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The Jane Thomas Pilates Newsletter
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| My Birthday
Hi
Over the weekend I was celebrating my birthday and I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all the good wishes that were sent my way. I had a lovely time, and felt very lucky and spoilt... so THANK YOU!
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How are your shoulders doing?
In my group classes we have been doing quite a lot of focused work into shoulders and I have observed several things going on — firstly range of movement, strength, and also those of you who have shoulder problems have been experiencing referred discomfort in the upper arm. So this week I am focusing on the shoulder joint, and specifically the rotator cuff group of muscles. Here is a
picture of the shoulder joint:
In a bit more detail, we can look inside the shoulder joint, specifically at the muscles that make up the rotator cuff. These are:
- Teres minor
- Infraspinatus
- Supraspinatus
- Subscapularis
You can see these here:
Lots of things can go wrong with the shoulder — impingement of the muscles in the joint; frozen shoulder; bursitis etc — all can cause pain and discomfort, which can be referred into the arm and also can reduce mobility and strength.
We use a number of different Pilates exercises to improve the function of our shoulders, but our Exercise of the Week is a classic to help you improve both shoulder mobility and strength.
The Exercise Of The Week this week is to work on improving the workings of the Shoulder joint. The exercise is called a dumb waiter and can be done with or without a dynaband.
This week, I want to celebrate our fantastic three Pilates instructors, Josie, Helen and Caroline.
I have
received some fabulous feedback about all of them this week and it makes me realise how lucky we are to have such fabulous, inspirational teachers. Here are some quotes from emails I have received:
Caroline was absolutely lovely, made me feel very relaxed and gave me confidence with the exercises as I had no previous experience of Pilates.
I just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying my Monday class with Josie. She is a fabulous instructor, with very precise instructions AND I know when to breathe — if you know what I mean — I am certainly feeling the benefit from this
class.
Helen is such a great instructor, you are lucky to have her. Doing her classes previously really changed my life, so I am very grateful you have persuaded her to return to teaching.
I have just picked out the three at the top of my list that I wanted to share with everyone — there are many more. I am really thrilled that their teaching is having this kind of response. Thank you Josie, Helen and Caroline .
Our very own Instructor Caroline is taking on a BIG challenge shortly, all in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support — a charity
very dear to my heart. Caroline says:
This year I wanted to put my mind and body to the test by taking part in a physical challenge in order to
raise awareness and funds for Macmillan.
The number of people with cancer is growing every day, and many of us have experienced first-hand what it’s like for someone close to us to face cancer, and
how awful it is to lose someone to this disease.
In May, I will be taking on 8 peaks in just 8 hours in the Lake District, tackling some of the most demanding and rugged mountains in England in a
single day, including Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England! It will be tough but I am determined to complete it and make it back in one piece.
I’ll be following in the footsteps of a deeply
missed gentle giant, and all-round good Cumbrian lad – my Uncle Ted.
To keep you all updated, Jane's birthday treat at the weekend was a real, errr, treat. Assassins is a fantastic show, and the production was just superb. For those who've not been, the Menier Chocolate Factory is
an intimate theatre, and the seating is arranged either side of the stage, so it is almost as if the audience is part of the cast. Thank you all so much for keeping it a secret for me... ;-)
What's On The Internet?
I absolutely l-o-v-e the internet. It has been abuzz this last week with a certain photo of a woodpecker this week — you've no doubt seen it — with a weasel on its back.
Apparently the photo is real (though I do have my doubts). The photographer Martin Le-May says that he heard
the woodpecker's screeches as it was being attacked by the weasel, and it flew past him just as his camera was loaded and ready to go.
Now the internet is a fantastic thing. Within hours the photo was being Photoshopped, and additional things were being added to the original photo. One of the best being Vladimir Putin cut from the horse he was riding and put astride the woodpecker...
But then things started to get really silly. My favourite of the silly photos follows. You may remember the picture of Prince Charles chasing this little girl from several months back...
Hilarious.
I want to mention HAPPINESS!
Someone said to me last week in class...
Oooh, Jane you are always so happy and positive... I don't know how you do it.
Well the truth is that I am not — at least not all of
the time. And I am sorry if you feel disappointed to hear this, but the fact is that in our lives we experience so many emotions. And I believe that in order to be truly happy, we have to recognise and accept that things can happen which make us feel bad, sad, angry, thoughtful, disappointment, frustration; and the things we generally value most in our lives bring with them a whole range of feelings, which can be pleasant or unpleasant.
It is recognising and
accepting this that can lead to true happiness — so next time your partner, or your son/daughter, work colleague, neighbour, friend, mother, father, sister, brother, do something that frustrates you, remember that this is just one of those emotions we have to go through in order to find the true happiness when they do something wonderful. It's the acceptance and recognition of these emotions which will lead to them having less of an impact on our lives when we experience them.
So, no, I am not happy and positive all the time, but I am learning to accept and recognise all my emotions, and not letting them have such an impact on my life.
Have a great week folks — stay fit, happy and healthy and keep moving freely,
Jane and the team xxx
The
Important Stuff At The End
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Book Your Catchup Here...
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If you know you will have to miss a class in your course for any reason, and would like to book a space in another class instead, all you need to do is follow this link to book your Catchup an in the form you'll find tell us which exact class you will miss, as well as as many alternatives for Catchups as possible.
The Week's Classes — click timetable to enlarge |
This Week's Classes
All classes are running as they should be this week, and in their correct venues, and at their
correct times — except that Josie's Monday evening classes at Rosebery Street are taken by Helen. Josie is having a well-deserved evening off.
Next Week's Classes Next week, all classes will be running fully as
normal.
Any exercises given here are for information only and should not be treated as a substitute for medical advice from your own doctor or any other health care professional.
You are of course welcome to use these
exercises, but you are also reminded that Jane Thomas is not responsible or liable for any injuries incurred by performing any of the exercises given.
Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health or anything associated with it. |
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Jane Thomas Pilates
9 Great Central Road
Loughborough
LE11 1RW
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