2023 - Year in Review

On the last day of 2023, it's the ideal opportunity to look back at the most popular blog posts of this year before we move forward into 2024. It's fascinating to see which blog posts got people talking, questioning, and ultimately taking steps to improve their health & fitness. I've narrowed it down to the top 3 for 2023 so let's recap them.  Do you see any of your personal favourites here?

3 Essential Movements You Don't Want to Lose As You Age

This really struck a cord with many people and was a gentle reminder that the simple movements we take for granted in our youth, need to be consciously maintained as we age.   It really is a case of "use it or lose it."  My online Pilates studio is ideal for helping you to maintain these 3 essential movements plus so many more.  Maintaining these movements is the difference between an active and enjoyable retirement or a limited and often painful existence.  Being able raise your arms overhead makes daily activities possible, such as blow drying your hair, reaching to the top shelf in a supermarket or painting a wall.  This ability allows you to maintain your independence as you age, but losing thIs skill can erode your confidence and self esteem when you can no longer do thos task yourself. The ability to sit comfortably on the floor is another important skill. This requires two.things - being able to get down onto the floor in the first place and then being able to come back.up to standing safely.  Can you remember the third essential movement you don't want to lose as you age?  If not, read the full original post here. With regular practice you can ensure you maintain these 3 essential movement as you age.

Could Your Glutes Be The Key to Pain Free Living?

For those of your who know me, you are already familiar with my glute strengthening obsession and I think this obsession is starting to catch on as we come to the second most popular blog post of 2023. Recently, while my nine-old nephew was balancing on a log in the park, I asked him if he knew what glutes were: "Yes! Your butt muscles" he said confidently.  Surprised, I asked him him how he knew that. He told me his Mum, my sister, practises glute strengthening exercises each morning and he hears me talking about glutes on all my videos!  Out of ther mouths of babes - word is getting around that the glutes are definitely the key to pain-free living.

In the early days of my Pilates teaching career, an experienced teacher of over 15 years shared an invaluable insight with me.  She said, "The GLUTES are the key to overcoming and preventing pain and a lot of Pilates teachers haven't discovered this yet."  That was a revelation for me and something I was then able to see in action with my clients. I greatly appreciate being given this information so early on in my career as it has been invaluable for helping hundreds of people to become pain-free.  Overcoming pain is not always as straightforward as this because everything is connected In the human body and everything works together.  However, If you have weak, tight or painful glutes they could definitely be a huge contributor to your back, hip, knee, foot, shoulder and neck pain, as they help to support everything above and below them. So the glutes are one of the most important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to overcoming pain and ensuring they are working efficiently for you is essential for moving with ease and creating balance in your body.  If you want more detail about how the glutes can help you become pain-free read the full original post here.

Drum roll for the most popular blog post of 2023...

Why Clenching Your Glutes Could Be Causing You Pain

Continuing on with the glute theme, this post generated lots of discussion for several weeks after the initial post was published and rightly so. Many of us have been taught to clench, grip or squeeze our glute muscles or hold in or suck in our abdominal muscles.  You are damaging your whole body which will cause pain over time and make any existing pianful conditins worse. If you are doing this you need to stop straight away.  I shared the story of my lovely client Kara who was making progress overcoming her back pain with PIlates so she could get back to running but suffered a setback.  It turns out she tried running and stair-climbing but ended up back in pain because she was clenching her glutes the whole time.  She felt embarrassed that she had done this but I assured her she definitely wasn't the only one to try clenching her glutes to get them to work for her.  Unfortunately it has the opposite effect and they become tight and unsupportive for the spine and pelvis, resulting in pain.  Many clients came to me privately to clarify what they were doing with their glutes and even if you know it's all about gradual contraction and release of the glutes, sometimes bad habits creep in.  Some newer clients were holding in there abdominal muscles.  If you are unsure if you are clenching your glutes or holding in your abdominal muscles you need to read the full original blog post and you will also learn how to break yourself of the habit as well. 

If you have any questions about how Pilates can help you to stay strong and healthy as you age email me at [email protected] .  Alternatively, if you would like to begin your Pilates journey book your in-depth Initial Assessment with me via Skype or work independently at your own pace through my library of on-demand videos.  Take the free 10 day trial and start now.  It would be my pleasure to assist you on your PIlates journey to moving with ease as you age!