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breathing

Core strength without the strain

Did you know your core should switch on JUST BEFORE it's needed?

And that there should be no feeling of strain or bearing down?

Or that you can use other parts of your body to initiate a core connection - instead of sucking in, zipping up or lifting up on pelvic floor

Find out more about your core in the videos below!

If you would like to learn more about switching on your pelvic floor and core without straining and helping it to become more of an automatic switch on - I have a masterc…

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Upper body mobility sequence

A few upper body moves you can easily fit into your day - even while sat at your desk!

Tightness in the upper body can affect your posture, ability to reach, create pain in the jaw, neck, shoulders and low back, contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction and can even affect your heart!

So getting more movement in is key - how many ways can you move your ribs?

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Hypopressives for anxiety - Annmarie's story

I started to suffer with anxiety and obviously that brings in struggling to breathe sometimes and then panic attacks and that kind of thing.

I was also struggling with putting weight on and was mindful that I needed to do some exercise - I wanted to lose weight but also had anxiety going on.

I felt like all the other kind of exercise that I did - swimming, joining the gym, walking - they just never hit the anxiety. 

So I would do them and never feel relaxed or feel calm. And then I would go t…

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How I became happy again

It's so easy to lose yourself when you become a mum...

In the early days, you're at the beck and call of a tiny dictator, so something as simple as having a shower can feel like a real treat!

You may then get so used to putting everybody else first that you forget your own needs

I only woke up to this fact a few years ago.  So I decided to do some training that was less about exercise for once and more about my mood.

I learnt a few simple steps and have been implementing these regularly and …

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What is the best exercise for a prolapse?

best exercise for prolapse blog

I was asked a few weeks ago for the top exercises someone could do to help a prolapse. 

My answers were:

  1. It depends
  2. Hypopressives

The thing with prolapse is that it can happen because of so many factors and it's not just about strengthening the pelvic floor. 

And even just pelvic floor strength isn't that simple.

The pelvic floor is made up of layers of muscle, going in a variety of directions.

It has links with muscles inside the pelvis and outside the pelvis.

It has connections all…

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take a deep breath

I wanted to talk about breathing this week. For something that should happen automatically, it's often the hardest thing to get right! Most beginners starting off with Pilates struggle with the breathing. It's ok not to get it, as long as you breathe! But if you do get it, it is integral to proper form, pelvic floor health, core strength and general well being.

One of the reasons people feel so relaxed in Pilates classes is because of the focus on thoracic (or rib cage) breathing. Day to day we …

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