Jill Watt Body Therapist

09/10/2025

Useful information to know.

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Foods that balance hormones!

03/06/2025

Is Your Sleeping Posture Causing your Aches & Pains?

I often see clients with tight shoulders, stiff necks, or lower back pain and sleeping posture can be a contributing factor.

So here’s what you need to know:

Side sleepers: sleep with a pillow or cushion between your knees to keep your spine aligned. It takes time to get used to this, but worth persevering.

Back sleepers: Use a small pillow under your knees to support your lower back and keep the spine neutral. Avoid big, high pillows under your head—they push the neck forward. One pillow is all you should need.

Stomach sleepers: This is not good ! Sleeping on your front often causes neck and particularly lower back issues due to the angle of the spine. If you must sleep this way, try placing a thin pillow under your hips and use the flattest pillow possible under your head.

Tip: before you get out of bed in the morning, a few simple, gentle stretches can mobilise your body for the day ahead.

I can recommend appropriate stretches for you once you’ve had your treatment session, so you waken up in the mornings with fewer aches.

14/05/2025

GARDENERS – is your back, legs and shoulders coping?

With all this fine weather isn’t it lovely to get out into the garden.

Gardening is great for the soul, but tough on the body — especially if you're bending, twisting, or lifting with poor posture. It can leave you with stiff shoulders, tight hips, and an achy lower back.

However, you can get relief from those gardening aches with targeted hands-on soft tissue release and specific, tailored Pilates stretches so you can get going again.

A treatment session will:

✅ Release tension in your back and shoulders
✅ Improve flexibility and posture
✅ Prevent those aches from becoming chronic pain
✅ Get you back in the garden — pain-free!

If your body’s been complaining after a day in the garden, a treatment session will help sort it out.

Drop me a message to book - your back will thank you!

Jill Watt
Body Therapist
The Garden studio, Keith
M:07398 042302 or 07950 796461

23/04/2025

Is your Car Seat Causing You Back Pain?

Sitting is the worst thing for backs but it can be your car seat position that’s the culprit. If you’re suffering from tight hips, and an aching back, this could be the cause.

Check these 5 things in the car or van for good posture:

1. Seat angle: Your hips should be slightly higher than your knees. This reduces pressure on your lower back. At worst the seat should be flat. You definitely don’t want your knees higher than your hips !

2. Backrest Angle: Aim for around a 95 -100° recline.

3. Body position: Ensure you’re sitting in the centre of the seat, not off to one side.

4. Body weight: Make sure you’re sitting evenly on both butt cheeks - your weight should be evenly distributed, so you’re not slouching on one side.

5. Knee Room: Keep a small gap behind your knees to avoid restricting blood flow.

If you’ve been struggling with nagging back pain or tightness that’s getting annoying, these small changes could make a big difference.

If you’re still having problems, get in touch for an appointment.

Jill Watt Body Therapist
M:07398 042302 or 07950796461

04/04/2025

HOW'S YOUR POSTURE ?

When we stand with poor posture, or if our head isn’t stacked correctly on the top of our spine, it throws our whole body off balance. Our muscles, joints, and spine have to work harder than they should, leading to back and shoulder aches, pains, and even long-term problems.

Here’s an easy way to check if your standing posture is correct:

Stand with the back of your heels against a wall, then gently put the back of your head against the wall, keeping your eyes on the horizon. Don't tip your chin up. If that feels awkward, uncomfortable or if your head doesn’t quite reach the wall, that means your posture is off!

✅ Why does it matter?

Good posture isn’t just about looking tall and confident—it’s about carrying the weight of your head in the proper place, i.e. right on top of your spine. When your head is aligned, your body’s weight is evenly distributed, which makes balancing easier and reduces muscle fatigue. Your muscles don’t have to work overtime, and that means less pain and better balance. This is even more important as we get a bit older, so we don’t trip.

Poor posture can creep up on us and can be down to bad habits, the type of work we do and too much time with our head tipped forward scrolling on phones etc. The more forward our shoulders, head and neck become, the more likely we are to get problems not just with aching muscles, tendons and ligaments but our chest, lungs and internal organs get more crushed too, which can affect our breathing etc.

Good posture helps your body stay in its natural alignment, giving you the strength and stability you need to move properly and safely.

If you’ve tried the wall test above and found it difficult or uncomfortable, now is the time to do something about it, before your posture gets any worse.

The combination of Soft Tissue Release and tailored stretches will help get your posture corrected.

Jill Watt Body Therapist
The Garden Studio, Keith
07398 042302 or 07950 796461

02/04/2025

⚠️ Sycamore seedling reminder 🌱

As we embrace spring, it's crucial to be mindful of the emergence of sycamore seedlings. Despite their unassuming appearance, sycamore seedlings pose significant risks to horses.

Sycamore seedlings are associated with Atypical Myopathy (AM), a serious and often fatal condition in horses. AM occurs when horses ingest sycamore seeds or seedlings which contain Hypoglycin-A (HGA), a toxin that disrupts muscle function. The onset of AM is rapid, with mortality rates ranging from 56-61%.

👁️ Keep a vigilant eye on your fields for sycamore seedlings. If you spot any, take action immediately:

➡️ Remove sycamore seedlings from pastures.

➡️ Consult your vet if you suspect your horse has ingested sycamore material.

EIDS collaborates with the Université de Liège's Atypical Myopathy Alert Network (AMAG) and reports any cases of AM in our ICC reports.

➡️ If you are interested in reporting cases or receiving alerts on atypical myopathy, please visit our websites' 'sign-up' page (https://equinesurveillance.org/) and look for the University of Liege logo.

28/03/2025

🌞 DON'T OVERDO IT! 🌿

With the clocks changing this weekend and lighter nights, many of you will be getting stuck into DIY, getting going with the garden, dusting off the bike, or gearing up for longer walks. 🌷🚴‍♂️🚶‍♀️

But whatever you’re about to do, don’t dive straight in. Be sure to ease into it – so you don’t end up sore or aching the next morning!

Here’s my checklist to help ease you in and help prevent injury:

🌱 STRETCH IT OUT: Warm up those muscles first! A few gentle stretches or even a short Pilates routine (yep, I’m biased 😉) will get your body ready for action. Focus on the legs, hips, lower back and shoulders – they’re the most likely areas to become tight or overstretched.

🌱 PACE YOURSELF: You’ve probably a lot to do, but don’t go mad! If you’re gardening, avoid spending hours on your knees or hunched over without breaks. If you’re hitting the hills or biking, start with a light walk or a slow cycle to get your body used to the movement again.

🌱 DON'T OVERDO IT: It’s tempting to jump right back into it but remember – your muscles need time to adjust. If you’re feeling any twinges or discomfort, STOP and take a breather and have a wee stretch. If in doubt, call me for a treatment session!

🌱 HYDRATE AND REST: Your body needs plenty water and some recovery time. Keep that water bottle handy and be kind to your muscles afterward. Jump into the bath for a 20 minute soak with 3 handfuls of Epsom salts and have a gentle stretch before going to bed.

So, whatever you’re getting going with, take it slowly and listen to your body. Trust me, your muscles will thank you later! 💪

And if you find any tight spots or need some soft tissue release to help with post-activity soreness, you know where to find me!

Jill Watt
Body Therapist
The Garden Studio, Keith

Call: 07398 042302 or 07950 796461

12/03/2025

HAD AN INJURY ?

Soft Tissue Release & Pilates Stretches Can Help.

Injuries can leave you with tight soft tissue (muscles, tendons and ligaments), which can restrict your movement, impact your posture and affect your ability to do things.

I specialise in Soft Tissue Release and Pilates stretches and this unique combination can have a significant impact on injuries.

• Soft Tissue Release helps release tight muscles, tendons, ligaments, improve circulation, and break down scar tissue, speeding up the recovery process.

• Pilates focuses on strengthening and stabilizing the body, improving posture, and preventing future injuries.

The powerful combination of both, promotes sustainable mobility, and strength. Whether you're recovering from an injury or want to prevent one, get in touch for more info or to book your session.

Jill Watt Body Therapist
07398 042302 or 07950 796461

29/01/2025

A common question clients ask, is why certain parts of their body is so tight when I’m working on them.

Tight soft tissue including muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissue is often the reason. It can cause you to feel achy, or movement might be restricted, or it might feel tight and pulling.

Common causes:
1. Stress and tension – if you’re feeling stressed, we have a tendency to tighten our body, causing all the muscles to stay contracted.

2. Poor posture – if the body is out of correct alignment, it causes other parts to compensate.

3. Repetitive movement – Repeating the same motion constantly, leads to tightness.

4. Lack of movement - Sitting too long at work or slouching on the sofa at night, causes us to stiffen. We need to move to keep flexible.

5. Injury – Scar tissue after injury or post operation often leads to tight tissue.

6. Dehydration – muscles and tissue will become dry and stiff if you’re not drinking enough water ! Aim for around 8 glasses of water per day.

The good news is that Soft Tissue Release and Pilates stretches can help release the tightness and restore movement.

Drop me a message, if your body needs help!

Jill Watt Body Therapist
07398 042302 or 07950 796461

07/01/2025

BEFORE YOU START YOGA OR PILATES .....

Stretching such as Yoga and Pilates are excellent for the body as well as the mind. If you are not already, I really do encourage you to do some form of stretching to maintain good muscle, tendon and ligament strength, flexibility and balance, particularly once you are over 40 years old!

Before you start stretching however, be sure you have no restrictions or tightness in your muscles, tendons and ligaments that might lead to injury.

A session of soft tissue release will help release any tight back, shoulder, hips etc and allow a good and safe stretch.

You've only one body, so be sure to look after it, as no one else will and it needs to last you into your old age!

Get in touch if you have any restrictions and want to get started your stretching.

M: 07398 042302 or 07950 796461