Abigail Charlotte Fitness

Class planning 🤓

I love a plan! It helps me to feel more organised, calm and ready 📝

This term we will be spending the first few weeks easing ourselves in with some basic mat work with just our bodies. Then as we head towards half term we will bring in some toys! Balls, magic circles and bands. We will have some other themed classes too later in the term, working on balance and dynamic movement.

In reality, I try to make make sure we work the whole body and incorporate all the main elements into each class - balance, core focus, breathing, flow .... but I like to have a bit of a theme to anchor myself to when I'm planning and thinking about what we will do in a class :)

September is a great time to start a pilates class with me - a lot of us have had the summer off and we are all easing ourselves back in ❤️

Feeling anxious about starting/returning to classss after the summer break? This is for you 👇

Before and after transformation - of my tomatoes!!! 🍅

I've let these tomato plants get away from me over summer. I'd like to come up with some excuse about the hot weather, childcare or the phases of the moon - but it's the same story between me and the tomatoes every year. Possibly not always as bad as this! I start with good intentions, thinking to myself 'you'd have to be a complete imbecile to mess this up' and invariably end up with these wild beasts. Basically, I've let things slide.

What I haven't done:

Beaten myself up for failing the tomato task.

Gone mad and hacked them to bits (actually I kind of have but there's an analogy here so for literary license let's say I haven't).

Worried about getting them 'perfect'.

Taken no action because I'm drowning in tomato based shame.

What I have done:

Tidied them up as best as I can.

Felt grateful for the tomatoes I've still enjoyed whilst treating the plants with wild abandon.

Planned to keep them in line for the remainder of the season.

We all know where this is going 🤣 if you've let your fitness goals slide over summer because its been hot, you've been looking after kids or you've just simply been swanning around living your best life - don't panic!

Just get back to it and build yourself back up from where you're at now. No shame, no guilt. Just moving forwards at your own pace.

Also - my plants don't look perfect but have I still had some tasty tomatoes? Yes I have 😄

It's nearly the end of the summer holidays and time to start thinking about September routines - so here is my class timetable starting w.c 7 September :) I have been having a lovely summer holiday with my boys (mostly!) but I have missed all my lovely clients and I'm looking forward to seeing you all again and also seeing some new faces.

If you've been thinking about starting pilates, September is a great time - it's basically like another January ;) please feel free to message me with any questions. Looking forward to seeing you on the mat 🧘‍♀️

Booking link - all classes are now on Gymcatch up until the end of the year.

https://gymcatch.com/app/provider/6583

Happy Monday!

I am still buzzing after my race yesterday - Chirk 10k. I was the second woman across the line which isn't usual for me and I got to stand on the podium which was amazing!!

More than my result though, it was an amazing atmosphere, chatting to other runners, seeing everyone do their best and challenge themselves.

📸 I featured in the start line selfie of a man I met at my last race
❤️ my mum came to watch and looked after my bag and one of her friends' 'suitcase of water' 😅
👬 I saw lots of people who I know from doing races and look forward to seeing their faces
👏 there was loads of lovely clapping and cheering at the finish line and fabulous marshalls on the course
🏆 the lady who won got to stand on the podium with her son who was the first man!
🌞 it was beautiful and sunny and I saw some lovely scenery around Chirk Castle
🍔 I was able to come home and enjoy a BBQ with some friends because I wasn't completely shattered ... because I do pilates ;)

This week is the last full week of classes before summer break although the Friday night Arddleen class will continue over summer and is of course open to anyone from any class who wants to keep going over summer.

The theme will be SLOW movement (which doesn't necessarily mean easy as we know!). It looks like another fairly warm week so stay cool, bring water and meet yourself where you are at 😎

Pilates Classes this week:

Monday - Llanfair 6pm
Tuesday - West Felton 9.30am
Wednesday - Pant 9.30am
Thursday - Llandrinio 10am
Friday - Arddleen 6pm
£9

Happy Dance Fit

Tuesday - West Felton 10.45am
£8.50

Happy Monday!

Why am I sharing these random pictures?! Over the last week I've had clients tell me a couple of wonderful things.

One lady has just been on a fantastic holiday of a lifetime..... but the 'long drop' toilets she encountered whilst travelling left a bit to be desired 😅 she told me she had no problem 'hovering' over the seats due to her fantastic leg endurance - and she silently thanked me every time she visited such a toilet! I actually LOVE this story so much!!

Another client was whizzing off after a hot class in a lovely open top sports car. I complimented the car and remarked that it is quite low down, to which she replied "that's why I do pilates!".

Both of these things remind me how much quality of life being strong and mobile buys us. Not just things like being able to hover over toilets and get into any car you wish to drive but other every day stuff like:

🎒 carrying heavy shopping bags without having to do a dozen trips to and from the car
👶 picking up and carrying children
🎾 playing sport
🚶‍♀️ going on long or hilly walks without it writing you off for the rest of the day
🌼 gardening without your back regretting it the next day
🛌 booking an air bnb with a low bed and it not being a problem
🏃‍♀️ running INJURY FREE (this is a big one, IYKYK)

These are just what I've thought of off the top of my head .... there are soooo many little benefits of being strong and fit 😀

In pilates this week I am planning to use the small balls which are usually a lot of fun 😁 we will take it easy with the heat and lower intensity when we need to.

Pilates Classes this week:

Monday - Llanfair 6pm
Tuesday - West Felton 9.30am
Wednesday - Pant 9.30am
Thursday - Llandrinio 10am
Friday - Arddleen 6pm
£9

Happy Dance Fit

Tuesday - West Felton 10.45am
£8.50

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a good weekend and enjoyed the cooler temperatures 🌞

In pilates last week we slowed it right down and had a bit of a theme around balance. This week we will be using the long bands to add some additional challenge to the exercises - and sometimes some support too. In Happy Dance Fit we will be enjoying Latin tunes and rhythms as always 💃

Pilates Classes this week:

Monday - Llanfair 6pm
Tuesday - West Felton 9.30am - one class
Wednesday - Pant 9.30am
Thursday - Llandrinio 10am
Friday - Arddleen 6pm
£9

Happy Dance Fit

Tuesday - West Felton 10.45am
£8.50

What a week!!! 🔥 🔥 🔥

Thanks to everyone who has joined me this week in this immense heat!

And also respect to those who decided to give it a miss. I'm not here to tell anyone to 'push through'. Whether you continue to exercise in the warm weather is a personal decision and the right choice will be different for different people. For some the right choice is carrying on with some modifications. For others, swerving it is absolutely the right decision. The most important thing is to look after ourselves as best we can and do what's right for us ❤️

I loved stepping outside at Arddleen tonight and feeling a gorgeous breeze on my skin and I'm looking forward to some still sunny but slightly cooler temperatures 😎

Well done all 👏

Happy Monday!

Here's a picture from my weekend which involved a lot of gardening! I read someone in an interview who once said to plant a garden is to believe in and hope for the future - because what you do today will benefit you in weeks/months/possibly even years. Here is my son planting out some rudbeckias. They don't look particularly impressive right now but we hope in a few weeks we'll have some lovely bright splashes of yellow (or maybe orange - I've forgotten what variety it is!) in the border. We actually started this process several weeks ago as we grew them from seed.

You all know where I'm going with this 😉 it's the same with movement - building strength and fitness. You might not see all of the benefit immediately but small actions over time compound and over the weeks/months/years you build a strong, capable body. I do love a gardening analogy!

Four weeks left of the summer term and I can't wait to see you all this week. It's going to be hot so dress in cool clothes, drink your water and we will modify the intensity when needed to make sure we all stay cool 😎

Pilates Classes this week:

Monday - Llanfair 6pm
Tuesday - West Felton 9.30&10.45am
Wednesday - Pant 9.30am
Thursday - Llandrinio 10am
Friday - Arddleen 6pm
£9

Happy Dance Fit

Tuesday - West Felton 12 noon
£8.50

Happy Monday!

It's fair to say 'summer' is pretty much here. It's the summer solstice this weekend, alot of you (and me!) have already starting taking your summer holidays, the shorts are out, my hanging baskets are up... 🌞

Often people want to 'get fit for summer' or get 'beach body ready'. While I always say there is no such thing as a 'beach body', I DO feel so much better when I know I've been eating well and getting my movement in. It's not too late to start! Doing pilates (or any other kind of exercise) will mean you see the benefits develop gradually over time - but a lot of clients say they feel less tight and achy and like they are moving more freely after a class. One session often lifts my mood and sets me up for the day.

We have five weeks until summer holidays which is plenty of time to make a great start. This week will mostly be about magic circles which are quite fun and bring in a little more upper body work.

Can't wait to see you all :)

Pilates Classes this week:

Monday - Llanfair 6pm
Tuesday - West Felton 9.30am (one class this week)
Wednesday - Pant 9.30am
Thursday - Llandrinio 10am
Friday - Arddleen 6pm
£9

Happy Dance Fit

Tuesday - West Felton 10.45am
£8.50