VR Pilates

✨ **This Week in Pilates** ✨

It's been about 10 week so, this week we'll be bringing back one of my favourite Pilates props, the Foam Roller.

The foam roller is so much more than a tool for releasing tight muscles. In Pilates, it's a brilliant way to challenge your balance, improve body awareness, and encourage your core muscles to work more effectively. It gives instant feedback, helping you find better alignment and move with greater control.

Every now and then, it's important to include a foam roller class because it helps us:
🌿 Release tension through muscles and fascia
💪 Improve core strength and stability
✨ Increase balance, coordination, and body awareness
🧘 Create more mobility through the spine and shoulders
🔥 Leave feeling longer, lighter, and wonderfully refreshed

This week's class will combine strengthening work with moments of release, helping you build a body that is not only stronger but also moves more freely. It's the perfect reminder that Pilates isn't just about working hard, it's about helping your body move well for everyday life.

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for all levels and abilities.

Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)

* Monday – 6pm
* Tuesday – 6pm
* Wednesday – 6:15pm
* Thursday – 6pm

🌐 Online Classes

* Monday – 7:30pm
* Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
* Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Friday – 11:30am

I'd love to welcome you to class this week! If you'd like to join me or have any questions, just let me know.

Pilates isn't a trend. It never has been.

I've been teaching Pilates for over 18 years, long before it became something you saw all over Instagram or associated with matching activewear and beautifully designed studios.

Of course, I'm delighted that more people are discovering Pilates today. If social media inspires someone to step onto a mat or a Reformer for the very first time, that's a wonderful thing.

But I hope we never lose sight of why Pilates was created.

Joseph Pilates didn't develop his method to create the "perfect body". He created it to help people move better, breathe better, stand taller, recover from injury, improve posture, build strength from the inside out, and support the body for life.

At its heart, Pilates is about creating a body that works well.

It's about being able to lift your shopping with confidence, play with your children or grandchildren, garden without your back aching, climb stairs with ease, get up from the floor comfortably, and continue doing the things you love as you get older.

It's about spinal health. Joint health. Core strength. Balance. Mobility. Breathing. Confidence.

And perhaps most importantly, it's about learning to trust your body.

One of the things I love most about Pilates is that it truly is for everybody.

You don't need to be young.
You don't need to be flexible.
You don't need to wear expensive gym clothes.
You don't need to look a certain way.

Whether you're 25 or 85, a complete beginner or someone who's practised for years, Pilates meets you where you are.

After nearly two decades of teaching, that's still the reason I love it.

Fashion changes. Fitness trends come and go.

But helping people feel stronger, move more freely and enjoy life with less pain will never go out of style. 💚

✨ **This Week in Pilates** ✨

Get ready for a **sculpting mat workout** designed to build **heat, balance, and beautifully controlled strength**.

This week's class is all about slow, purposeful movement. Rather than rushing through exercises, we'll take our time to develop strength with precision, creating those long, lean lines that Pilates is so well known for. You'll feel your muscles working, your posture improving, and your confidence growing as you move through the class.

✨ Expect to:
💪 Build full-body strength with control
🌿 Improve balance, stability, and coordination
🔥 Challenge your core and posture through a satisfying slow burn
✨ Leave feeling taller, stronger, and accomplished

We'll be using **light hand weights** during part of the class. They are **optional**, but I do recommend using them, as they add an extra challenge for the upper body while encouraging greater core stability. If you don't have weights, or simply prefer not to use them, you'll still enjoy a fantastic workout.

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for a range of abilities.

Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)

* Monday – 6pm FULL
* Tuesday – 6pm FULL
* Wednesday – 6:15pm FULL
* Thursday – 6pm SPACES

🌐 Online Classes

* Monday – 7:30pm
* Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
* Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Friday – 11:30am

I'd love to see you in class this week! If you'd like to join us or have any questions, just let me know.

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week in both our online and face-to-face Pilates classes, we'll be enjoying a Theraband Mat class that brings a playful intensity to our practice while focusing on upper-body alignment and core strength.

The Theraband is a fantastic Pilates prop because it provides gentle resistance and instant feedback, helping us to connect more effectively with the muscles we're aiming to work. It can both support movement and add challenge, making familiar exercises feel completely different.

Throughout the class, we'll be moving with breath, precision, and control, using the band to improve posture, strengthen the upper body, and build a deeper connection to the core.

You can expect:
💪 Stronger shoulders, upper back, and core
✨ Improved posture and alignment
🌿 Greater mobility through the shoulders and spine
🔥 Increased control, stability, and body awareness
🧘 A feeling of strength, confidence, and ease throughout the body

This is a lovely class for anyone who spends time sitting at a desk, driving, or simply wants to improve posture and upper-body strength while maintaining the flowing principles of Pilates.

As always, options will be given throughout so you can work at a level that feels right for your body.

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)

Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday – 6pm

🌐 Online Classes

Monday – 7:30pm
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

Let me know if you'd like to join or have any questions, I'd love to see you in class this week!

For those that didn’t know…. This is my other passion 👇🏻

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week we'll be playing with one of my favourite Pilates props – the **Overball** 🟢 We'll be using it in a variety of ways to challenge stability, provide feedback, and help us connect more deeply to our movement. Combined with purposeful mat work, we'll explore a workout that beautifully fuses **fascia release with functional strength**.

Expect to:
💪 Activate every side of the body
🌿 Improve mobility and movement quality
✨ Build core strength and stability
🔥 Develop resilient strength that supports everyday activities
🧘 Leave feeling longer, lighter, and more connected

The Overball is a wonderfully versatile prop. It can help us access muscles more effectively, challenge our balance and coordination, and even provide gentle support where needed. By combining this with mindful movement and fascia-focused work, we'll encourage the body to move more freely while building strength that translates seamlessly into daily life. As always, options will be given throughout so you can work at a level that feels right for your body.

🌐 Online Classes

* Monday – 7:30pm
* Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
* Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Friday – 11:30am

Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)

* Monday – 6pm (FULL)
* Tuesday – 6pm
* Wednesday – 6:15pm
* Thursday – 6pm (1 SPACE)

Let me know if you'd like to join or have any questions, I'd love to see you in class this week!

😂 If I had £1 for every time I said “relax your shoulders” in a Pilates class...

It’s one of the most common habits I see. When an exercise feels challenging, we often unconsciously creep our shoulders up towards our ears and start holding tension where we don’t need it.

By keeping the shoulders relaxed and allowing the neck to stay long, we can improve posture, reduce unnecessary tension, breathe more freely, and help the right muscles do the work.

So if you’ve ever heard me say “shoulders down” (possibly more than once in the same exercise!), now you know why. 😄

Pilates isn’t just about getting stronger—it’s about moving more efficiently and carrying less tension through everyday life. 💚

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week in both our online and face-to-face Pilates classes, we'll be firing up the core and legs with an efficient and effective mat workout using a simple but powerful prop.... the Yoga Block.

The Yoga Block is a fantastic Pilates tool because it provides instant feedback, helping you connect more deeply to the right muscles. By gently squeezing, balancing, or pressing into the block, you'll improve awareness, alignment, and activation, allowing you to get even more from familiar exercises.

This week's class is designed to:
💪 Strengthen the core and lower body
✨ Improve alignment and body awareness
🔥 Deepen muscle activation and control
🌿 Leave you feeling strong, centred, and fully connected

It's amazing how such a simple prop can make such a big difference! As always, options will be given throughout so you can work at a level that feels right for your body.

🌐 Online Classes
Monday – 7:30pm
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Ouse Bridge House, Bassenthwaite Lake)
Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday – 6pm

✨ New! 1:1 Reformer Pilates Sessions ✨

I'm now offer 1:1 Reformer Pilates sessions for all levels. The Reformer is a wonderful piece of equipment that uses springs to provide both support and resistance, helping you develop strength, mobility, balance, coordination, and body awareness. It can make exercises more accessible when needed, while also offering opportunities to challenge the body in new and exciting ways. Working one-to-one means every session is tailored specifically to you, your goals, your movement patterns, and any injuries or limitations you may have.

Let me know if you have any questions, for more information or if you'd like to book a space in any classes. I'd love to see you in class this week!

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week we'll be returning to the foundations of Pilates with a mat practice rooted in breath, control, and classical precision.

Drawing inspiration from the traditional Pilates repertoire, this class will challenge both your endurance and focus, encouraging you to move with intention and awareness throughout. By connecting movement to breath and refining technique, you'll discover how powerful the basics can be.

Expect:
💪 Full-body strength and control
🌿 Improved posture, mobility, and body awareness
✨ Deep core connection and stability
🔥 A satisfying challenge that leaves you feeling accomplished

This is a class that will help you build strength from the inside out while developing the precision and control that Pilates is renowned for. You'll leave feeling lifted, strong, energised, and connected to your body.

All you'll need is a mat.

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for a range of abilities and experience levels.

🌐 Online Classes
Monday – 7:30pm
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)
Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday – 6pm

Let me know if you'd like to join in or have any questions, I'd love to see you in class this week!

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week in both our online and face-to-face Pilates classes, we’ll be enjoying an energising Intermediate Mat workout designed to build heat, strength, and connection from the very start. 🔥

We’ll begin with a powerful warm-up to awaken the body and build immediate energy before moving into creative, lifted sequences that challenge the side body and glutes, helping to refine alignment, length, and control for a strong, sculpted finish.

Then we’ll introduce the Magic Circle, one of the original Pilates props and a brilliant tool for adding both resistance and support. The circle helps create instant feedback, encouraging deeper muscle connection and helping you find those often-overlooked stabilising muscles.

Working with the Magic Circle can help to:
💪 Build deep, supportive strength
✨ Improve alignment and body awareness
🌿 Enhance control and precision
🔥 Intensify the work while maintaining length and ease

Expect a class that feels challenging, uplifting, and deeply satisfying, leaving you feeling stronger, taller, and more connected throughout your body. As always, options will be given throughout so you can choose your own level of challenge.

🌐 Online Classes
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)
Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday – 6pm

Let me know if you’d like to join or have any questions, I’d love to see you in class this week!