I hope you have had a lovely week.

All Fours Stability Challenge is my choice this week. This is a brilliant exercise to challenge the core stability, and working against gravity creates extra challenge. The position demonstrated is a great alternative for Swimming, if you are unable to work in a fully prone position. The stability challenge can also be done in a fully standing position, which will then also challenge balance. 

In class there are many adaptations and alternatives that can be added to this challenge, so in class you will experience variations of the arm and leg movement — all create extra challenge for the core. You are also adding some weight bearing work into the upper body here, so very beneficial for bone health.

Work through the levels if you haven’t done this before, and find the appropriate challenge for your body. Keep away from pain, and check your alignment and balance for your spine.

Small changes = big benefits

Over the last couple of weeks I have been feeling a bit fed up with my hair. It felt like it was always the same, I would wash it and within a day it was just back to how it was. I felt my hair was flat and lifeless and to be honest, I felt a bit the same, flat and lifeless! 

So a quick visit to the hairdressers on Friday and my hairdresser cutting a fringe into my hair, believe it or not, has made all the difference. It’s amazing that this small change seems to have given my mood a real boost.

I don’t want to over-simplify things — but in some ways it shows that a simple, small change, can have such an effect. I suddenly felt more confident, I feel I have more energy, my mood just feels lighter. 

Now realistically it might not have anything to do with the fringe, and it might be short-lived — but in this moment it has made the difference I wanted. 

It has reminded me that sometimes its the small, simple things we can change that can lead to big changes in how we feel, how we behave, our thoughts, feelings and actions. 

The small things could be related to diet — deciding not to have chocolate tonight, or deciding to have porridge for breakfast instead of toast. It could be replacing that third cup of coffee today with a cup of green tea.

The small things could be wearing something different, instead of wearing the same old top, choose something you haven’t put on for a while, perhaps a brighter colour. 

The small things could be taking a different route on your daily walk. 

The small things could include sitting down and writing a letter to someone, rather than emailing or messaging. Finding a nice card, or writing paper, and sending special wishes to a friend or relative.

You will be amazed at the difference this can make to how you feel. 

Make a decision this week, and think about 3 small changes that you can easily make, specially if you have been feeling a bit flat and fed up, and see how making those changes make you feel. 

Have a great week folks, keep moving and keep moving forwards .