FITNESS PILATES NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2023
Dear Fitness Pilates Member
HAPPY NEW YEAR
‘PRESERVE YOUR ENERGY AND STAY POSITIVE’
I hope you and your family are well and had a lovely break over the Christmas holidays and are ready to return to exercising and feeling good!
As we enter a new year 2023 I love to look into my crystal ball and make some predictions for exercise and health.
Traditionally as soon as Boxing Day is over people go into overdrive and start considering how to get physically and mentally fit, strong and healthy, This will be a huge priority for the majority of the population regardless of age. Has this subject been on your mind?
There has never been a bigger drive to get fit and improve one’s health than at the start of a new year!
Lets start 2023 with some gusto and do something that makes you feel great…… PILATES!
Welcome back to our 2023 Fitness Pilates Classes – classes resume:-
Wethersfield– 4th January 1100-1145
Coggeshall – 5th January 1100-1145
ZOOM 9th January 1100-1145
Stisted – 9th January 0930-1015
Join me over the next four weeks when I am going to be taking a deep dive into delivering the best pelvic floor exercises and training methods into our classes.
I am also offering that you can bring a friend for FREE during the month of January.
The programme will focus on ‘Fitness Pilates for Back Care, Better Posture AND Pelvic Floor Health’.
This will focus on improving posture, strength and flexibility of the muscles that support the back. Mobilising the areas that are stiff and tight and strengthening the weaker areas and this can have a massive impact on the whole of the human kinetic chain. (use of mini and spiky balls)
Pelvic floor health and weighted workouts. You know how much I enjoy teaching with weights/resistance bands, well it is highly recommended, according to the professionals of the health industry.
I have made a few notes from the article below
IN YOUR 50’s
The average age that women hit the menopause is 51. Your body stops producing oestrogen and progesterone, which means ovulation and menstruation will be erratic until they stop completely. As well as being crucial for bone health, oestrogen plays a key role in protection your heart. Men are at higher risk at getting cardiovascular disease but after women go through menopause their risk becomes equal because they no longer have the protective effects of oestrogen. So, when it declines maintaining a healthy weight and doing regular cardiovascular exercise becomes vital.
Also, your PELVIC FLOOR muscles are not immune from the loss of muscle mass that comes with age. This means that PELVIC FLOOR disorder (PFD’s) is more common among 50-something women.
Dr Keay recommends strength and conditioning sessions that target all-round performance. This could mean adding 10-15 mins of brisk walking, running, rowing to a strength session. As for strengthening your PELVIC FLOOR core moves like Dead bugs, Superman and Shoulder Bridges should be performed in your exercise programme.
MEET RESISTANCE…………………
Strength training doesn’t have to mean heavy lifting. Resistance bands are a good option to do anywhere. ‘I also recommend Pilates to women in their fifties, Rowe-Ham says. This kind of low impact workout is still resistance training, meaning you will still benefit from increased muscular strength and improved bone health’
Hope you find the article of interest.
CLEAN UP YOUR ACT for 2023 – What a great way to start the new year!
SORT YOUR HOME Clear by Category
Choose one are of focus at a time – it might be getting to grips with your paperwork (shredding everything you don’t need to keep and starting a filing system) or simply clearing out the mug cupboard, getting rid of the ones at the back that no one uses. Once that task is completed, move on to another.
One in, two out
Every time you buy something new, choose two old versions to throw out, it helps keep clutter to an absolute minimum
Upcycle and donate
Give things to people who might need them or to a charity shop. You’ll get a wellbeing boost too.
SORT OUT YOUR INBOX
Use the five minute rule
Spend five minutes a week unsubscribing from unwanted emails, which are the inbox equivalent of letting junk mail pile up on your doormat.
Delete it
Get rid of all but the most important emails and put those you want to keep into folders
The online workout I have attached to this newsletter is a Fitness Pilates based class using the Pilates mini ball. I have sequenced moves together to really focus on the principle of flow and precision.
The Importance of Posture
Posture refers to how you position your body when you’re sitting, standing, or lying down. Your posture is the result of habits formed over the course of years. Learn why good posture matters — and what you can do to improve your own posture.
What is good posture?
Good posture is the proper alignment of your body when standing or sitting. Correct positioning involves training yourself to hold your body against gravity with the least strain and tension on supportive structures, such as your muscles and ligaments. Proper posture keeps your bones and joints in optimal alignment and decreases wear and tear on supportive structures. Good posture reduces back and neck pain.
The proper alignment of your spine allows you to move easily so that your body supports your weight without strain. Poor posture can place stress on your tendons, muscles, and ligaments, leading to neck and back pain.
If you suffer from neck and back pain, it may surprise you to know that improving your posture may go a long way in easing your symptoms.
Poor posture impacts digestion. Slouching puts your body in an unnatural position that can impact certain abdominal organs. Stooping or hunching over at your desk or slouching while looking at your mobile device can interfere with proper digestion, increasing the risk for acid reflux and constipation.
If you notice that you get heartburn when slouching, something as simple as sitting up straight may bring relief. Good posture improves muscle and joint function. When you use good posture, your muscles and other structures function properly, helping you to avoid abnormal wear and tear. Improper posture places stress on your joints and can cause them to wear away. This is the most common cause of osteoarthritis, a form of “wear and tear” arthritis…
Posture is addressed in all of the Pilates classes that I run every week. We always begin the lesson with a posture analysis. Let me know if you have any questions about your own neutral alignment.
HOW TO NAIL THE PERFECT SQUAT
The squat is a classic strengthening move for the legs and bottom that can be done anywhere and anytime
HEAD
Look directly ahead throughout the movement to ensure a neutral spine and no neck pain
MODIFICATIONS
Too hard? Try standing on a weighted plate, both heels on the plate and balls of feet on the floor
Too easy? Hold a weight in front of your chest. Take it up a notch by counting 3 squats down and push up for 1
UPPER BODY
Try to keep the chest up and back straight, and avoid tipping forward. Extend the arms, bringing the hands together in front as you squat down and pull the arms back as you stand up
LOWER BODY
Stand with your feet a little bit more than hip distance apart, toes pointing forwards. Bend your knees, moving down until your buttocks are below your hips (thighs below parallel to the ground, push back up into a standing position
If you are unsure of anything and how to perform this exercise then please do ask me.
Before I sign off, just to let you know that I will be away for a few days at the end of January to visit my family in Wales, as I was unable to go prior to Christmas due to the train strikes, therefore I have managed to get my lovely friend Marise to cover the two classes that I will miss ie Thursday 26th Coggeshall and Monday 30th January Stisted. (there will be no Zoom on Monday 30th Jan).
I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter and wishing you a very Happy New Year.
Look forward to seeing you in 2023
Marisa x
Fitness Pilates Health Coach
https://marisaswain-fitnesspilates.co.uk
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