Happy new year!!! 2021 here we come!!

And we are off.... Happy New Year and may I wish you a healthy and happy 2021.

Despite good intentions, I start a brand new year in the same way as I finished the last... typing this on New Year's eve with glass of bubbles in hand.... so much for forward planning and getting these jobs done in advance. Funnily enough, my NYE diary looks fairly empty so never mind. I have had the tv on in the background in the kitchen with "best of" episodes etc. running and there was one scene that made me laugh out loud. I never used to watch Outnumbered but there was a scene today when the mum was telling her small daughter that we shouldn't be influenced and that women should feel free to be whatever size and shape they wanted to which the daughter replied " what? a hexagon? perhaps a triangle?" which has made me chuckle all day.

I hope you have had a lovely Christmas in whatever shape that was and feel raring to go. I know the gloom of tier 4 (unless you live in Rutland?!?) is a pain but we will continue online as we have and I am delighted to welcome new faces as well as looking forward to seeing those more familiar. Once you are subscribed, remember you are welcome to join any and as many classes as you like and I know so many of you will agree that being able to attend mulitple classses a week has produced great results - one of the benefits of being online means that, along with the recorded classes you can get practise every day if you so wish!

As we are in tier 4 I am not having to whizz off to teach elsewhere so I suggest Mondays at 9.45am and Fridays at 10am for coffee and chat. If you have not done the class but fancy popping in for a chat, just click on the class at the time mentioned above and come and say hi.

You need to be subscribed in order to see the live calendar. When you click on the class it will give you information on what to expect so that you can be prepared (!!!!) with equipment if any. I will also continue to post here in News every Friday to keep you posted on any changes or updates.

PLEASE rememember to complete your online health questionnaire and disclaimer. It is so important for me to be as prepared as possible with regards to any needs and adaptations I may need to consider but also for my insurance and to protect us both. Please also remember that it is your responsibilty to let me know of any change to your physical well being so please do pick up the phone. As you know, I take your care very seriously so always get in touch with any questions no matter how trivial it may seem. A quick chat on the phone can help to clarify how to perform an exercise or adjustment that you may need to do so please never hesitate to get in touch.

You need to have a clear, well lit and well ventilated area to work in that is clear of obstacles and please make sure you mute, especially if you have background noise. If you are not sure of any of this, do please give me a ring.

I know most of you have seen on social media but for those who haven't, I am really looking forward to introducing you to Gretl. A tiny, tiny Jack Russel bitch that I adopted just after Christmas. I. have been considering it for a year or so and found this little one on 23rd December. The first 6 years of her life have not been kind but as you imagine, the rest of it looks very rosey indeed and. as her little character starts to come out, I think she will be a wonderful addition to the Pilates Lounge family!!

2021. Week 1.

Red - int/adv Orange - mixed ability Green - all levels

Please get in touch if you would like to discuss the class levels and what will suit you best.

Get a tennis ball and give your feet a massage before you start the class.

Monday 9am Roller.

Tuesday 8am -Just Mat

9am. Have your block handy - a large book or a cushion will do.

Thursday 8am. Just Mat

9.15 -Have a band. l

Friday. 8am. Circuits. No equipment.

9.15am. Stretch and relax. Have your block or a cushion.

Please drop me a line/give me a ring if you have any queries regarding equipment and how to substitute.

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The Zanzibar Yoga Festival

By juliet • April 28, 2026

Members news. Week upcoming : Bank Holiday Monday - class running as usual and this coming Wednesday, 2 x 30 min classes. Details in library. As I am away a few days here and there in May/June, I will continue to put in extra classes now and then to keep everyone topped up. It's all about give and take! Following on from requests this week, upcoming we have a Roll over/Control Balance workshop (Thursday 8am), Back care (Thursday 9am) and Body Conditioning, sculpt and tone style (Wed 8am). All updates will always be in your live calendar. We welcome 4 new members this week and can't wait to see you on the screen! We can now add Portugal to our community! That means that currently, we are beaming into the UK from Cornwall to Yorkshire, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Germany and now Portugal! We are so much more than Pilates and our community continues to support in so many ways. While a couple of our treasured members are going through some hefty challenges, I am so pleased that you use our online connection as a form of support and to use the friendship of your fellow members. Don't forget you can log in 15 mins early for a natter before class and on Thursdays, I will leave the meeting open after we finish the 9.45am class for anyone to stay on and have a chat. Grab a coffee and log back in even if you weren't in the class. If you would like to join our "Friends of JP's" what's app group , let me know - we are slowly growing and it is a friendly place for a chat and check in, (and a grumble about how tough the class was!). Have a lovely weekend, Jx

Sitting in Southampton airport and other stuff

By juliet • April 9, 2026

I want to keep it as on point and brief as I can and here are some cold, hard facts. Doing SOMETHING is a lot better than doing NOTHING! Whatever equipment you use and program you follow is far less important than the fact that you show up. Regularly and consistently. Only 30% of adults meet the resistance training guidelines and this drops to as low 10% for older adults. What is required? Training all major muscle groups at least once a week Aiming for 2 - 3 sets per exercises Using a weight that is getting challenging by the end of the set Moving through full range of movement. Now, why this is good news is that this can be acheived in whatever form of exercise takes your fancy and over here on our Pilates mat, we tick a lot of those boxes. Going into the 100 and wishing for the end, sitting tall in your Spine Twist and pushing for JUST ONE MORE rep is meeting this! We go through full range of movement, we use bodyweight as well as small equipment, so even if you are not lifting weights, you are doing your bit. (N.b. provided this is min. 3 times a week and you are pushing yourself to max ability in each of those sessions in one way or another and bringing in bands, small weights etc for additional resistance) WHAT COUNTS BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES AT HOME BANDS, BALLS, BODY WEIGHT, LOOPS A QUICK EXPRESS SET WHEN YOU GET BACK FROM YOUR RUN/WALKING THE DOG 15 MINS IN THE KITCHEN - YOU DON'T NEED TO COMPLICATE IT IT DOESNT NEED TO BE FANCY, STRUCTURED OR ELABORATE. IT JUST NEEDS TO HAPPEN Generally ALL types of resistance training work, as long as they are performed with high efforts which means that you get to a point where you are almost at failure. In other words, choose what you enjoy as you are more likely to stick to it and work harder at ut. CONSISTENCY IS KEY and the BEST exercise programme to do is the one you enjoy and will be more likely to stick at! MEMBERS. We have multiple classes involving strength and resistance every week. NON MEMBERS - I am just putting dates together for another 4 week strength program. Please email me if you are interested. More details to follow (I am delighted to be starting a 4 week strength training session with my local running club so I really am doing my best to share the love! )

Why runners need to lift weights

By juliet • April 8, 2026

Let's start with Improves balance and coordination Improves bone density Boosts metabolism and weight management Enhances mental health Helps with daily activity A few more?! Improves posture by strengthening your core and back muscles Reduces risk of injury by strengthening joints, ligaments, and tendons Helps regulate blood sugar levels and lowers risk of type 2 diabetes Improves sleep quality and helps you fall asleep faster Enhances athletic performance (speed, power, endurance) Slows down age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) The ACSM (American college of Sports Science) is the bible of the fitness world with regards to fitness and exercise prescription and has recently done a huge survey, publishing it’s findings in a new report which has got the fitness world very excited as it is the first survey of it’s kind since 2009.