout
Hip mobility
Core stability exercises
Straight-leg raises where appropriate
Side Lying
Hip abduction
Small-range leg lifts
Clams
Glute strengthening
Controlled hip mobility
Seated
Knee extension
Marching
Ankle mobility
Sit-to-stand preparation
Seated resistance work
Small Equipment Ideas
This is where we can create lots of variety within Fitness Pilates.
Activation Band / Mini Band
Excellent for adding resistance without needing heavy equipment.
Try: Band above the knees during a sit-to-stand
Encourage control through the hips and knees without forcing the knees aggressively outwards.
Standing band hip abduction
Useful for strengthening around the hip while using a chair or barre for support.
Standing band hip extension
Maintain an upright posture and use a small controlled range.
Lateral band walks
These can be useful for appropriate clients, but keep resistance and distance manageable.
Band clams
A familiar Fitness Pilates exercise for developing hip strength.
Long Resistance Band
Seated knee extension
The band can provide progressive resistance for the quadriceps.Hamstring work
Use the band to create controlled resistance where appropriate.
Supported standing hip exercises
Great for progressive hip strengthening.
Pilates Ball
A soft ball can work really well.
Try: Ball squeeze between the thighs
Gentle adductor activation in sitting, supine or bridge positions.
Bridge with ball
Use the ball between the knees as a cue rather than squeezing it as hard as possible.
Seated ball work
Combine upper-body resistance or mobility with lower-body positioning when standing exercise isn’t appropriate.
Light Weights
Don’t forget that knee OA programming doesn’t need to be exclusively about the knee.
Whole-body strength matters.
Use dumbbells for:
Deadlift/hip-hinge patterns
Upper-body strength
Loaded sit-to-stands where appropriate
Farmer’s carries
Functional strength combinations
Progressive resistance training can become an important part of improving overall physical capacity.
What About Kneeling?
Some people with knee OA find kneeling extremely uncomfortable
There is no reason to insist on kneeling simply because an exercise traditionally happens in four-point kneeling.
Modify it.
Instead of quadruped hip extension, try standing hip extension.
Instead of four-point shoulder work, try it standing against a wall.
Instead of kneeling mobility, find a standing, seated or supine alternative.
If kneeling is comfortable, padding or folding the mat can make it more pleasant.
But if it hurts significantly, choose another position.
Exercises To Be Cautious With
Rather than having a blanket list of “banned” exercises, think:
What is this person’s current tolerance?
You may need to modify:
- Deep squats
- Deep lunges
- High-impact jumping
- Fast directional changes
- Repetitive high-volume knee flexion
- Prolonged kneeling
- Exercises that produce significant or escalating pain
- High-resistance exercises beyond the person’s current capacity
That doesn’t necessarily mean these movements are forbidden forever.
Some may simply be inappropriate right now.
Think Load, Range, Repetitions & Tempo
This is a really useful Fitness Pilates coaching framework.
If an exercise aggravates someone’s knee, before removing it completely ask:
Can we reduce the LOAD?
Can we reduce the RANGE?
Can we reduce the REPETITIONS?
Can we slow the TEMPO?
Can we provide more SUPPORT?
Can we change the POSITION?
That gives us so many more options than simply saying:
“You have knee OA, so don’t squat.”
What About Pain?
We shouldn’t promise clients that exercise will eliminate their osteoarthritis or tell them to push through significant pain.
Equally, people with OA don’t necessarily need to avoid every movement because they experience some discomfort.
Pain response is individual.
Watch how the person responds during the exercise and afterwards.
If a new exercise causes a substantial increase in symptoms, swelling, instability or symptoms that remain significantly aggravated afterwards, the programme may need modifying.
And, of course, new, unexplained or worsening symptoms should be referred to an appropriate healthcare professional.
The Fitness Pilates Takeaway
When somebody tells us they have knee osteoarthritis, our first thought doesn’t have to be:
“What exercises must they avoid?”
A more useful question is:
“How can I help this person maintain and progressively improve their ability to move?”
Strengthen the quadriceps.
Strengthen the hips and glutes.
Maintain mobility.
Work on balance.
Include functional movements.
Modify range where necessary.
Progress resistance appropriately.
Build confidence.
And perhaps most importantly, help clients understand that movement is something we can adapt rather than fear.
That’s a powerful message that I can reinforce in our Fitness Pilates classes.
Is this helpful…. email me and let me know.
Did you know your mind believes everything you tell it? So why not start this new month with positive affirmations i.e. I will, I can, I am going to, come on let’s do this, let’s have a great October.
Have a happy healthy October and look forward to seeing you soon
Marisa x
Fitness Pilates Health Coach
Mob 07811441810
https://marisaswain-fitnesspilates.co.uk
www.facebook/PTSfitnesspilatesclassesBraintree
https://www.facebook.com/groups/533434484245389/
You can also find me on Instagram and YouTube
Autumn
Most rejoice at the sight of spring, but I have always loved autumn. Rich righteous, colours, a shedding of weight and submission to a force larger than you. The revelation of one’s true self. Bare and unafraid. Warmed and dressed not by folly, but by innate wisdom. And the knowing that this is as it must be and everything will pass. Autumn does not shudder at the thought of winter ahead, it peacefully basks in the last of the sun, counting every moment as a blessing and a vital part of the journey. It lets its leaves fall to the ground to nurture the new, like droplets of nourishing gold, and finds peace where no peace existed before. Ive always loved Autum, It’s the letting go, you see. Let it go
Donna Ashworth