Weekly Wrap up. Week 32.2024. Dedication's what you need!

'If you want to be the best, if you want to beat the rest, dedication's what you need'.

I remember Roy Castle singing those words at the end of every episode of The Record Breakers. I loved that program. Some jaw dropping, some defying the realms of possibilities and some just plain bonkers.

This last week, Basketball fans have highlighted comments from Australian Jack McVeigh. Famous for posting motivational quotes, this time he was the focus of criticism after he appeared to take a public swipe via Twitter against his wife. While she posted that he was so talented, he strongly objected and said "It's not talent, it's dedication." While possibly not tactful, I do get his point.

As I (like many of you) continue to watch every second I can of the Olympics, we only see the final performance. We don't get to see the 7 days a week early alarms, the training no matter what the weather, the missing out on family and friends' celebrations, the blood, sweat and tears. We sort of know about that but we don't really think about the boring, every single day, repetitive training that leads to the world stage. The many sacrifices and relentless work. As Usain Bolt said, "I trained for 4 years to run 9 seconds".

The training is so time consuming and that is what causes most lesser mortals to give up. In my own humble experiences of running and walking marathons and a few other bits and bobs, it was the training that took up so much time. Factoring in the actual physical training but also recovery and rest and then being tired and not feeling up to going out to see friends. I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to live like that, month after month. Be it sport, music, ballet.... the commitment to train and practise, no matter what.

I have read many, many sporting autobiographies and I am always fascinated by the behind the scenes stories. How they train, the fuelling and nutrition, the kit, managing injury and physical and emotional exhaustion and so on. So many are also holding down full time jobs or are students.

Helen Glover talked about how for her first Olympics training she would go to bed every afternoon for 2 hours sleep between training sessions but with small children that was just not an option for subsequent training. I have read Paula Radcliffe and Roger Federer also talk about the need for 10 hours sleep a night on top of afternoon naps- how do you do that if you are still holding down a job, doing a degree or so on?

These athletes are training 2 and maybe 3 times A DAY. Is it any wonder that so many fall by the wayside because they cannot sustain that pace and why we are now hearing more from world class athletes about the impact on their mental well being.

I read Matthew Pincent's autobiography years ago, about training for the Olympics while doing a degree. Getting up for rowing training often in the dark before going to lectures and then again rowing or in the gym in the evenings, missing weddings of best friends and family and nights in the pub with mates, in order to get that cherished Gold medal. He spoke about being pushed in training so that when they finished the time trial or whatever, falling off the indoor rowing machines and being physically sick. Frequently. Can you imagine pushing yourself to that state? I saw a post on social media about a prima ballerina who looked so absolutely perfect, immaculate and beautiful on stage. Then she shows you her bruised legs when she takes her tights off, her battered, taped and misshapen feet, the surgical tape across her shoulders under her leotard. That is the reality.

Andy Murray talked about the reality of being on the tour and away from home for over 40 weeks a year. Every year of his career. That is quite an extreme way of life.

I do find it fascinating however, to learn the different ways athletes, in particular, fine tune their performance. Michael Phelps trained 800m Butterfly once a week without goggles for the preparation of a goggles failure and in the 2008 Olympics, when his goggles did indeed fill with water, thanks to his training, he continued on his way to a new medal and a new world record despite no vision. Watchign the marathon open water swimming, the commentator was explaining how most of the competitors will train with blacked out goggles so that they learn to swim in dead straight lines for when vision is so limited.

During lockdown and with limited resources, Scott Lincoln, the nine times shot put British champion was seen pushing a truck up and down his street, over and over to keep up his strength and moving sideways into music, I read that in order to fully prepare her fitness for her global Era's tour, Taylor Swift sang through her entire set of songs while running on a treadmill daily.

Simone Biles trains for 32 hours a week with one day off. Dedication - that extra 1% that only a few possess. How many things in our life do we fob ourselves off by saying "Oh I could never do that" and yet, if we practised over and over daily... what on earth could we achieve! I'm not saying we give 32 hours a week or twice a day, but imagine if you committed to "that thing" and practised several times a week - but then you would need to really love "that thing" and really want the result too.

I copy a post here that I saw this week that I feel really sums it up- "Nothing derails people's fitness goals like their need for instant gratification. Our lifestyles and technology have us so conditioned that we want everything NOW - and our bodies do not work that way. Our phones do. Amazon Prime does. But our bodies? not so much. Our physiology does not care how quickly we want things. It works on it's own schedule but if we stay consistent (and patient) there is almost nothing our bodies cannot do" - Danny Matranga.

Mind you, it can also go very wrong. A hundred years ago, back in my very early days of show jumping, the international rider Caroline Bradley was local to our yard and was well known for her unbelievable drive. I saw myself as she regularly arrived at events in one lorry followed by a groom in a second. She competed all day on 10 horses or so and it was not unusual for her to drive back home, arriving late in the evening, to step out of one lorry, climb straight into another already prepped and ready and drive off across country for the next day's event. She tragically died of a heart attack at 37 years old while at the top of her game, paying the ultimate price. So determined to succeed and giving 100% every day and that is just not possible. A massive and tragic loss for someone so determined to be the best.

If you want to talk determination and what the body can acheive and never giving up and dedication then PLEASE do yourself a favour and watch NYAD (available on Netflix). One of the most inspiring true stories I have seen in a very long time not least because this isn't some twenty something athlete. Also note that to take part in this role, a 64 year old Annette Benning trained for a whole YEAR with an Olympic swimmer and her body certainly shows it. By the time of filming, she was conditioned sufficiently to swim up to 6 hours at a time! Again... if you want something enough.....

Slightly more light hearted but rather staggering - Did you read the post this week about GB athlete Jacob Fincham - Dukes who had to ask his boss for time off work - he says his boss asked why and he said "err - I need to take part in the long jump at the Olympics" and having made the final, says he needs to be back at work on Friday (today!)

HOW ON EARTH do you live like that? How do you come back down after that?!

I think us mere mortals tend to want the easy and quick option. Taking a pill rather than doing the rehab? I love the stories in the papers that scream out "I PROVED MY DOCTORS AND THE EXPERTS WRONG".... and while a recovery is of course absolutely wonderful, how many times can it be linked to a life overhaul such as changing diet, cutting out the toxic processed food and alcohol, losing weight, committing to the rehabilitation and so on. If we all actually DID what we were advised for all the many aches, pains and complaints how much better would we be! Yet sometimes a health scare pushes us to drastic action and guess what? We get better!

I always find it fascinating that as a generalisation, we prefer to pay someone else to knead and pull and push us better than to do our own rehab daily to prevent the need for that visit in the first place.

I shared on social media, a post from Novak Djokovic who in answer to a question about how athletes manage stress, talked about the importance of proper breath and being present. Simone Biles talks about her daily meditation and after well publicised mental health problems, Adam Peaty has become deeply religious. Dear Andrea Spendolini Sirieix became so emotional in her interview after her finals but she is just 19 years old. I could not believe that one of the "women" skateboarders is 11. ELEVEN! That just doesn't feel right to me.

Listen, if someone had stuck a microphone under my nose when I crawled over the finish line at last year's Moonwalk, I would have just sobbed probably. I most certainly would not have been able to give an interview! I was too busy looking for a cup of tea and some chocolate.

What about all the thousands of other athletes who are training and competing but just didn't make the team. You have to be so mentally strong to accept that and get up in the morning and keep pushing for the next challenge.

I wonder. I am not for a single moment taking away from these athletes incredible abilities but I do honestly think that it is the endless daily grind that sets them apart. Let's face it - I have been trying my best to keep us motivated and ticking over for a 6 week holiday season!! I have even offered exercise snacks of 10 mins and we all know that sense of "Ill start on Monday/after Christmas/next week/when the kids are back at school"... maybe that is why we are here and not in Paris!!

For me, that is what is so fascinating. The phycology and the mental stamina that sets them apart and enables them to just keep going.

Got to be honest though - just watching that race walking makes my hips hurt and I still don't get the BMX or the skateboarding! Bring in netball I say!

I find it so interesting, the different shapes and sizes of the athletes. Doesn't it go to show that with training, how we can change and fine tune our bodies? I mean, all the divers are a similar shape, the cyclists are so alike and so on. You can almost guess at some of the disciplines by the physiques of the participants. Give or take, it shows that if you train enough, you can really adapt your physical shape. (Not so sure about the teeeeeny, weeeeeeny little pants though... I think no matter what my shape was, I would be Bridget Jones pants all the way - got to say it's quite brave to run the 400m final in little more than dental floss)

I am a lifelong sports addict so this summer has been an absolute joy for me with the Euros, Wimbledon and now the Olympics but I always want to learn more. I have so enjoyed the commentary - how fabulous were the combo of Becky, Mark and Clare on the swimming? I really enjoy learning about the different sports and disciplines. I have also learned a few other things though, such as apparently a 51 year old man can be taken seriously while competing against children on a skateboard, and having a large penis can spoil your pole vault success. Who knew?

Of course it isn't just sport though. I remember the story about legendary violinist Isaac Stern. A keen fan accosted him after a concert and gushed "Oh my goodness, I would give my whole LIFE to be able to play like that".. "Madam" he spat out "That is exactly what I did"....

Going back to The Record Breakers though - My parents always used to throw a party around Christmas time and one year, my sister, my best friend and I stayed up all night making mince pies. For some reason I forget, my parents were friends with one of the McWhirter twins (the experts on every subject on The Record Breakers) and we were determined to make a record breaking amount of mince pies as he was coming. He was terribly kind but said that we had not achieved a record. To this day, I feel that was a little unfair as he didn't even count them. I do know it was many years before I could look at a mince pie again and I seem to remember bags of them in the freezer for ever.

Clearly we did not have the necessary dedication.

I did take part in a world record breaking synchronised swimming event 2 years ago in the sea baths in Penzance. It was a fund raiser for people of Ukraine. I can tell you 2 things about this. There is absolutley nothing fun about getting back into the water multiple times in a wet swimsuit for all the rehearsals and synchronised swimming is unbelivably hard! Never again will I undersestimate the strength of those immaculatley turned out swimmers. Did you SEE the USA team. doing the Moonwalk to Michael Jakson's Smooth Criminal?

Incidentally, my late bother Adrian Nicholas did however, make the Guinness book of World Records for sky diving but that is another story.

A little thought -

The information on the front of the food packaging is designed to sell the product.

The information on the back is designed to tell you the truth.

The unhealthiest people read the front of the packaging first.

The healthiest people read the back of the packet first.

And finally -

We don't stop moving because we grow old. We grow old because we stop moving.

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes. That includes yourself.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

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The need for a regular firebreak

By juliet • October 24, 2026

Many decades ago when I was starting my teaching qualifications , a very wise tutor advised us on the importance of regular breaks. As she explained, apart from educating, we are using our voices (often over loud music in large rooms) but also our bodies and therefor regular rest is essential. Teaching multiple exercise classes a week is exhausting. What a superb idea! One that I carried over to share with my students some 17 years later as a teacher trainer and one that I see many of them have had the good sense to stick to. I however, have continued down Hypocrisy street, often advising others to listen to their body, take rest, don’t expect too much of yourself.. while I have just soldiered on. The “getting regular rest” bit however, I have always struggled with until a couple of weeks ago when I was totally felled and spent nearly an entire week in bed. I can come up with any amount of mitigation but the fact was that one of my favourite quotes jumped up and hit me between the eyes “Choose to make time for your wellness or you will be forced to make time for your illness”. I promise you, as I cleared my diary and cancelled work, I did acknowledge the irony and decided this time to take a good long, hard look at me. My life, my lifestyle and where I needed to make changes. As I was wallowing in a huge pit of “boo hoo, poor me”, I came up with the idea of firebreaks. I remember several years ago, an aunt who lives in Croatia telling me about the local authority digging new firebreaks in the hillside behind her house and that image came to mind when I was wondering about what I needed to do and this seemed a very suitable word. A big trench built into the ground to stop a wildfire spreading and becoming out of control. A 6 week firebreak - just a few days every 6 weeks to STOP. Leave the mounting fatigue and overwork at the edge of the firebreak and STOP, to move across to the other side of the trench to some calm and some quiet. Re set priorities, catch my breath, take a fresh look at things. I have a lot going on behind the scenes lately and my typical inner voice is to say “yeah, yeah, who doesn’t? Just shut up and keep going” but I am slowly (oh! SO slowly) starting to acknowledge and accept that I can no longer keep up the pace of old me. I heard a really good phrase that I have used a lot - “I need to close a few tabs”and yes, that is EXACTLY it! I need to stop and close a few tabs and every 6 weeks, delete the temporary hard drive and do a reboot! I say 6 weeks as this mirrors the school terms and the very necessary half and full term holidays. So, that is my plan and you will see from now on, every few weeks I am going to take a few days here and there to stop. Why am I telling you this? Because as an obsessive, I find it very, very hard to stop so to put it out here makes me far more accountable as you all now know my plan but also as I would like to ask you - what do you do? When it’s getting too much, when you know you need a break, when you are feeling overwhelmed- what do you do? Do you do what I do and just carry on regardless until you crash or have you found ways to manage? Maybe you have always had an inbuilt discipline to help you prioritise and step away from time to time and for that I salute you. Also because we all need to stop now and again - I know I am not alone in trying to just keep going but seasons, age, events of life all have an impact and while the world around us seems ever busier and asking more from us, we need to be able to shut the door on it. I started writing this during my time lying on the sofa but decided to park it up and come back to it when I felt better and now seems a bit more timely anyway as the clocks change, the days shorten and we all feel a bit different. We tend to wake later, have a little less energy, maybe a little less creative thought or proactive attitude. A few generations ago, we lived far more by the rules of daylight meaning we were high achievers in the summer months, while getting more indoor time and longer sleep in the winter months. As with so many areas, while our lives have evolved and we expect full performance from ourselves 12 months a year, I am not entirely sure that our bodies, circadian rhythms, energy levels, emotional capacity have matched. Last year when I was struggling (in November - I do see a pattern!) a very lovely friend bought me the most wonderful book and just this week I have bought a copy for another good friend. “Wintering “ by Katherine May is a joy of a read and if you haven’t yet, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy. She refers a lot to Scandinavian habits and lifestyles and how to recognise our need for hibernation from time to time. I particularly love her chapter on “saunering” and how it is so much more than sitting in a hot room. I recall reading about an Icelandic tradition called Jólabókaflóð, meaning “Christmas book flood”. People give one another books on Christmas Eve , then spend the evening curled up reading their new books, often with chocolate or a warm drink. I think that sounds absolute heaven - what a wonderful thing to do. I still stand 100% by the Pillars of Life -exercise, diet, fresh air, sleep, social interaction and rest but now acknowledge that there are a couple I have got to give more respect to! Rest is very different from sleep and I have now acknowledged that another area I have to address is diet as for me, food and all that cooking and prepping is so dull, I will do anything to avoid it. That's another little goal for me for the Autumn so if you have an easy "go to" vegetarian recipe, do send it my way. So, on this rainy weekend as the sun has not even bothered to show her face and the clocks change to give us shorter days, what are YOU going to do to help with some gentle hibernation, self protection and winterising. I am going to pick up my copy of Wintering and lie on the sofa for an hour with a cup of tea and snoozing dogs. The other jobs will wait for me… won’t they?

Are you a TRAITOR or a FAITHFUL?

By juliet • October 2, 2026

I know I am very late to the party but I have finally conceded and am watching Traitors. 2 episodes in, I admit to being rather invested I have always avoided it as the idea of watching people lying, deceiving, cheating and betraying those closest to them just filled me with horror. Reminded me a little too much of growing up in the family home to be honest! However, I really liked the look of this latest lineup, so I decided to give it another try and off we go! People trying to deceive other people into believing they are something that they are not. The fact is though that to borrow a famous quote from the Greek orator Demosthenes, “nothing is so easy as to deceive one’s self”. How true that is. We are rather good at it, aren’t we? “I haven’t got time to exercise,” we say, before settling down to watch several people in a castle spend an hour discussing who looked a bit shifty at breakfast. “I’ll start when life is less hectic.” A lovely idea, although who is still waiting for this mythical period of calm. Apparently it arrives just after we’ve cleared the inbox, sorted the cupboards, tidied the house and become an entirely different person! The trouble is, most of us already know what would do us good. A bit more movement, some strength work, an earlier night, a little less sugar, a little more fresh veg. But knowing it and actually doing it are two very different things, and in between sits a highly persuasive little voice with a seemingly endless supply of excuses. Who can turn “I don’t really feel like it” into a convincing argument involving the weather, an urgent pile of admin and family demands? I know I can but of course the irony is that by the time we have finished explaining why we can’t possibly exercise, (or do whatever job it is we are postponing) we could have already done twenty minutes. Of course, sometimes we really are tired, busy or in need of a rest. But sometimes we’re just hoping that the next version of us will be more enthusiastic. Monday's (or January's or when the kids go back to school) version of us is apparently going to be terribly motivated, much better organised with endless energy and no interest in munching through a packet of biscuits. That’s quite a lot to expect of her. Perhaps we could make a start today—even ten minutes of movement would give her one less thing to make excuses about. Then we can return to judging the people in the castle, with slightly less evidence against us! So, are you a Faithful or a Traitor? Faithful to your goals and all those promises you made yourself, or quietly plotting against your hardworking body? When I think of my poor old body, the (many!) years it has carried me, though childbirth, accidents, injuries and surgeries, too much exercise, not enough exercise, late nights and too much booze and yet it keeps turning up, trying to heal and repair to the best of it's ability and am I faithful to it? well, sometimes and I hope mostly yes but am I a traitor too? Hell yeah! Do I take every opportunity to support, nurture and care for my body? well... not every opportunity.. if my body was sitting at the round table talking to my conscience would it be writing my name on the card for disqualification while I frantically fight my corner with reasons why I can be trusted to do what is right? Ok - October challenge . Don't try and "do it all" because that is too much and unrealistic and only leads to a sense of failure but how about you pick one job that you have been avoiding, telling yourself you will do it but not actually getting round to it. Look at your diary and pick a time that is realistic and that can be stuck to. Put the task in your diary and complete it before the end of the month - it might be a house task, a conversation you have been avoiding or yes, taking up more regular exercise. Rather than trying to come up with excuses that sound convincing, perhaps it’s time to prove we are faithful with a few more squats, or emptying that overflowing drawer of junk or going for a regular, long walk. No cloak required! What’s the biggest whopper you have told? Could you be a Traitor? I have a Traitor story from years ago. When I was around 15 I was home alone and can only think I was bored and fed up. Having never really been previously interested in alcohol, I raided my parents’ drinks cabinet. They had a little bar with a row of optics but as they very rarely drank themselves, some of these bottles were ancient; left overs from various parties. Think Cinzano, Creme do menthe… I am feeling rather nauseous just writing this. I remember one was blue - what could that have been? Anyway, I worked my way along the bar, having no idea of adding ice, watering down, mixers etc and after about an hour I thought I was going to die. For some reason, I wanted to die discreetly so wandered down the garden and ended up in the back of my sister’s Hillman Minx and promptly passed out. I didn’t die and when I woke up, I managed to wind down the window and get my head out before being violently sick and then staggering back to the house. Some time later I heard my sister screeching about the state of her car. I walked out with my mother and we both surveyed the scene. I have no idea what prompted me but I just said “bloody seagulls” and my mother nodded. I mean give me some credit here; a) neither of them questioned how I could recognise seagull poo b) they never questioned that judging by the state of the car, this particular seagull must have been the size of a small pony and c) we lived in North London. Never was a seagull spotted flying over Enfield. Having always thought I was a terrible liar, as I read this back I am beginning to think I could be a very good Traitor! While there are countless stories of traitorous behaviour in wars and religion, possibly the oldest and most famous traitor might be Judas who betrayed Christ with a kiss and even today being called a Judas is hugely insulting while in Macbeth, Shakespeare writes "There's daggers in men's smiles".... So…. What is your best traitor lie? Completely changing the subject... I have been keeping notes and observations for over 2 decades of working in the fitness industry and I have been having fun recently making my own version of a play on the vintage Ladybird books. I do hope you do not think I am the traitor here - all names have been changed and if you see your name, it is purely coincidental..... moooooowahahhahah! I have named mine The Woodpecker guide, as a "banging your head on a tree" publication. I have had quite a laugh and it is all very much tongue in check and a bit of fun. If you don't follow me on socials, you might fancy having a look - watch my playlist here (open and just hover over the page and it will start playing. )

De cluttering and how to recognise progress!

By juliet • September 27, 2026

I have been having a huge sort-out and declutter over the last couple of weeks. Having moved house 29 times and counting,, (yes, really. My mother used to say I must have Gypsy blood in me and let's be frank: she ought to know!!), I like to brag that I am not a hoarder and don’t have much clutter. But, to be honest, my loft and garage were groaning at the seams and, hit with a burst of energy and enthusiasm, I went to battle. I have been selling on Vinted (how easy is Vinted, and why do I get so excited to see that I have made a £4 sale on an old jumper that I now have to wrap up, drive to the post office and send on its way?!). I have sold on eBay and Facebay and am almost on first-name terms at the local tip. If you need advice on which bay to take your item to, I’m your girl on that score. And DO NOT try to sneak something into general rubbish if it has metal in it — they will swoop on you like the Flying Monkeys in The Wizard of Oz. The fact is, though, that it showed me how far I have come in my own life. For me, it meant letting go of a lot of things that belong to times gone by: items I was previously not brave enough to let go of, but that no longer served me in any way. I was hanging on to things that were not even connected to my own memories, but belonged to other people and their memories. For me, it has been massively freeing, liberating and also very satisfying. I took time to reflect on how much I have grown and what progress I have made after some very difficult and traumatic experiences over an increasingly long life! Why am I telling you this? Well, because it is important for us to take time to reflect sometimes on how far we have come and what success looks like. Let’s bring this round to my world and make it relevant to sport, exercise and fitness. I often get people asking how to tell if they are getting better in their classes. Well, lifting heavier, doing more reps or doing an exercise at a more advanced level are very obvious signs. However, what if you choose not to lift heavier or don’t want to do the exercise at a more advanced level? How then? Just turning up! If you were one of those who made endless excuses and skipped classes at every opportunity, and now turn up regularly, then congratulations! That is progress. If you used a cancelled class or a holiday as an excuse to skip, and now find a different way around it to make sure you still exercise, then give yourself a pat on the back! You have progressed. If you are making sure you get a couple of earlier nights after a lifetime of being a night owl, if you reach for fruit instead of biscuits, if you have a glass of water before reaching for the coffee jar, if you ignore the “I can’t be bothered” voice and are bothered, then be proud. There is progress right there. I come back to a quote I have used before: talk to yourself as though you are your own best friend. How quick are we to chastise and criticise ourselves, and would we ever speak to our best friend like that? Of course we wouldn’t! If a friend said, “I feel such a failure — I didn’t do XYZ today,” you would jump in and immediately point out all the things they HAD done to outweigh what they might have missed. So get used to saying it to yourself! As I sat on a box in my garage, having a few tears about finally having the courage to throw out a few things that nobody had wanted in the first place, I also took a moment to say, “Bloody well done, Juliet! That took guts — good for you!” Yes, I do talk to myself like that, and it also makes me smile! Who better to champion us than ourselves? Be your own best friend and take time to recognise what progress looks like in its many forms. When that negative voice starts niggling with the failures, STOP IT IN IT'S TRACKS and let the positive voice take over. Being positive is a powerful tool, which is why, in my classes, I jump on anyone who starts with “Oh, I hate this” or “I can’t do this”. Apart from already limiting yourself before you have even started, it impacts everyone around you, who also start to question themselves. I had a brilliant message from one of our online members this week who is currently on holiday to say that she carried her paddle board the whole distance that last year required her to stop for a rest several times. Back in the Summer, another member messaged me to tell me that she helped her son and daughter in law move hose and after all her strength training classes, was flinging boxes about and they could not believe how strong she was and how much energy she had. This is exactly what I am talking about - using our classes to help us see progress in other areas of our lives that we may not have thought about! Hit head-on! Maybe this time you will — and if you don’t? Well, approach it with a positive attitude. That way, rather than feeling you have failed, you can recognise that you tried and gave it your best. Next time, you may get further and see what progress looks like! I must have been talking out loud about the need for some decluttering, as this came up on my social media feed recently. If, like me, you have cleared out a deceased family member’s home, saying to yourself that you will never inflict that on your own kids, or you just know that it would be a good job to do before the end of the year for a fresh start next January, then maybe this will help. According to feng shui, clutter in our home isn’t random. It is a map of where the energy in our life is stuck: Overflowing cupboards? Old identities. You are keeping clothes for lives you no longer live and a version of you that is no longer you. Heal by filling just one bag and donating it. Today. Unopened bills? Financial avoidance . Your finances will not change just because you ignore the post. Healing — open every bill, write down the due dates and handle the smallest amount first. Crowded bedside table? A mind that never stops. Every book, cup and charger becomes one more uncompleted task. Clear the top and leave only what supports sleep and is required immediately on waking. Purse full of old receipts? Untracked spending. Your money is mixed with proof of things you barely remember buying. Healing — one card to spend with. Check the receipts, then throw them away or file them if needed. A drawer of unwanted gifts? Borrowed guilt. You are giving space to things you never wanted because someone else chose them. Healing — keep the love and care behind the gift. Donate the gift without apology. Garage full of abandoned projects? Promises made to an older version of you . Every item quietly asks for attention. Healing? Choose what matters to you and start that project. Give away what no longer interests you. Freezer full of forgotten food? Grocery money frozen in place . Buying before using what you already have turns good intentions into waste. Healing — plan three meals from the freezer before going back to the supermarket. Shoes and bags blocking the front door? Your home greets you with decisions before you have even stepped inside. Healing — clear your landing space so that coming home feels like arriving, not facing outstanding tasks. Which one applies to you? Which one might you start with? And then, don’t forget to reward yourself for the progress you have made and how you have grown. Give yourself permission. Don't really want it anymore? Get rid of it and embrace the progress you just made! Let the Autumn trees show us how healthy it is to let go!

Exercise is for life, not just for Christmas

By juliet • September 17, 2026

It's been an exciting week. Yesterday I spent the afternoon with a TV film crew and while I cannot wait to tell all, I am not allowed... yet! What I will say is that after an hour blow drying my hair, I spent 2 hours in a windy field and really need not have bothered! Tonight, I am off up the M1 to a Fitness convention. I cannot wait for this too! I love the presenters and getting new ideas and creative juices flowing as well as mixing with fellow teachers but if you want some revenge for how hard I work you, please know I will be in back to back classes all day. To be fair, it is my idea of fabulous but it will be full on! Just you wait until I bring it all back home with me! I do realise that exercise and fitness is my world. It always has been since school and I truly realise that it is not for everyone, at least not to the extent that it is for me. However.. I was teaching last week and, at the end of the class, someone came up and said, “I won’t see you for two weeks as I’m going on holiday. I’ll miss my classes.” Quick as a flash, I suggested she join us online so that she could continue with her exercise, to which she replied, “Er, hello? It’s a HOLIDAY!” And there it is. Right there! Now, I have to jump in here and say that the vast majority of my online clients keep things ticking over no matter what. You join in from holiday or use the library, if you’re not taking advantage of other exercise options available to you. I think being so used to the convenience and easy access online means it has become part of life and like me, you really miss it if you have to miss it! Most of you would honestly never really consider going more than a few days without exercise, and I LOVE you for that. OF COURSE we all need a holiday and a break from the norml, but I ask you this: when you go on holiday, do you stop cleaning your teeth? If you take medication, do you leave it at home? Do you lie in the sun with no SPF and spend a fortnight without moisturising your skin? I bet you don’t, because these are all things we do to look after ourselves and keep ourselves well. So why stop exercising? When I’m asked about my habits, when I say that I’m teetotal (3 years and counting), try to eat well using an 80/20 approach, lift weights, get my steps in, practise Pilates and get several early nights every week, Oh! the number of people who have told me how boring I am! It used to bother me, but I honestly don’t mind anymore. A) these are my life choices to help me be where I want to be mentally and physically. Plus b) if being healthy, sleeping well, feeling strong and maintaining a sensible weight is boring, then yup, that is me! I don’t want whatever “interesting” might be! I have been on the other side and so I know the effort it takes initially to make change but for me, these choices work better by a country mile which is why I am so passionate about the benefits that I want to share with you. (Please note. I drink coffee by the gallon, LOVE curry and deep filled cheesy pizza and if I even get a hint of anything that combines peanut butter with chocolate, I can't be held responsible for my actions as I will climb over anyone to get to it - the Nigella peanut butter chocolate cheesecake can almost reduce me to tears of joy and I cannot have peanut butter in the house as I will literally eat the whole jar in one sitting until my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth. There have been many times that I have been climbing the stairs to my home gym to a training session I have committed to, using words that are not appropriate to share here but but have been known to turn Bertie's hair curly so no. I am no saint) The defining moment is when exercise becomes part of life . It is as much a part of our week as cleaning our teeth. I will never forget visiting someone who had spent a FORTUNE on her new kitchen. It was indeed something to behold. However, it had been such a huge project that she had chosen to skip her classes in order to prioritise it. She explained that she was just too busy (aren't we all?)....While her kitchen was indeed shiny and beautiful, she meanwhile had put on a stone, her niggly knee had returned and she felt really awful about herself. She is not alone by any stretch. How many of us can identify with this? I cannot tell you how many people "explain to me" why they don’t have time to exercise or have to miss classes. And I get it. I really do. When it comes to excuses, I consider myself something of an expert but… Being poorly is REALLY time-consuming, and then everything else has to stop. Remember that quote I have used before: “ We never think about our health until we don’t have it, and then we think of nothing else.” If you are someone who tends to go through feast-or-famine phases with exercise, then perhaps it is time to change your thinking. No one needs you to go to the gym six days a week. You don’t need to buy equipment and new clothing. It does not need to be hours and hours and ruin your lovely holiday plans. Just getting out of the door to walk, going up and down the stairs, skipping or dancing — there are SO MANY ways to move, raise your heart rate and get exercise into your life. Stuck at home with the kids? Put on some music and dance with them, or take them into the garden to kick a ball. Visiting family and restricted on time? Do you have time to boil an egg? Good! While it cooks, five minutes of stepping up and down the bottom step of the staircase will get your ticker beating and your circulation going. Want a relaxing holiday? Fab. Me too. Want to come home half a stone heavier and have that “starting all over again” feeling when you return to your regular class? No, me neither. Maybe it is time to change your thinking. Rather than exercising for that special event or to slim into a favourite outfit, consider this: exercise is for life, not just for Christmas. Make it a regular daily feature, and over time it will become part of life, as second nature as cleaning your teeth and sticking on the washing. If you are someone who takes longer to come up with excuses than it actually takes to do the class, why not set yourself a challenge for October? How many different ways can you exercise and move, stretch, lift, push, pull and more? Dog walking, gardening, dance classes — these all count. Start now, and by Christmas (dare I? Dare I?!) you could already have a routine that feels like part of your daily schedule. Instead of that “OMG, New Year, back to it” feeling, you could start 2027 already doing something that has become so much a habit that you don't even think about it. Diarise it just as you would a meeting or a hair appointment . (well obviously more often than a hair appointment but you get my point). Put it in the diary and make an appointment between you and your mat, gym or studio. I don’t want to preach. Truly, I don’t. But I do want to share with you just how much you can do for yourself by simply prioritising exercise. If you are one of those people — and there are a lot of you — who are always saying, “Oh, I know I must do something,” “I should start,” or “I know it’s good for me,” I ask you: what is stopping you? Go on! Buy a shiny new diary and start today. Journal your fitness journey and, at the end of each week, look back at how much you have achieved. It really helps to write it down. If you diarise it in advance, you will be more likely to stick to it. Just being accountable to yourself can be an incredibly effective tool, but why not rope in a friend or family member? For the record, I have a whiteboard in my office that I call "My board of accountability" and despite having Garmin and Strava and Peloton clocking up my data, it is writing it down with a black sharpie on that board that focuses me. I do a month at a time and for me, seeing it written downreally works and if I have skipped a day that I was due to train (because I too can come up with excuses ) that gap on the board is a very powerful nudge. Find that wonderful lightbulb moment when prioritising exercise becomes a fact of life, rather than just another class you need to book. Lasting changes take time. Quick results can easily lead to a quick slip back into the old ways. The day you accept that fitness is for life is the day you can settle in and enjoy the ride.

Supersets? Pyramids? What is it all about?

By juliet • September 10, 2026

It was lovely to see lots of you yesterday for our “Coffee and catch up” . It is always so good to see each other in person and I love our socials and getting together. I know those of you further afield are a bit left out of this and I really hope that lots of you have the Christmas lunch in your diary to come on down (or up) but I am also working on a London day out before then as a central meet up for everyone scattered around this country as least. Those abroad are a bit harder to reach. Perhaps we should hire a coach and go driving around Europe and find you all! Either which way, it is always a joy to see you “in civvies” and off your mat. We have been working really hard on the fundamentals over the last couple of weeks, covering breath, understanding imprint versus neutral, better control and precision and I have had some great feedback on this so thank you too! Working more slowly is, for some of us still a work in progress. I do know that a lot of you will be very glad to see me slightly further away and back on my mat.. although I am very much enjoying being right up at the screen so don’t hold your breath! I am getting a lot from observing you closely and seeing what you are getting from me and what adjustments I also need to make. I have been talking weights quite a lot recently and fear not - I will move on but I am on my soapbox so let’s see this one through, not least because in October the British Heart Foundation are doing the “Strong woman challenge” so if you find them on your socials or go to their website and want to join, you will be well prepared (and if you do, please post and tag me too and thank you Lou for drawing my attention to thi s). Ok, so we know why. The many, many benefits. We know how frequently and hopefully last week helped explain what a heavy weight will be to each individual. Now let’s talk about the different styles of lifting. If you are doing your own thing at home or in the gym, you will very probably keep it simple. I usually do. Select 8 - 12 exercises. Repeat each one 8 - 12 times. Repeat this 3 times.

I know I need to lift weights but WHAT do I lift?

By juliet • September 3, 2026

As the schools go back and the weather takes a dramatic turn, there is no doubt that Autumn has invited herself along. If you need any more convincing, apparently Tesco has got Christmas foods on display. Bonkers! SUE SUE SUE - I'm sorry for those who thought I had finally lost the plot (and GREAT to see two of you laughing as much as me) as I managed to squeeze that into a class online yesterday. Still making me laugh out loud. If you havent yet seen Ann Droid on Iplayer, do yourself a favour and settle in. It has got to be one of the daftest, funniest things I have seen in a very long time, and having started to use Chat Gbt a lot more, it is uncannily accurate. I met one of our fabulous online friends for coffee this week and every time we drifted into more serious subjects, we just kept coming back to quoting lines from the series like a couple of daft kids. A great tonic if you need a bit of a lift. And so to weights... It can be really overwhelming. I saw a post recently online that said "I feel more peer pressure in my 50's to eat protein and lift weights than I ever did in my teens to take drugs"! You can't go too far without being bombarded with podcasts, documentaries, magazine articles and radio interviews all promoting the need for a healthier lifestyle and how to achieve it but it can seem too much and very confusing. We recognise that Pilates is excellent but on its own, is not enough. The ideal blend is to practise Pilates, lift weights and then also bring in your walking or running or cycling or tennis. A bit of everything really. We have already discussed the "WHY" element of lifting weights and if you are still unsure, scroll back a few weeks as I have written a few posts on this but there is no denying the many ways it helps us and I regularly get comments on where in your day to day lives you see the benefits. I LOVE this! However, we are still not sure about how heavy to go so let's try and break this down and make it easier to understand . “Heavy” is personal—it means a weight that challenges you, not a particular number on a dumbbell. As a beginner, start light enough to learn the movement and stay in control. If you’re aiming for 8–12 repetitions, the final few should feel noticeably harder, but you should still be able to complete them without swinging, rushing or changing your posture. Aim to finish feeling you could manage another two good repetitions if you had to. If you reach 12 and feel you could easily do several more, try the next small increase in weight. If you can’t reach eight without losing technique, choose something lighter. Different exercises will need different weights, so one pair of dumbbells won’t suit everything. Take time to find your starting point—there’s no rush to lift heavier, and muscle effort should never mean pushing through pain. When you are more experienced and feel more confident, you are aiming to really dig deep to finish the last couple of reps. Typically we use 8 - 12 as a guide. If you are swinging the weights about, rushing the movement or feel you could do more, you are not lifting heavy enough. If you can't maintain an appropriate posture, are holding your breath or using momentum to lift the weight, it is too heavy.