Bionic woman in the making šŖ
So, this is what happened yesterday.
You all know I like a little adventure, a touch of glamour and mixing things up, so why not add shoulder surgery to the list? Complete with a rather fetching hat and fabulous compression stockings, naturally.
Today Iām already smashing goals. Teeth brushed, hair brushed and breakfast successfully navigated with one hand, including baked beans and Vegemite toast.
My teeth may occasionally have been recruited as a backup hand, but where thereās a will thereās a way, and where thereās food, I will always find a way.
Iām now officially left handed for the next five weeks.
Iāve always believed thereās a reason for everything, and perhaps this is lifeās slightly aggressive way of telling me to slow down and change things up. Apparently, learning to do familiar things differently is good for the brain, so by the end of this I should either be ambidextrous or a complete genius. Possibly both.
For a girl who loves her eyeliner, this could be a real test. I suspect it may look as though it was applied in a moving vehicle for the first few weeks š
If you see me at the supermarket looking a little dishevelled, please be polite. A small laugh will be tolerated, providing you open the jars, carry the shopping and donāt photograph me trying to unwrap my chocolate while pushing a trolley and getting my credit cards out.
As for my classes, my adventures in life always seem to extend to all of you, so prepare yourselves. We may be adding a little ambidextrous brain training to the timetable.
Iāll see you all soon. Iāll be barking orders rather than demonstrating, so get your listening ears on.
PS. I still have my left hand to crack the whip š
The bionic era has begun.
Janette Benditwithbendle
Share
You might also have some fun....
In 10 classes you will feel the difference, in 20 you will notice the difference and in 30 you see changes to your body shape and feel like you could take on the world. Experience a new exercise regime, loads of variations, new equipment, new challenges, improve your flexability and improve your overall sport performances in everything you do.
Pilates instructor approved āļø
Jump squat proof? āļø
Stretch proof? āļø
See-through? Absolutely not. Nobody needs that surprise halfway through a Pilates class. š
Theyāre soft, they stretch in every direction, and they move with me however I want.
So yes, these GearBunch leggings tick all the boxes. āļø
And then there are these colours
Subtle? Not exactly. š
Youāll see me coming from a mile away, and Iām completely okay with that.
https://gearbunch.com/
Thereās a lot more going on behind a class than people probably realise.
Iām watching bodies, remembering injuries, correcting form, offering alternatives, keeping an eye on the clock, thinking three exercises ahead and sometimes changing the whole plan because I can feel thatās what the room needs.
But thereās another part of teaching that you canāt really learn from a textbook.
Knowing your people.
Knowing when someone needs encouragement, when they need to be challenged, when they need to back off and sometimes knowing theyāre having an off day before theyāve even said a word.
After all these years of teaching, so much of that has become instinctive.
Every class is different because every group of people walking through the door is different, and the energy they bring is different too.
And perhaps thatās why, after all these years, I still bloody love it. ā¤ļø
If you want to be part of something a little different, where youāre genuinely cared about, where your instructor knows you, watches how you move and cares about your body and how it feels, come and give us a go.
5 classes for $55.
Come and see what weāre all about. ā¤ļø
09/08/2026
This morning, I let myself cry
I think I have become so used to being the strong one that I sometimes forget I am allowed not to be.
I keep going. I teach my classes. I smile. I try to make people laugh. Sometimes successfully, other times not so much, haha.
I look after the people I love and do my best to hold everything together.
But sometimes, underneath that smile, I am struggling.
I am struggling to watch my mum grow more tired of being here by the day.
It isnāt that anyone tells me I have to stay strong. I just always feel I have to.
I had a dream last night, and throughout it I kept saying, āHelp me.ā
No matter how hard I tried, I couldnāt make anyone hear me. I couldnāt get anyone to understand that I could no longer keep holding myself up.
Perhaps my dream was telling me something I havenāt wanted to admit.
That being strong doesnāt mean never falling apart.
That sometimes the bravest thing we can do is stop holding everything in and allow ourselves to feel what is actually there.
So this morning, I cried.
Not because I have given up.
Not because I am not strong.
But because I am human, and today I needed to put down everything I have been carrying for a little while.
Sometimes the person who holds everyone else up needs somewhere soft to fall, too.
Not every moment asks us to be strong. Some moments simply ask us to be honest about how we feel.
02/08/2026
Photograph the moment.
Not because everything is perfect.
Because nothing ever is.
Sunday looked a little like thisā¦
Family around the table.
Winter sunshine.
A cheeky cigarette.
A great granddaughter determined she was strong enough to push Great Grandmaās wheelchair.
Stories weād all heard before.
Laughter weād happily hear a thousand times again.
Jokes told š
No one was trying to make memories.
We were simply living another Sunday.
Itās funnyā¦
We spend so much of life waiting for the big moments that we almost miss the ones quietly becoming our memories.
The ordinary afternoons.
The cups of tea.
The sunshine on your face.
The little hands.
The older hands.
The conversations that wander nowhere in particular.
Someone lifts a camera.
Not to capture perfection.
Just proof that, for one ordinary Sunday, we were all here.
One day, these photographs wonāt just remind us what we looked like.
Theyāll remind us how it felt.
And perhaps thatās why we photograph the moment.
Not because itās perfect.
But because one day weāll realise it was everything.
Last night, our Bend It with Bendle Pilates community swapped the studio for Music Bingo at Oliverās CafĆ© in Frankston.
Three of us wearing exactly the same jeans, complete with love hearts on the bums! ā¤ļø Clearly weāre spending too much time together and shopping at the same place Luup š
There was a conga line, and our own Lesa Cowin had to perform the chicken dance to claim her bingo win.
Then came the grand finale. Five of us tied for the final bingo prize, which meant competing in an Irish jig.
Letās just say, thanks to Pilates, you can now call me Michelle Flatley! āļøš
Looking around the room, I realised this is what community is really about.
A group of women who may never have crossed paths if it wasnāt for Pilates and yet here we were, laughing like weād known each other forever.
I left the cafƩ with a smile on my face.
You know youāve had a good night when your cheeks are aching from laughing, your tummy hurts, and youāre still smiling all the way home.
I love that feeling. ā¤ļø
Hereās to friendship, laughter and the beautiful community weāve built togetherā£ļø
What a beautiful way to start the week. š¤
A Monday spent at Lancemore Hotels Lindenderry Red Hill Estate, exactly what I needed. A chance to pause, breathe, reset and take on the week.
Can every Monday start like this, please?
We were welcomed by the beautiful Raquel, who instantly made us feel at home.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate these grounds?ā¤ļø
Raquel showed us to our room, which overlooked the most beautiful gardens and had the cosiest little fire. The perfect place to sit, dream and enjoy a glass of w**e.
There are so many cosy little lounges scattered throughout the hotel. Perfect for sneaking away with a coffee, or perhaps a cheeky w**e. Thereās also a heated indoor pool, spa, billiards and the most beautiful grounds to wander.
Whether youāre looking to do a lot or absolutely nothing at all, this place has you covered.
A 6 pm booking at The Dining Room | Lindenderry | Red Hill was next. Monday nights are Steak & Frites Night, but donāt worry if steak isnāt your thing. They cater beautifully for vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements too.
I finished off the evening with a glass of Chianti by the fire, does it get any better?
Oh yes, it does.
A cosy nightās sleep, the wind gently blowing outside only adding to the atmosphere, and before we knew it, Tuesday had arrived.
A beautiful breakfast, one last chat with Raquel, saying goodbye to the new friends weād made. We always seem to make a friend wherever we go.
P.S. My guest for the evening was my beautiful friend Leanne, my psychic friend š. I think we both left feeling exactly the same
Paused.
Reset.
Ready to take on the week.
A huge thank you to Lancemore Hotels and The Dining Room | Lindenderry | Red Hill for your beautiful hospitality. We absolutely loved our stay and can highly recommend it if youāre looking for a special getaway on the Mornington Peninsula. ā¤ļø
So this is what I got up to this morning.
A couple of weeks ago I told you about going for a run and how much I enjoyed it. Well, Iām definitely a fair weather runner.
Last Monday, on my usual running day, it was cold, wet and miserable. I looked outside and thought, nope.
For the record, I have a rebounder, a spin bike and plenty of other equipment at home, so I still moved. It just looked a little different.
Today, though, the sun was shining, so out I went. I ran, I walked, I tackled the stairs and ended up staying out much longer than Iād planned. Iāll tell you about that another time.
I talk a lot about strength because itās incredibly important, but healthy ageing isnāt just about lifting weights. Itās also about cardio, balance, mobility and simply moving your body in different ways. We need a little bit of everything.
And hereās the best part
You donāt need to do what I do.
If all you managed today was a 10 minute stretch, thatās fantastic.
If you went for a 20 minute walk, brilliant.
If you picked up a couple of dumbbells for a few exercises, even better.
Every bit of movement counts.
So tonight Iām sharing a little glimpse of my morning. Four rounds of stairs, a run along the esplanade track, plenty of walking and enjoying the winter sunshine.
Now Iād love to know, how did you move your body today?
P.S. If youād like a little help ticking those boxes, strength, balance, mobility and cardio, you know where to find me. š
Twenty seven years ago, I thought I was building a Pilates studio.
It turned into something much bigger. ā¤ļø
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Location
Category
Contact the business
Telephone
Website
Address
Studio@61a Mornington Industrial Park. Nepean Highway
Mornington, VIC
1140
Opening Hours
| Tuesday | 7am - 7:30pm |
| Wednesday | 7am - 8:30pm |
| Thursday | 8pm - 7pm |
| Friday | 11am - 5pm |
| Saturday | 11am - 2pm |