November challenge. Day 26

Day 26 and it's a chilly one! You may as well ignore my shouting as the waves drown me out but what I am trying to tell you is about the benefits of cold water. This from a total wimp who HATES cold water BUT....

We know that athletes regularly take ice baths after exercise but do you know why? The benefit of a freeeeeezing bath is believed to reduce the flow of blood to the extremities to keep blood focused around the vital organs which can help flush waste products, reduce swelling and tissue breakdown.... therefor promoting more effective healing.

As I was being very wimpy today, wrapped up for the Artic, there were several people swimming just down the beach from me (Milford) wearing no more than swimsuits and caps.... and Clare who was behind the filming had herself just got out of the sea - we are hearing more and more about the benefits of open water swimming no matter the season and the belief is that "cold water helps to boost the white blood cell count because the body is forced to react to changing conditions. Over time, your body becomes better at activating its defences. Cold water swimming activates endorphins. This chemical is what the brain produces to make us feel good during activities". So now you know! What I am reliably informed is that with regular practise, it does get more tolerable but if you want a slightly less traumatic experience, you could fill your bath up with cold water, immerse yourself up to your neck long enough to sing Happy Birthday or failing that, finish your morning shower with a cold blast for long enough to sing "We wish you a Merry Christmas" but dont forget the Glad Tidings or you won't have very long!!!! I have heard so many people sing the benefits of a freezing blast in the shower to feel rejuvenated, awake and energised so why not give it a try!!!

N.b. If you do venture out to the beach in Winter, do be careful! It is cold out there!!!

I am now posting every day, a little video of our amazing prizes so please keep ticking off that grid and you might win1 Today is Oh SO Chocolate.

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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.