Bodysense Pilates

Spotted in store 👀 Home Bargains

Pilates essential kit £9.99
Pilates resistance rings for just £3.99
Pilates bar £3.99
Resistance bands £2.99
Plus much more!
Such great little finds if you’re looking to keep up your practice at home 💪

Perfect for adding that extra bit of resistance to your workouts, especially if you’re focusing on toning and strengthening between sessions.

Keep an eye out in your local stores… you never know what gems you might find!

Happy St George’s Day 🐉🗡️🛡️

Please make sure your instructor is properly qualified and accredited for a safe, enjoyable and ultimately challenging Pilates reformer session.

✨ We’re Moving! ✨

After 10 amazing years at The Old Coal Yard, it’s time for an exciting new chapter for Bodysense Pilates 💚

From 2nd March, Bodysense Pilates will be moving premises, with an updated timetable and some fantastic additions!

We’re delighted to be adding extra classes at Great Baddow Parish Hall (where we already love teaching on Wednesday evenings & Friday mornings 💛) and introducing new classes at Chelmer Village Parish Hall.

We want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our incredible clients who have supported us at the Old Coal Yard over the past 10 years. Your loyalty, friendships, dedication and smiles have meant more than you know. Bodysense is more than just Pilates — it’s a community, and that’s because of you.

We’re so excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to welcome you to our new venues and continue growing stronger together 💚

Here’s to the future!

(Please note our new contact number is 07908 810433, our email address remains the same [email protected])

Us with our clients this week: 50% Pilates, 50% weather chat ☀️😂

✨ Thank You ✨

As we head into 2026, we want to say a huge thank you to our amazing Bodysense Pilates community.

So many of our new clients have found us through your kind recommendations — for both classes and 1:1 private sessions — and we’re incredibly grateful for the trust and support you continue to show us.

Your belief in what we do, and in sharing that with others, truly means everything. We can’t wait to continue supporting our existing clients and welcoming lots of lovely new faces over the year ahead.

Here’s to moving well, feeling stronger, and growing together in 2026 🤍

— The Bodysense Pilates Team

Excellent information from Claire 👇🏻

Read my latest Blog post!

10 Common Pilates Mistakes and How to Fix Them

If you’ve ever walked out of a Pilates class wondering why a movement felt harder than it should—or why you weren’t feeling it in the “right” places—you’re not alone. Pilates is a beautifully precise practice, and even the smallest details can make a big difference in how your body responds.

As an instructor, I often see the same habits show up again and again, especially among beginners or those transitioning from other forms of exercise. The good news? Most issues come down to simple, easy-to-fix tweaks.

In this post, I’m breaking down 10 of the most common Pilates mistakes and giving you clear, practical ways to adjust so you can get more out of every session—whether you’re on the mat, the reformer, or practicing at home.

1. Holding Your Breath
The mistake: Many people unconsciously brace or hold their breath during difficult movements.
Why it matters: Breath supports core engagement, reduces tension, and improves flow.
How to fix it:
• Inhale to prepare.
• Exhale on the effort or lift.
• Think of breathing wide into your ribs, not up into your shoulders.

2. Overworking the Neck
The mistake: Straining the neck during abdominal exercises.
Why it matters: Neck tension steals the work from the core.
How to fix it:
• Practice nodding your chin and sliding the skull up the mat to prepare
• Keep the gaze slightly above your knees.
• Imagine holding a light peach between your chin and chest — no squashing.
• If strain persists, keep your head down and focus on rib-to-hip engagement.

3. “Gripping” the Hip Flexors
The mistake: Letting the front of the hips take over in leg lifts or teasers.
Why it matters: It reduces core activation and can cause discomfort.
How to fix it:
• Bend the knees until you can stabilize with your abdominals.
• Tilt the pelvis slightly toward a neutral spine.
• Place hands under the hips temporarily to feel correct alignment.

4. Using Momentum Instead of Control
The mistake: Swinging through movements rather than controlling them.
Why it matters: Joseph Pilates called his method Contrology - “Concentrate on the correct movement each time you exercise, lest you do them improperly and thus lose all vital benefits.” Pilates is about precision, not speed.
How to fix it:
• Slow down — especially on the lowering phase.
• Imagine moving through thick air.
• Focus on initiating all movement from the core.

5. Letting the Ribs Pop or Flare
The mistake: The front ribs jut out, especially during overhead or core work.
Why it matters: It breaks your alignment and disengages the core.
How to fix it:
• Think of knitting your ribs together.
• Keep a soft connection between ribs and pelvis.
• Use a smaller range of motion until stability improves.

6. Collapsing the Wrists
The mistake: Dropping weight into the wrists during planks, push-ups, or quadruped.
Why it matters: This can cause wrist pain and reduce upper-body strength.
How to fix it:
• Spread fingers wide and press evenly through the whole hand.
• Stack shoulders directly over wrists.
• Use fists, forearms, or wedges for support if needed.

7. Forgetting About the Feet
The mistake: Letting feet hang limp or lose alignment in leg work.
Why it matters: Your feet influence knee, hip, and core stability.
How to fix it:
• Point or flex with intention.
• Keep inner thighs active.
• Press evenly through both feet in standing or reformer work.

8. Ignoring Spinal Articulation
The mistake: Moving the spine as one stiff piece.
Why it matters: Pilates trains segmental control, improving mobility and back health. Where movement is distributed through the spine so is load. It’s not always the stiff parts of the back that have a problem but the joints next to them overworking.
How to fix it:
• Visualize peeling one vertebra at a time off the mat.
• Slow down roll-ups, bridges, and spinal rotations.
• Think of length before movement.

9. Overcorrecting to “Perfect Posture”
The mistake: Holding overly rigid posture or tucking the pelvis too much.
Why it matters: Over-tension blocks proper muscle activation.
How to fix it:
• Aim for neutral, not “perfect.”
• Release unnecessary tension in shoulders and glutes.
• Keep the spine long and natural, not forced.

10. Not Modifying When You Need To
The mistake: Pushing through exercises that feel too advanced.
Why it matters: Pilates is meant to build gradually — forcing it increases strain.
How to fix it:
• Take the modification your instructor offers.
• Reduce range of motion, reps, or props.
• Remember: better form = better results.

Pilates is about progress, not perfection. Every time you show up, you’re learning more about your body, your alignment, and your own strength. By staying mindful of these common mistakes, you’ll build better habits, move with more intention, and start to feel the deeper benefits that make Pilates so transformative.

Remember: the goal isn’t to force movement, but to embody it. Take your time, focus on quality over quantity, and don’t hesitate to modify or regress when you need to. Your body will respond with greater strength, mobility, and ease.

If you’re ready to deepen your practice even further you can try our classes with the Introductory class pass – 3 classes for £29. And stay tuned—we’re sharing more tips, routines, and insights to help you feel stronger and more connected both on and off the mat.

https://clairespilatesstudio.co.uk/10-common-pilates-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them/

Health is Wealth
Look after your gut and it will look after you
Poor gut health can be the result of a number of factors. It is possible to support and improve your gut health by preventing these mistakes.
Eating on the run.
Try to avoid being on the-go when you eat your meals as it makes digestion more difficult. We don’t just mean make sure you’re sitting down, either. Make sure you are able to completely focus on your meal - so eating at your desk or in front of the television is a no-no as well.
Eating too much sugar.
Sugar will alter the balance of your gut microbiome which is essential for good health.
Read labels carefully to reduce added sugars in your diet, particularly in drinks.
Skimping on sleep.
A good night’s sleep will enable your gut to repair itself, as well as regulating hormone and neurotransmitter production.
Aim for at least 7 hours a night. Try and create a regular bedtime routine and stick to it. This will support your natural circadian rhythm.
Ignoring food sensitivities or intolerances.
Bloating, indigestion, skin issues and even changes in your mood can be signs that your body is not coping well certain foods. If you suspect you have issues with a food, you could look at doing an elimination diet to confirm it or to take a test to know which foods to omit.