Do you struggle lifting your arms overhead? Try this neuro drill to see if it helps with shoulder pain/discomfort.
This is really common after 50. Many women start avoiding shoulder movement because reaching up feels uncomfortable - putting items away on a high shelf, washing hair, lifting something into a cupboard.
Avoidance is understandable… but it’s not ideal.
The shoulder often gets stiffer and more sensitive when it doesn’t move.
Before you stretch or force range, try giving the nervous system better information.
Try this for 5-10 seconds x 3 rounds:
- If your right shoulder is the problem, gaze at a target to your right while finger tapping on the left
- If your left shoulder is the problem, gaze at a target to your left while finger tapping on the right
Then re-test reaching overhead and notice if it feels even slightly easier.
If you’d like a way to assess your overall “real life” strength (including overhead reach + balance), download my FREE 5-Test Independence Check (video + scorecard) via the link in my bio.
And if want to learn how to move well, then check out my online and in-person classes. I weave in neuro-based drills within my classes to get your brain active and improve overall movement. Also link in bio
Happy Body Pilates
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Pilates classes for a stronger, healthier and happier body. Learn how to move more effortlessly and without strain through everyday life. It's as simple as that.
Happy Body = Happy Mind. Practicing Pilates is a gift to your body to improve strength, flexibility, posture and overall health and well-being. My classes are fun, challenging and have a particular intention so that you can focus, deepen and enhance your practice. No matter what your goals are I believe you will leave a class with a happy body. Weekly Friday classes, 9.15am - 10.15am
The New North
An extension neuro drill to help lengthen the spine…
Extension is what helps you stay upright without effort.
If the spine spends most of its time in a rounded shape (hello, modern life), extension starts to feel unfamiliar and posture becomes something you “hold” instead of something your body does naturally.
Keeping access to extension supports:
* an upper back that can open
* shoulders that don’t live forward
* breathing that feels easier
* a neck that isn’t doing everyone else’s job
It’s not about “standing up straight.”
It’s about keeping the spine adaptable.
Try this divergence eye drill and test if you find extending the spine a little easier. If it works for you (as it has for many of my clients), you’re welcome and keep doing it. If it doesn’t, then stay tuned for more neuro drills you can try.
If you want to see how well you’re ageing after 50, take my FREE Independence Check (video + scorecard). Link in bio
And if want to learn how to move well, then check out my online and in-person classes. Also link in bio
08/06/2026
If you live in or nearby Finchley (North London), then come try my new class starting tomorrow. If you’ve tried physio/osteo/massage and you’re still stuck with the same shoulder / hip / lower back ni**le, or you’re unbalanced and uncoordinated, it’s often not just a strength issue - it be sure your brain isn’t getting the right instructions/input.
In Neuro Pilates we treat the brain as the control centre of movement. We work with the higher-order systems (eyes/visual, inner ear/vestibular, and body awareness/proprioception) to give the brain better inputs… so you get better movement outputs - steadier balance, smoother walking, less tension, fewer ni**les (and often less pain).
It’s Pilates, but neuro-informed - we specifically target coordination systems (including the cerebellum) while we build strength and mobility.
If that sounds like the missing piece for you, you’re very welcome to come and try it.
Classes start Tuesday 9th June
Book in or find out more: [email protected]
£14 per class (link in bio)
05/06/2026
Most women over 50 think independence is about “staying active”.
It’s more specific than that. These 5 abilities decide whether daily life stays easy and therefore helps you to protect your independence into your 80s and beyond.
FREE resource for you…If you’d like the full Independence Check + scorecard, then head to my bio for the link.
We practice these functional movements in my Pilates and strength classes. Link in bio to join.
03/06/2026
✨New Neuro Pilates class in Finchley✨
If you’ve tried physio/osteo/massage and you’re still stuck with the same shoulder / hip / lower back ni**le, or you’re unbalanced and uncoordinated, it’s often not just a strength issue - it be sure your brain isn’t getting the right instructions/input.
In Neuro Pilates we treat the brain as the control centre of movement. We work with the higher-order systems (eyes/visual, inner ear/vestibular, and body awareness/proprioception) to give the brain better inputs… so you get better movement outputs - steadier balance, smoother walking, less tension, fewer ni**les (and often less pain).
It’s Pilates, but neuro-informed - we specifically target coordination systems (including the visual, vestibular system and the cerebellum) while we build strength and mobility.
If that sounds like the missing piece for you, you’re very welcome to come and try it.
Classes start Tuesday 9th June
Book in or find out more: [email protected]
£14 per class (Link in bio)
If balance feels less automatic after 50, start here…
Sometimes “balance” isn’t a strength problem first. It’s an information problem, and it can often be a vestibular (inner ear) deficit. It tells your brain where you are in space. Think of it as your inner compass. And when your balance is off, your brain feels unsafe. And when you brain feels unsafe or doesn’t trust your movement, it dials up pain/anxiety/muscle tension/or other protective response to ‘keep you safe’.
So I recommend trying this and notice if your balance feels a little more organised. If not…more vestibular work needed!
If you want to work on improving your balance and overall movement, feel free to join an online or in-person class. Link in bio.
If you’d like the FREE option first, and you want to know if you’re ageing well after 50, take my FREE 5-Test Independence Check (video + scorecard). Link in bio
01/06/2026
Certificate achieved ✅
Nerdiness increasing ✅
I’ve just completed Neuro Foundations with , and it’s already changing how I look at movement - especially things like posture, balance, coordination and pain. And more Neuro training to come!
Can’t wait to keep layering this into my classes in a way that feels practical and fun and starts to make a difference in how you feel and move. Check out my bio for online classes and in-person classes in Finchley
29/05/2026
Louise joined my Strength Foundations Programme in Jan. She knew strength training mattered but felt intimidated by using weights in the gym and didn’t know where to start.
Now? Her knee feels better on the stairs, she feels stronger in yoga, and she’s more confident in what her body can do.
That’s what good strength training gives you.
Not just stronger muscles but more importantly… more trust and confidence in your body.
If you know you need to start strength training, and want a safe, friendly, doable starting point, then sign up to my waitlist for the next programme in September.
Link in bio
https://www.happybodypilates.co.uk/online-strength-foundations-live
If you don’t want to wait until then, try one of my online Pilates + strength classes to improve, balance, co-ordination, mobility and brain-health.
https://www.happybodypilates.co.uk/online-pilates-classes
I’m running my 8-week Strength Foundations programme again in September.
It’s for women who want strength for real life so daily tasks feel easier, steadier, and less negotiable.
If you’re not sure whether it’s for you, start with the free 5-Test Independence Check first. Link in bio
It will show you exactly what you’d be building inside the programme.
If you already know you want structure and progression, you can join the waitlist now.
Link in bio
https://www.happybodypilates.co.uk/online-strength-foundations-live
If you don’t want to wait until then, try one of my online Pilates + strength classes to improve, balance, co-ordination, mobility and brain-health.
https://www.happybodypilates.co.uk/online-pilates-classes
22/05/2026
Could you pass these 5 strength tests?
I chose these 5 tests because they map directly to the moments that decide independence:
- floor (can you get down and up?)
- step-ups (stairs, curbs, hills)
- plank/push-up (upper-body support)
- farmer’s carry (carrying life)
- overhead press + balance (reach + steadiness)
You don’t need to be “good” at them.
You just need honest information, so you know what to build next.
Get your FREE Independence Check (video + scorecard) now. Link in bio
Did you pass? Let me know!
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
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Contact the business
Address
Finchley
London
N32SY
Opening Hours
| Monday | 8am - 8pm |
| Tuesday | 8am - 8pm |
| Wednesday | 8am - 8pm |
| Thursday | 8am - 8pm |
| Friday | 8am - 3:30pm |
| Saturday | 9:30am - 10:30am |