Positive Pilates Solutions

26/03/2026

25/03/2026

🐣Last few classes before the Easter Break 🐣

Wednesday 25 March :
9.45am Pilates
11am Gentle Pilates
6.30pm Pilates
7.30pm Mens Pilates

Friday 27 March
9.15am Pilates
10.05am Gentle Pilates

Monday 30 March
9.30am Pilates
10.30am Pilates
7pm Pilates for Sports - FULLY BOOKED

Tuesday 31 March
11am Chair Pilates
1.15pm Portfolio Therapeutic Pilates

25/03/2026

You are not too old. You are too still.
Most of what we blame on aging is actually the result of not moving enough for long enough.

A pooled analysis found that even physical activity below the official guidelines was associated with a 20 to 25 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. Being consistently active was linked to a 30 to 40 percent reduction.

The decline is real. But the research consistently shows that movement changes the trajectory at any starting point.

A study of over 400,000 people found that brisk walking was causally linked to longer telomeres, the protective caps on your chromosomes. It was not the total amount that mattered most. It was the intensity.

Your joints are stiff because they have not been asked to move, not because of the calendar. Your balance is uncertain because you stopped challenging it, not because of your age.

The body does not rust from use. It rusts from sitting.
Get up. Move. Even a little. Especially today.

22/03/2026

What do you see when you look in the mirror?
For the longest time I saw a reflection I hated.
She was aging, she was too big, her stomach wasn’t flat, her thighs were large and she was no longer young and glowing.
She didn’t look like menopause celebrities: they looked tiny and super toned.
They looked like they were acing the menopause, my reflection looked defeated, as if she was fighting a battle and had simply given up.
I called her names.
She was fat, lazy, embarrassing, shameful.
If I caught sight of her unexpectedly in a reflection, like a shop window, I would momentarily be stunned by how awful she looked.
Washed out, miserable, dejected.
Photographs were scrutinised and deleted if they showed the truth I did not want to see - that I was bigger than I was comfortable being. I would rather my kids had no photos of their mum to one day look through, than one of me looking as dreadful as I felt.
But know this:
My truth wasn’t their reality.
It wasn’t my husband’s reality.
They were not worried about my size. They were worried about me withdrawing and feeling sad.
The only person who was being cruel and rude to me was me.
I was judging myself to a standard that my body is never going to live up to.
I was hating myself for not having jutting hip bones and ribs on show.
I was criticising myself for not looking airbrushed, or having filters, fillers, plastic surgery, Botox.
I was putting myself down because I did not look like what I was conditioned to think I should look like.

And all the while, this lovely lady looked back at me and willed me to like her. She urged me to accept me as I was.
Because there is only one of me.
And I couldn’t go back in time, I was moving forwards whether I liked it or not.
The weeks go by so quickly as we age; Days become weeks. January becomes March, spring becomes summer, another year, another holiday spent hidden out of photos and covered up.
Like you are not worth being part of your family, or that society will shun you.
But there is only one of you.
And you deserve to be seen. You deserve to live this life - live YOUR life - to the full.
You ARE good enough.
You ARE more than your body shape and size.
You are a beautiful, loving, hard working, giving, kind, funny, compassionate woman.
You are a force of nature.
You are strong and you are gentle.
You are confident and you are vulnerable.
You are so many complex, beautiful contradictions with so much to offer those who already love you and those who have yet to know you and love you.
You need to be kinder to yourself and embrace who you are today.
Now, my reflection radiates positivity back at me, because I have been telling her for the past 18 months how fu***ng gorgeous she is.
The stomach and thighs are still there but they belong to this sexy, confident woman who is slaying life.
What do I see when I look in the mirror?
A freaking powerhouse who can’t wait to get out there and live her life in full, not hidden in an oversized shirt.
At last, I see the whole picture and not just the insignificant imperfections that society programmes us to dislike.
Now my reflection smiles. Her eyes light up and she smiles.
Finally.
Copyright Middle age madness/Sarah Stenton

20/03/2026

I teach 10 Pilates Classes each week and this is the movement I put in every single session….and yes , some people have to re learn the technique if their body has forgotten how to do it .

The Hip Hinge: The Most Important Movement You Probably Never Learned

Most people focus on squats, lunges, or crunches but they neglect the hip hinge, one of the most essential movement patterns for long-term strength and mobility.

What is the hip hinge?
The hip hinge is a controlled movement where you bend at the hips while keeping your spine neutral. Think about picking up a bag from the floor, tying your shoes, or lifting groceries safely. It’s not just an exercise; it’s a foundation for movement that protects your body for life.

Why it matters, especially as we age?
1. Protects your low back. The hip hinge teaches your glutes and hamstrings to absorb load, reducing stress on the lumbar spine.

2. Strengthens your glutes and hamstrings. These muscles are critical for walking, climbing stairs, and standing from chairs safely.

3. Supports your knees. Proper glute and hamstring engagement reduces knee strain.

4. Preserves functional independence. Every time you bend to pick something up, the hip hinge keeps you safe, strong, and confident.

5. Enhances posture and balance. Engaging the posterior chain improves alignment, reducing the risk of falls.

How to start safely?
-Stand with feet hip-width apart.
-Slightly bend your knees and hinge at your hips, pushing your butt backward.
-Keep your spine neutral and chest lifted.
-Engage your glutes and hamstrings as you return to standing.

Start with bodyweight only then gradually add light resistance like a kettlebell, dumbbell, or household object. Focus on form, the movement itself builds strength and durability over time.

19/03/2026

I had an interesting moment recently…

Someone found out I teach Pilates and said, “Wow… you don’t look like a Pilates teacher.”

It made me smile more than anything. Not because it was offensive — it wasn’t — but because it says a lot about the boxes we still put people in.

For context:

I’ve been teaching Pilates for 26 years.
Around 10,000 classes.

And yes… I probably look more like I belong on a rugby pitch than in a studio.

But here’s the thing — what is a Pilates teacher supposed to look like?

Strong doesn’t have one shape.

Experience doesn’t have one image.

Passion doesn’t come in one package.

We all carry unconscious ideas of what certain roles “should” look like — and sometimes we even let those ideas limit ourselves.

So here’s your reminder:

You don’t have to fit the mould to belong somewhere.

You don’t have to look the part to be the part.

Be the individual who shows up anyway.

Be the one who quietly changes the perception.

Be the example that challenges the stereotype.

Because the moment you stop trying to fit in…
is the moment you actually stand out.

18/03/2026

I have some spaces today - 11am Gentler Pilates , 6.30pm Pilates, 7.30pm Men’s Pilates
WOODHALL SPA

16/03/2026

YES ! YES ! YES ! 👏🏻
My clients know I love a twinkling neuron ⭐️

When you begin a new strength habit, the first three to five weeks of improvement have almost nothing to do with muscle growth.

What changes is the nervous system.

Your brain learns to recruit more muscle fibers, fire them faster, and coordinate the movement with less interference from opposing muscles. Neural adaptation comes first. Structural change follows.

This has a practical implication that most people never hear.

In the first month of a new exercise habit, when you look in the mirror and nothing seems different, something is happening. Your brain is being rewired. You are becoming more capable before you become more visible.

The period when most people quit is the period when the most foundational change is occurring.

This is true at 35. It is true at 65. It is true at 85.

The research on elderly adults consistently shows that neural adaptation is preserved with age. The nervous system remains teachable. The body remains responsive.

When you start something new that challenges your body, the first reward is invisible.

It is happening in the architecture of your nervous system, in the signals passing between your brain and your muscles, in the quiet rewiring that precedes every visible change.

Start before you see it. The seeing follows the starting.

15/03/2026

Bodies age faster when lives feel empty .
Keep your sense of purpose.
Get out and try something new .

14/03/2026

A perfect start to a Sunny Saturday.