En Forme

**TRUTH 🤍**
When I first started Reformer Pilates 14 years ago…I didn’t enjoy it.

Coming from a Pilates Mat and dance movement background, I felt restricted by the carriage and honestly a bit clunky moving around the reformer machine. It wasn’t love at first reformer.

But the more I learned about the Pilates Method, the more my perspective shifted. I began to see the equipment for what it really is: a tool designed to challenge, refine, and ultimately elevate Mat work and the movement patterns you are trying to achieve.

Through the Reformer, I also discovered a genuine appreciation for strength training — something that never quite landed for me through PT or group fitness.

The Reformer is a bit like a Formula 1 car 🏎️
You can have a great car and team, but it’s how you drive it that makes the difference.
The training.
The consistency.
The intention behind every movement.

And there’s nothing wrong with where the Pilates industry is heading when it involves Strong - Intentional - Intelligent movement. ✨

“A Hundred Classes at Carve” A hundred times, I came to move,
To lengthen, strengthen, find my groove.
At Carve, where energy feels right,
And focus makes my morning light.

The Reformer rolled, the springs would hum,
And with each shake, I’d overcome.
Straps in hand, the work began—
A journey shaped by breath and band.

Demi’s fierce and eagle eye,
Saw truth in every lift and try.
Neeks brought fire, burn and bright,
With every cue, I found new might.
And Rosie, grounded, kind, and clear,
Spoke strength into the muscles near.

Together, they became my map—
For spine to lengthen, toes to tap
From box to circle, from stretch to flow,
They helped me learn, they helped me grow.

Each hundred beats of breath and will,
Each wheelbarrow, each quiet thrill—
Transformed the way I stand and see,
They carved the best out of me.

So here’s to strength that doesn’t shout,
To showing up when filled with doubt.
A hundred classes—just the start—
At Carve, I’ve sculpted both body and heart 🙏🩶.
with.demi

**REST**RECOVERY**REWARDS
It's only a few months into the year and these are the three things I see clients regularly skipping or deprioritising:
🥱Not enough rest? Mental burnout, overwhelm, anxiety, stress....
😮‍💨Not enough recovery? Physical burnout, micronutrient deficiency, slow gains...
😞Not enough rewards? Loneliness, depression, low self-efficacy....

So whether you're in high performance sport, dance or just trying to improve your fitness, I think we could all try and schedule in a few more RRRs to keep us sane along the way. Don't you?🤔

***SENSE OF BELONGING*** Whether it be returning to exercise, or competing in the pre-professional or elite space, a barrier that I see a lot of clients struggle with is that they don’t see themselves as “belonging” in that environment. Perhaps social media has a part to play in this.... 🙄
In the Pilates studio, this could simply be greeting the client warmly, focussing on similarities rather than differences and building a therapeutic alliance over time. 😸
In the dance and sports space, this could involve visiting the place they are going to compete at, while wearing the exact clothes they are going to compete in, visualising themselves performing to the best of their ability, and then a simple reflection exercise to cement this. 🕺
The resulting mental impact on the client’s physical performance can be dramatic - and extremely empowering. ⚡️

***SENSE OF BELONGING*** Whether it be returning to exercise, or competing in the pre-professional or elite space, a barrier that I see a lot of clients struggle with is that they don't see themselves as "belonging" in that environment. Perhaps social media has a part to play in this.... 🙄
In the Pilates studio, this could simply be greeting the client warmly, focussing on similarities rather than differences and building a therapeutic alliance over time. 😸
In the dance and sports space, this could involve visiting the place they are going to compete at, while wearing the exact clothes they are going to compete in, visualising themselves performing to the best of their ability, and then a simple reflection exercise to cement this. 🕺
The resulting mental impact on the client's physical performance can be dramatic - and extremely empowering. ⚡️

***EMBRACE BEING AVERAGE*** When I was younger I was pretty much average at everything...including jazz dancing 💃 Yet when all my friends were burnt out or injured by the age of 18 I was only just starting to develop my passion which led me to gain my Jazz Ballet teacher qualifications and go on to perform in troupes and paid commercial work. Now in my later 30s, still dancing and feeling the strongest I have ever been. Why?
👉Because I have stayed pretty consistent, I haven't overdone it, I haven't even tried to excel and it's always been something I have done out of pure enjoyment rather than obligation.
✨ If we all treated physical activity this way, I wonder how that would change our relationship with it? ✨
Most clients I see privately always come with a goal in mind...which is great. But digging deeper as to the "why" of the goal and taking the pressure off, plus embracing being average at something can also work wonders for their stress and anxiety. The result? They reach their goal quicker than anticipated 👊

***EN FORME***People often ask us what "En Forme" means, or how to pronounce it. Inspired by my French studies I chose être en forme specifically because it has come to embody both the physical and mental fitness of an individual - something I believe should have equal measures effort and commitment to.
🙋‍♀️Resilience is something we can develop and learn, and a growing body of evidence shows physical fitness and resilience correlate.
👊Think of your own "Rocky" training montage and what that might look like? What would your theme song be?⭐

***BE THE BEST AT GETTING BETTER**
Lately I have been embracing the concept of "getting better", aiming for progress over perfection.
Being a student again over the last year as well as trying new things and being an absolute novice has given me a new appreciation for being a "beginner".
It is often said that those who achieve great things don't focus on the goal but the path and process.
We have loved seeing new faces in our privates and group courses this last month and look forward to seeing your progress 😊🙌

***PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD***
~When taking a strength-training approach, getting the concept of progressive overload right can be crucial to building muscle (hypertrophy).
~There is a tonne of research that shows how load applied gradually can prevent injury...
and also a tonne showing the downsides of not applying enough load, which could leave you more vulnerable and injury prone.
~But applying the right load at the right time, in the right way for an individual can often be a bit tricky to navigate.
~Pushing slightly beyond your ability can be scary, but we instill in you the confidence to make sure it's worth it. 💥

***FLOW STATE***When you work with us we develop your skill set in Pilates + Barre + Strength training so that you can achieve flow state - where you are consistently challenged just the right amount without losing the ability to be present.
Achieving flow state has a number of positive effects:
☺️increased happiness
💥higher intrinsic motivation
✍️greater creativity and
🤬 better emotional regulation.
Comment below 👇 if you want to know more about our upcoming courses.

***NEW COURSE COMING SOON***Who's ready for a fresh challenge in PILATES + BARRE + STRENGTH? Comment below if you are interested in our small group training courses and I'll DM you the info.