Weekly Wrap Up. Week 39. 2024. Turning up the heat in October and things are not always as they seem.

I managed to dodge the downpours last Sunday and along with the company of 3 dogs, went to watch my nephews playing rugby. I have always enjoyed being on the touchline and during their school careers, never missed a single match of either of my daughters. I vividly remember walking past a rugby match the year my eldest went up to senior school and being so grateful that I had daughters as the boys were smashing into each ohther with St John's ambulances on the sidelines... totally inappropriate and hypocritical of course as both I and offspring have had our own share of A&E sporting related dramas over the years.

It reminded me of the time I went to watch a school hockey tournament. My daughter was goalie and I was used to seeing her kitted out like a Ninja Mutant Hero turtle, hidden somewhere behind several layers of padding. On this occasion, it was a big tournament over several pitches and I was cheering and supporting the goalie for a good 10 minutes before a man walked over and said "excuse me - but that's my daughter"... I looked him up and down and as he didn't look remotely familiar, decided it was safe to assume we didnt share her and slunk off to the next pitch where the one that belonged to me was just staring at me and to be fair, despite full face helmet and the rest, managed a quiet shake of her head and eye roll.. yup... the same mother who hadn't recognised the PM in Cornwall.

My point being that things are not always as they seem. What we assume can sometimes turn out to very different and it pays to keep an open mind. I have worked with people over the years who are very much cardio/endurance focused and who have approached Pilates with some hesitation (much as I did when I first started), only to be staggered at how hard they worked (just as I did!!). Likewise those who insist that "they will be rubbish/not fit/cant do it" and have surprised and delighted themselves at what they have achieved. It is not always as it seems and sometimes keeping an open mind helps us to gain so much more.

I think it is fair to say that we are all guilty of expecting more of ourselves than is sometimes reasonable and possibly overlooking what we have actually accomplished. Let's talk exercise. If you are the high intensity type of fan, then you may very well surprise yourself with how hard you are challenged by doing something like Pilates that takes you slower and deeper than some of the cardio work. Maybe your energy levels are running low and you opt instead for some breath practise or meditation - this is totally the right thing to do. Either which way, despite your training plan or fitness expectations, skipping the odd session and substituting with something slower, quieter and more gentle will almost certainly give you more gain.

It is not dissimilar to our social life - sometimes we feel like painting the town red, sometimes we are looking forward to a lively dinner party and sometimes (most of the time in my case) we opt for a quiet night in on the sofa. It has taken me YEARS to realise that it is ok to say no thank you, Im staying home without feeling "I should/ought/must do".... If I don't go out and do that thing, I am missing out, I am being boring, I am letting someone down, I am letting me down, I am not making an effort... yet by choosing what might appear to be the boring/lazy/cop out option, I am actually achieving so much more. Learning to listen to our inner voice, and learning to be honest with ourselves is a very powerful lesson. Sometimes doing less is to achieve so much more. It may not appear to be what we need but then things are not always as they seem!

A couple of years ago, I searched for other Juliet Nicholas's on instagram and started following my namesake who is a horticulturist. For the next six months, I had a shock every time I saw a post of plants and flowers on "my" page, thinking "what ON EARTH is that doing there??".... things are not always as they seem!!

Here endeth the lesson!

We have been talking about the Septmeber reset and it has been great to see busy classes and to hear how many of you are also working through the library. We have hit Autumn hard with a variety of classes and attendance has been superb.

That is why I thought we might turn up the heat in October. As the standard timetable remains, I bring to to you

5 EXTRA CLASSES for the 5 DAY CHALLENGE.

Starting Monday 7 October, I am running a daily 7am class and invite you to join me. This will be 30 mins and each day will have a different theme.

Monday will be a mix of "wake up and get moving " with some powerful mobilty and during the week, we will include Pilates, strength and weights. I am working on class plans and will put more info in next week but I challenge you to join me for 5 days. If you can't make the 7am, then how about you join any of the other classes but try to join every day for 5 days and better still, vary and try classes you have not done before.

When my 6am alarm went off this morning I did question my sanity of adding even more to my schedule BUT if you can come and kepe me company, let's see what we can achieve together in 5 days and look forward to a stretchy, wind down weekend! (some of us are meeting for a walk on the Saturday so I thought the timing worked).

DETAILS will be next week but please note that the 5 day challenge is open to everyone - subscibed members I will be sending you a zoom link.

Non members - come and join us FOC for the challenge PLUS recording of all classes emailed out to you so please do invite friends to come and join us! Non members please email me for zoom details.

More info on the classes next Friday.

Sat 12th October walk and pub lunch. I have emailed everyone who has replied so if you were hoping to join us and haven't heard from me, please let me know asap as Clare is kindly booking the table and planning the walk. There will be a group doing a shorter walk if that suits better.

And finally…

Two posts from this week that totally sum up what I preach endlessly .....

Muscles are the ultimate status symbol. They cannot be bought, inherited or faked. They can only be earned. In a world obsessed with instant gratification and immediate results, building a strong body takes patience, practise and consistent effort.

"Hey! Are you training for a bikini/summer holiday body?"..."Hell NO - I am training for an old lady body - dense bones, strong muscles, a healthy heart, good balance and functional independence"

Amen! Have a fabulous weekend

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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.