Protein sources sit on a wooden board with eggs, salmon and lean meat. Protein helps your body repair tissue after training. Your needs change with age and how hard you work. Strength sessions drive the highest demand. Cardio still needs support because it breaks tissue down, only less aggressively. Spread protein across your meals, aim for steady portions and pick sources that fit your diet. Plant options work well when you mix them. Older adults often need a little more to

Hand squeezing a soft ball to build grip strength during controlled Pilates work. Grip strength gives clear information about overall strength and long term health. Several large studies show this. A 2015 Lancet study tracked more than 140000 adults and found lower grip strength linked with higher risk of death from any cause. A 2018 BMJ review showed the same pattern in middle aged and older adults. The UK Biobank followed more than 500000 adults and reported that lower grip

Long walking stride by the lake showing greater hip extension that lengthens the psoas. How extending your walk and running will change your psoas use When you walk a bit longer or start adding short runs into your week, your psoas wakes up fast. It is one of those muscles that pretends to be quiet in class, then makes a scene the moment you take it outside. The change in demand is simple. Longer strides ask it to lengthen. Running asks it to lift. If your posture drifts, you

Older adult walking up concrete steps holding the rail to build steady leg strength. There is something simple about looking back at how people moved before gyms, trackers, and equipment. Strength came from daily life. People carried, climbed, squatted, reached, and walked because they had to. For older adults who want to feel stronger without complicated programmes, using ideas from ancestral living offers a clear and practical way to build strength that feels natural for th

A detailed fascia network showing the connective tissue’s layered fibres and living structure. At a recent event, a professional made a comment that stuck with me: “How can they really test fascia when people are still alive?”  It was one of those remarks that stays in your head. So I decided to look and see what’s actually possible. Before getting into the science, let’s take a step back and explain what fascia is for anyone unsure. Fascia is a continuous web of connective t

A jar of sauerkraut sits in warm sunlight, symbolising balance, patience, and natural wellness. Fermented foods have quietly returned from tradition to modern nutrition. They support digestion, boost immunity, and stabilise mood. For Pilates teachers and clients, they offer calm focus, sustained energy, and faster recovery. Fermentation happens when natural bacteria feed on the sugars in food. This process produces lactic acid, which preserves the food and creates probiotics.

A thoughtful teacher reflecting on how experience shapes learning and the humility of mastery. After years of teaching, it’s easy to slip into certainty. You’ve seen hundreds of clients, corrected thousands of spines, and heard the same questions a hundred times. Yet somewhere in the comfort of experience hides a trap. It’s called the Dunning–Kruger effect. The Dunning–Kruger effect describes how people with little knowledge often overestimate their ability, while those with

Building everyday strength starts with simple actions like lifting shopping safely and efficiently. Functional strength is not about lifting the heaviest weight in the gym. It is about moving with control and confidence in daily life. The goal is to train your body for the tasks you do every day, such as bending, reaching, carrying, pushing and pulling. Most people think of strength as muscle size or gym performance, but functional strength goes deeper. It combines mobility,

focused woman training with weights, showing vitality, balance, and graceful confidence in movement. Over the years teaching, many clients have said to me, “I don’t want to get bulky.”  I’ve heard it so often that I can almost predict when it’s coming. It usually appears the moment I hand someone heavier springs or suggest adding small weights. Somewhere along the line, people were told that strength training automatically equals size. It doesn’t. Building bulk takes a lot o

A warm bowl of golden vegetable soup sits in sunlight, symbolising nourishing winter self-care. As we head into the season of colds, flus, and all those unwelcome bugs, self-care takes on a new level of importance. This is the time to be deliberate about how you treat your body. A strong immune system doesn’t happen by accident, it’s built daily through your choices, your movement, your food, and your rest. Here are some ways to give your immune system the best support this s

Athlete bent over, struggling to breathe after intense effort during a race. In athletic training, breath control is often treated as background noise. Yet, the way you breathe affects performance more than most athletes realise. Pilates brings focus to this connection by teaching awareness, rhythm, and precision in breathing. Oxygen Delivery: Efficient breathing supports the balance between oxygen intake and carbon dioxide release. When athletes over-breathe or hold their br

Kari Anderson stands smiling with quiet confidence, a pioneer in fitness education and movement. This week, the fitness world lost another legend. Kari Anderson has passed away, and for many of us who grew up teaching, learning, or presenting through the FitPro conventions, this one feels personal. Kari wasn’t loud. She didn’t need to be. When she walked into a session, the room changed. You could feel her control, her precision, her respect for the craft. She taught with cla

Forearm muscles engaged during a Reformer pull, highlighting the connection between grip and core strength. Grip strength is often overlooked, but it tells us a lot about how the body is functioning as a whole. It reflects not only the strength of the forearms and hands but also the efficiency of the nervous system, muscle coordination, and even cardiovascular health. Research consistently links grip strength with longevity. Lower grip strength has been associated with reduce

Fresh cucumber, melon, tomatoes, and leafy greens highlight simple, hydrating foods that support fascia health. Hydration is not only...

Older adults practising single-leg balance in a calm home setting, improving coordination and fall prevention. Falls are not a normal...

Athletic alignment on rowing machine highlights Pilates principles of core strength and control. Walk into any gym and you’ll see the...

A crowded Reformer room shows how Pilates precision fades when numbers climb too high. Over the years I have taught many different types...

A small bedroom with two people and pets shows how CO2 levels rise overnight. Getting good sleep isn’t about luck. It’s about creating...

Brisk walking is a simple warm-up to prepare for VO₂ max interval training. We’ve talked about cardio on Fitness Fridays before. It...

Cyclist showing forward flexion posture that restricts breath, highlighting Pilates’ role in alignment. Runners and cyclists are experts...