Physio and Pilates by Anna Maria

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Dr Anna Maria | Physiotherapist & Pilates Instructor |
Helping busy people stay pain-free, strong & energised đź’Ş
✨ Founder of My Online Pilates Programme | https://www.physiopilatesbyam.co.uk/pilates
👍🏻 Follow for quick routines & wellbeing hacks.

06/10/2026

We often expect progress to be obvious.

More strength. Less pain. A new personal best. A visible change.

But some of the most important progress I see as a physiotherapist is much quieter.

Getting out of bed with less stiffness.
Feeling more confident on the stairs.
Realising you haven't thought about that niggle all day.
Holding an exercise with a little more control.
Having more energy to get through your day.

Progress isn't always dramatic, and it doesn't have to be.

Sometimes you have to stop and look back to realise just how far you've come.

This week, notice the small wins. They count too. What is yours?

Anna maria x

“My pain is worse, does that mean I’m causing more damage?” I get asked this a lot in the clinic, and my answer is alway...
05/10/2026

“My pain is worse, does that mean I’m causing more damage?” I get asked this a lot in the clinic, and my answer is always the same - Not necessarily.

Pain IS real, but it is not a direct measure of tissue damage. Especially when pain persists, it can be influenced by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors, including tissue irritation, sleep, stress, previous experiences and how the nervous system processes threat (IASP, 2020).

In some persistent pain presentations, the pain system may also become more sensitive. This is often described as sensitisation, although central sensitisation is a neurophysiological mechanism and should not simply be assumed from symptoms alone (IASP; Kosek, 2024).

This doesn’t mean we ignore pain or simply “push through”. (Absolutely Not! We have to go away from the notion of no pain no gain!)

Good rehabilitation is about understanding what may be contributing, ruling out anything that needs further investigation, and gradually rebuilding movement, strength, capacity and confidence.

And movement matters. A large 2026 umbrella review including more than 221,000 participants found that exercise reduced pain across a wide range of conditions, with benefits seen from aerobic exercise, resistance training, Pilates, yoga and tai chi (Singh et al., 2026).

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE:
✅ Pain deserves to be listened to, but it doesn’t always need to be feared.
âś… Movement can be part of the solution.
âś… Save this if pain has ever made you worry that moving was causing more damage.

Save this post for the next time pain makes you question whether movement is safe, and share it with someone who might need the reminder.

Anna Maria x

References
IASP. Pain terminology and revised definition of pain. International Association for the Study of Pain. IASP
Kosek E. The concept of nociplastic pain — where to from here? Pain. 2024;165. IASP
Singh B, et al. The effect of exercise on clinical pain: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis. Pain Reports. 2026;11:e1455. PubMed

29/09/2026

As September comes to an end, this is your reminder that progress doesn’t always mean adding more.

Sometimes it means sticking with the habits that you know works (but that in my case I let them slip by over summer!), and those that are already working.

I know first hand how hard it is to get back into routine, or starting again. But here's what you can do.

Keep moving. or Start.
Keep building strength. Or Start.
Keep making time for yourself.

You don’t need longer workouts, bigger goals or a perfect routine.

Do what matters - and keep doing it.

I am starting this week again.. let's do this together. Sign up to my 14-day free trial and lets start moving together.

Anna maria x

CTA:
Take one good habit from September with you into October. 🍂"

September often feels like another “new year” (yes you're not the only one that feels this pressure!)School starts. Work...
28/09/2026

September often feels like another “new year” (yes you're not the only one that feels this pressure!)

School starts. Work gets busier. Routines change. And suddenly there's pressure to get everything organised again - including exercise.

But you don't need to completely overhaul your routine.

One of the biggest things I try to encourage, both as a physiotherapist and Pilates instructor, is to move away from the all-or-nothing approach.

If you have 30 minutes, great.

If you have 10 minutes, use the 10.

If today all you manage is a walk, that still counts.

Movement needs to work around your life - not become another thing you feel you're failing at. (and trust me I know that feeling - I've been stuck in a rut for ages!)

🍂 So this autumn, instead of asking myself “What's the perfect routine?”, I'm being kind to myself and asking: “What can I realistically keep do today? What is sustainable to me and my current life?”

Right now? It's a few minutes early morning to move my body. I've started to move my sleep time earlier, and wake times earlier, to carve out as much time as I can before the morning rush. After the summer months, this is hard, but together we can do this!

And if you're stuck for routines, my gentle and progressive Online Pilates Programme is the perfect structured online programme you can access immediately.

Save this for the weeks when life gets busy.

Anna Maria x

22/09/2026

Winter might still feel a long way away - but your body doesn't get stronger overnight.

Whether you're planning ski trips, long walks, hiking adventures or simply want to stay active through the winter months, now is the time to prepare.

Strength. Mobility. Balance. Control.

Build the foundations now, so you can enjoy the season later.

Prepare now. Enjoy it later. ⛷️ (Pilates for skiers anyone?? - Check out my link in bio :)It is never too early to start.)

Anna maria x

16/09/2026

Pregnancy can be hard on the body before even thinking about labour. So in my antenatal pregnancy pilates class we focus on strength and mobility in equal measures. In today’s class I included some of these exercises taking inspiration from the wonderful Here we are focusing on pelvic floor contraction and relaxation. For each one, focus on contraction of your pelvic floor whilst you exhale and relaxation of your peel if floor on inhalation. Aiming for a few reps of each which will make your exercises more functional than just “stretches”. All of these are safe to perform during pregnancy, but of course if you experience any pain, please seek professional advice. Enjoy! Anna maria x

15/09/2026

Whether it's returning to exercise, managing an old injury, lifting your child, hiking a mountain or getting back on the slopes...

Confidence doesn't mean never feeling uncertain.

It means trusting your body to handle what comes next.

That's what we're really building through movement.

Train for capability, not perfection.

Anna Maria x

08/09/2026

Give me a foam roller.. and here’s what I do! :) If you ask my husband, he would tell you I have ants in my pants, because I cannot for the life of me sit still for very long periods of time (hello back pain!). My body loves and craves movement, so naturally when I have days that I have training, lectures or need to stay put for the majority of the day, my back doesn’t react very well. But fortunately I know how to combat it! I have routines I follow thanks to my Online Pilates Programme (see link in bio for more info!) but also for when I’m lucky to have equipment I set myself up for a routine to help release the tension from the day and restore movement :). So here’s a snippet from my hotel routine (non active ware and all!) proving you truly do not need much to move even when you’re away. Thank you for providing me with an roller for my stay! Loved it and found it very useful!

08/09/2026

We don't build strength because we expect something to go wrong.

We build it so that when life asks more from our bodies, we're ready.

Stronger muscles.
Better balance.
Greater control.
More confidence.

Preparation is one of the best forms of prevention.

Build your capacity before you need it.

Anna Maria x

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