Well, the answer to that of course is ‘how long is a piece of string?’ – everyone is different, we all have different issues, different levels of fitness, injuries, etc.

However, I can share that some people can notice a difference just after one Essentrics class! I have had quite a few emails after the first trial class with “wow, that’s the best night sleep I have had since I had my back operation”, “I feel so much better”. The reason for this is because Essentrics uses the back muscles all the time, not only do we extend it, but unlike many other modalities, we also do a lot of flexion – thereby rebalancing the muscles.

Let me explain that a bit better –

EXTENSION - Performing a back extension exercise will increase your ability to coordinate movement through your lower back. Other improvements include a stronger back and a back that has more endurance. Overall, these positives lead to better overall back posture, important for the prevention of back injury. (Livehealthy.com)

An Essentrics example is when we do Windmills, front lunges and when we lie on the floor on our stomach and come up onto our elbows. These all extend the back.

FLEXION - Back flexion is a type of stabilization exercise used in back rehabilitation programs that involve bending the spine forward from the waist. ... flexion rehabilitation has shown to be effective in relieving back pain by strengthening the lower back muscles and ligaments of the back. (Spinehealth.com)

An Essentrics exercise example is when we do any pelvic tilts like with the shoulder blast, rolling up the spine or cat stretches.

Feeling taller – that is because we reach up constantly, engaging in our abdominals but also working our back muscles, in particular the erector spinae (these are the muscles that are either side of your spine, the ones that feel so good during back massage!).

On average, it takes about 4-6 weeks to notice a difference. This is when you are doing a class 1x every week, obviously the more you do Essentrics the more you are going to get out of it, the quicker you are going to notice a difference.

When you see a physio after injury the body takes 4-6 weeks to recover, especially when you do your exercises that physio give you (yes I am well aware many people do not do their exercises which delays recovery).

There are all sorts of other factors that need to be taken into account, and after discussing this with my physiotherapist Jordan Liu from Get Moving Physio and from reading a 2017 paper on Hypertrophic effects of Concentric versus Eccentric muscle actions from the National Strength and Condition Association - one thing in particular that many of us overlook is – are you doing anything that is in conflict with Essentrics?

By the way - muscle hypertrophy is a term for the growth and increase of the size of muscle cells. The most common type of muscular hypertrophy occurs as a result of physical exercise such as weightlifting.

Essentrics will compliment all types of sports and exercise BUT if you are using Essentrics for the main goal of flexibility, to rebalance your muscles and help to lengthen them and you are still doing exercise that shortens the muscles (e.g. weight lifting or any other sport where you are doing the same thing over and over for a long time) and that exercise/sport you do more than you do Essentrics, then you will get absolutely nowhere with your flexibility and you won’t notice a difference.

If your goal is flexibility and rebalancing then you need to do Essentrics more than whatever else you are doing. So, if you are lifting weights 3x a week and Essentrics 1x a week you can see the muscles are being shortened more than lengthened and are not balanced at all. For every muscle shortening session, you need a muscle lengthening session (Essentrics) to rebalance, if you REALLY want more flexibility then you need to do 1 muscle shortening session to 2 muscle lengthening sessions.

One thing with Essentrics, is you don’t actually realise how much you are benefiting from it until you stop doing it. I know there are a few of you that over the Xmas break tell me, you can’t wait for class to start up again because you notice that when you don’t attend regularly that you start noticing your body is not functioning as well – myself included!

In the fitness industry, people come and go (it’s the nature of the beast), but I also know, that some of those people that do stop coming to class, (it usually takes a month or 2) come back – why?

Because they notice the effects of NOT doing Essentrics on a weekly basis. Some who have experienced back pain will notice in the beginning they get relief from attending class, can after a while think they are no longer benefiting. They definitely are, but they don’t notice it so much because they are constantly using their back muscles which are strengthening and are being used. But when they stop for a while the pain comes back, they then realise they are in fact benefiting from doing Essentrics on a regular basis. The biggest thing with pain and the body is you HAVE to keep moving! Obviously not all movement is created equal – e.g. running on a treadmill will not relieve pain in your back.

So, even though you may find from week to week you may not be noticing anything, you still are. You can always challenge yourself and push yourself a little more, go to the end of a stretch (all the way, slightly beyond your normal reach) and see if you notice anything different? There are always ways to challenge yourself more, just come and talk to me before class, but something you also have to realise is that sometimes less is more……….this just depends on where YOU are at and what you are trying to achieve.

Slowing things down is so much harder than doing things fast – ok, not when you are doing high impact cardio – that will definitely get your heart rate up and you will feel like you are out of breath – but it’s certainly not a necessity nor is lifting the most heaviest weights. Your body does not need to go to the excess to achieve results – that is the old paradigm the old way of thinking about things. Unfortunately, the main stream gym junkies and cross fit guru’s will disagree – but all I can say is, wait until they get older, wait and see how many more injuries they will have.

In my experience, everyone I have met who has done an extreme sport has major injuries from over use, not stretching properly and not rebalancing, which in turn leads to injury. I myself, lifting heavy weights while teaching classes caused the extra pressure on my knees, hence osteoarthritis AND teaching step classes years ago with limited stretches for the calf muscles left me with extremely tight calves, so tight I won’t let anyone touch them (Jordan and Debby will both tell you how I respond when my soleus muscle is touched). Due to Essentrics over time they have become more bearable.

So to answer the question, how long does it take before you notice a difference? That is entirely up to you, where you are in your life, how much rebalancing of the muscles you do and what else you may be doing that is in conflict with Essentrics.

If you are unsure, please come and chat to me, I am always here to help!

As many of you know I turned 50 last month, with it brought a lot of life assessment and I am sure some of you know exactly what I am talking about!

However, turning 50 was a pretty big deal to me, I was quite anxious leading up to it, like something was going to happen overnight. I knew it wasn’t, but I think its that age when you realise you are definitely mid-life and you look around and ask ‘is this it?’

Changes had been happening to my body for a while and I have certainly noticed the signs of aging. Because of this I have been reading more and more about the changes with the body throughout this time of life and one thing that comes up in EVERY thing I read, is how important EXERCISE is!

There have been a few things that have really hit home for me, so I want to share them with you.

OK some of you are probably nowhere near mid-life, some of you have past it and some of you are men. I still think it is a very interesting topic how exercise can help.

With saying some of you are a men…………………well, there have been recent studies saying that men can also go through a change in life – their symptoms are pretty similar women:

Hot flashesMoodiness and irritabilityAccumulation of fat around the abdomen and the chestLoss of muscle massDry and thin skinExcessive sweatingReduced concentration spanDecreased energy

In a man, the changes are less abrupt. They emerge slowly and subtly with the decrease in the levels of the male hormone testosterone (‘Medical News Today, 7 October 2016 by Christian Nordqvist’)

So, why is exercise so important even more so at this time of life?

Exercise, along with a healthy diet provides the foundation to get your body ready for the transition. If you haven’t started before the hormones decline, it will be that much harder to start later on (‘Medium.com, May 2018 by Rebecca Levy-Gantt’) This in particular really struck a chord with me, wow! Let me repeat that again so it sinks in “If you haven’t started before the hormones decline, it will be that much harder to start later on. ” But, really it’s never too late!, you know the saying "Better late than never!".

Exercise is general can help keep your body at a healthy weight, keep your bones strong, reduce your risk of cancer, reduce your risk of heart disease, decrease the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, reduce high blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol, increase energy levels, helps your brain and memory, helps with sleep quality and makes you happier.

Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost endurance. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to our tissues and helps our cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores. You do not need to be doing high impact exercise or 'cardio' as some people call it - I am going to digress a little - 'cardio' means: exercising the heart muscle. Essentrics is cardio, its just not high impact, we are exercising the heart muscle, our heart rate goes up and down during class.

"Exercise is the best medicine and the best preventative medicine. Just like taking your car for regular maintenance, the regular maintenance for our bodies is to do regular activity" (Randy Steinfeldt)

So why wouldn’t you exercise? Why is it, some people are so scared of it or don't even try?

Another important thing especially during the change of life, is stress management and taking class helps with that too :) Exercise and physical activity produce endorphins, these are chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers. They also improve the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress.

I must share with you, it never ceases to amaze me how many times I get emails and texts saying “I won’t be coming to class because I am too tired, or because I have had a hard day” Honestly, this is when you NEED to come to class the most. You will feel so much better afterwards. There are times too when I don’t want to teach a class, things happen in my life too BUT I am always so pleased that I do as I always feel 100% better – its those endorphins!!!

As you know I take a record of who attend my classes. When I compare all my classes with the amount of people away each week, the one class that usually has a 90% turn out (unless they are travelling overseas) is my class that has 99% of participants over the age of 50.

They “get it”, they understand WHY its so good to exercise, the importance of it and I must mention they could give many of my younger class participants a run for their money! They look absolutely amazing doing Essentrics and the strength they have in their legs from doing lunges and plies would blow a lot of you away. They come because they appreciate what they get out of it, they don't give up after a few classes or a term, they keep coming. What’s more they enjoy coming to class. Not only do they build strength, balance and flexibility but it is a very friendly and social class that assists in the stress management side of things.

So, the ONE lifestyle decision you can make to live longer and healthier is to exercise. You can exercise as much as you like or as little. But you MUST keep moving! A lot of people don’t realise this or only do something about it when their bodies show signs of not being able to move, like I said above, its never too late.

I am going to leave you with this quote to ponder from Medium.com by Rebecca Levy-Gantt – she says she saw this in a doctors office -

“Those who think they have not the time for bodily exercise, will sooner or later have to find the time for illness”.

In this months blog I want to focus on technique and why it is so important.

There is so much more to an Essentrics workout than meets the eye and when done correctly it makes the workout even better as we constantly rebalance the body.

In every class I talk about what we are doing and what muscles we are using. There is good reason for this - I want you to understand why you are doing what you are doing and to make sure you do feel it in the muscles we are working.

I wish our class had mirrors, so you can all see for yourself if your form is right and self-correct accordingly. It is sometimes hard to correct yourself when there are no mirrors.

As you know I do not go around the class and correct people (unless I absolutely have to!) I understand many people do not like to be corrected within a class and I would never name and shame you. I talk through the moves and when I do see people in class doing something slightly wrong I mention it. Most of you when I say how you should be doing things eg knees aligned with the toes in a plie, immediately change if you are not aligned, which is fantastic!

Doing some movements not 100% right is not critical with Essentrics as the programme itself has been designed with that in mind (no serious injury can be done). But it is important to try and do the moves as best we can with the correct technique which will benefit your body immensely compared to just going with the flow.

Good technique makes a great workout!

With that in mind, the 20 most common mistakes people make during an Essentrics class are:

Plies – A) as mentioned above, knees turned out and aligned with the toes (make sure your knee follows the position of the toes). In Essentrics we do plies not squats, in squats the knees and feet are straight ahead, the bottom is out the back and the body comes slightly forward. In Essentrics they are turned out as we do plies, back is upright and the body does not come forward. You just bend the knees, not only working your legs and butt, but also your core and posture! When your knees are not aligned you can cause issues with the tendons and ligaments around the knees, putting more pressure on them.B) - the body must remain in an upright position. Many people tilt forward instead of ‘pulling up’. This could be for 2 reasons, 1 – they are going too low in a plie. Going too low can get your body out of alignment – especially when you lean forward, not to mention it can cause pain in the knees and strain on the back; 2 – you have weak core muscles, this can be improved in time, however when tilting slightly forward it puts your posture entirely out. So try your best to be in an upright position at all times.C) - the legs in a plie are to be wide apart (ok not so you can drive a bus through it or as wide as a lunge), but wide enough to allow your spine to be straight and your body to be supported by your legs. A plie is not just bending, a plie is also the opening of your hips as your knees bend. Having your legs too close together will not harm you, but you are working more the calves and the lower leg rather than the quads. Windmills – A) I know for some of you windmills can be confusing! But once you have mastered them they are fantastic for strengthening the back, so what goes wrong? When we are facing the front and come to the ‘slight rotation’, many use their hips to rotate or just use their arms instead of rotating the body and keeping the hips straight ahead. The idea is to keep those hips straight so we can work on strengthening the back. Whilst there is no damage to be done when doing this incorrectly, it is good to know how they should be done.B) –the back is to be upright at ALL times. Instead of not ‘pulling up’ or ‘having a gold medal around your neck’ some people’s posture slackens. You need to constantly ‘pull up’, when turning towards one side and lunging. All you are doing is lunging and just bending the knee, nothing else changes, the body remains upright. Many people tend to lower their arms and their back when they reach forward, therefore putting a bit of strain on the lower back and not strengthening their backs or improving their posture.C) – yep there is more! When doing a windmill from one side to the other, it is the opposite arm to the leg you are lunging. Again, this will not cause any harm, but it could cause you to be unbalanced. Arms – A) when we are holding our arms out to the side and pulsing, we need to imagine that we are pushing against a wall, so you are reaching out to both walls from the centre of your body. You should feel a bit of tension in the arms as you do so. By doing this we are lengthening and strengthening the arms. Doing it right means you are getting maximum benefit from the exercise.B) – keeping your shoulders down is a must. Why? Because having them up will cause tension and you may end up with sore shoulders (trapezius) like you get when carrying a heavy bag.Lunges – just like plies, having the knee turned out and aligned with the toe so you are not putting any pressure on your knees. The other thing with lunges is having your arm above your head/ear - we have our arm above the head/ear in order to work through the reflex arcs down the side of your body, when the arm is lower than the head/ear we are no longer working through the reflex.Caribbean Spine – this is the one where we tuck our pelvis in and under (like someone is trying to ‘pinch’ your bottom and you tuck under to avoid it). This movement targets the muscles in your lower back, when you release (stick the bottom out) we are arching the back. This also helps with the flexibility of the spine and we do both flexion and extension to re-balance the back. What I see a lot - is people not tucking their pelvis in and under, instead they lower their upper body down and back again. Unfortunately, this is not working the lower back muscles at all.Lying legs – A) when lying on your side and supported by your arm, make sure your body is upright, no slouching. This will help you to have good posture.B) – make sure you are not leaning too far forward, or too far back. Take time before joining the rest of the class if you don’t feel right. Leaning too far forward or backwards can put strain on your back and will mean your posture is out. It also means you are not in the correct position and will be unable to get the most out of this exercise.C) – the shoulders need to be relaxed, if not it will cause tension (because you may be raising them without even knowing), if you get any tension in your shoulder on the supporting arm, then make sure you are upright as mentioned in number 11 above. If you get tension in the other shoulder then make sure you take it off the ground and just have it either resting on the leg that you are working or behind your back (having it behind your back will make sure you are not lifting your shoulders)D) – oh there are a few here! Be sure to extend the leg out and away from your body, by pushing it out you are lengthening the leg and making the leg heavier to lift, by doing so we are eccentrically using the leg as a lever, this is what we are trying to achieve. (An eccentric contraction is the motion of an active muscle while it is lengthening under load. Eccentric training is repetitively doing eccentric muscle contractions - Wikipedia)Shoulder Blast – making sure you are in a neutral C position (bottom tucked slightly under) with your legs and feet straight ahead. When we are in this position we are targeting the deep lower back muscles. Obviously when you are not in neutral C you are not targeting the lower back, nor are you fully stretching the back as we bring our arms around to the front. Sit Ups – as you know, we do not do the normal sit up. It is important not to pull on your neck and force yourself up. In Essentrics, we only come up a small way, enough to engage the abdominals, making sure the back is on the mat. Keeping your head looking at the ceiling (as if you have a tennis ball underneath your chin) or alternatively crossing your arms behind your head and laying your head in your arms, this will make sure you are not pulling on your neck and will engage the abdominals.Baby stretch – yes how we love this one to stretch out the buttocks. The ideal movement when we ‘twist’ is to rock the leg that is crossed, over towards the head and back towards the toes, rather than from one side to side. Twisting towards the head and toes stretches out the area we are targeting.IT Band stretch – A) this is the one that is uncomfortable no matter how many times you do it. It also has to be done correctly to get maximum benefit from it. The main IT Band stretch we do is on the floor when we take one leg up and cross it over the supporting bent leg that remains on the floor. The leg going across is to be straight, ideally with a flexed foot. You take the leg that is crossed with the flexed foot down towards the floor and then you take it forward towards your head, so there are 2 movements here. Once you have done that we usually do it again (this does not mean taking the leg back to where you started from), so you are gradually bringing that crossed leg closer to the floor and closer towards your head.B) – make sure that both of your buttocks are on the floor. When they are not, you are lifting one side off the floor therefore not getting a good stretch and also rotating the lower back which is not what we are wanting to achieve.PNF stretching of the hamstrings (back of the leg) – whilst we do PNF stretching throughout the whole class, I wanted to explain it in the hamstring stretch more. This is also done mainly on the floor, supporting leg is bent. When you take the leg up, I say tension on (eg. hand pushing against leg and leg pushing against the hand (or band if you are using one), this is resistance, then I say “release”, so you release the tension from the leg, “relax” relaxing the leg then “stretch” and we stretch the leg (ideally straight) towards the head. Whilst people don’t usually do this incorrectly, they usually don’t understand what I am saying, so I thought I would put it in writing :)

I hope these guidelines help you, if you get the opportunity get in front of a mirror and have a look at your technique and self-correct if necessary.

If you are unsure, see me before or after class as I can definitely help. If any of the exercises are difficult, come and talk to me because there are always options and of course, if too easy – again come and talk to me as that is what I am here for.

I want you to get the MOST out of doing Essentrics and I want to make sure you are in perfect form, it makes my day/evening when I do a class and everyone is doing it correctly! To me that’s a sign of a good instructor :)

Most of all, remember - I am here for you!

As most of you know, I recently went on a cruise to Fiji and Tonga.

I had great plans to dedicate an hour a day to Essentrics while on the cruise for two reasons:

I had to learn my routines, so when I came back from holiday I was ready to teach them to you!To keep my body moving the way it is used to. I know how it feels when you stop for a while, your body feels heavy and harder to move.

Like most best made plans, things did not turn out as I had hoped. Whilst I could do a little bit every now and then, it was difficult to carry it out on a daily basis. Not only because there were lots of things to do (especially when we went ashore for the day), but also due to lack of space in the cabin and a daughter who was a cling on!

I know many of you travel a lot and some of you for long periods of time. It is impossible to keep to your usual exercise routine when you are abroad. Obviously I am basing this blog on my cruise, but it doesn’t matter whether you are on a ship, in a hotel in whatever country or your own country. A holiday is a holiday break no matter where!

So take note what happens to your body when you stop doing Essentrics.

Here is what I noticed during our 2 week term holiday break and then the 2 week cruise:

The first thing I noticed and to be honest is still affecting me today is my lower back. The hard beds and pillows in the cabin didn’t do me any favours. The first 2 days of the cruise I managed to do a few Essentrics stretches, but not as much as I would be, if at home taking classes. So, it wasn’t until the 4th day in that I noticed the pain in my lower back. This was at the same time we started to go to the different islands and were gone for the whole day. I didn’t get a chance to do any stretches – what a BIG mistake that was.

From there my back continued to ache, I did a few stretches that helped keep it at bay with a few niggles here and there but by the end of the cruise, my back was really sore. As soon as I got home I started doing more Essentrics. At the time of writing this, it is my 4th day home, the ache/pain is still there. I taught my first class back yesterday, so I am eager to see how soon my back settles down once I am back into my usual exercise routine. (Update – after 3 classes my back felt better. This is 3 classes day after day, not week after week)

My knees also started playing havoc (again not being able to do my regular exercise schedule). I did walk the stairs of the ship every day and many times during the day. If any of you have been on a cruise ship you will realise there are MANY MANY stairs! Our family used the stairs to go up and down ALL the time, I think from memory we only used the elevator about 4 times. To give you an idea: The main reception area on the ship was Level 5, the restaurant and entertaining area for live shows was Level 7, our cabin was Level 9, the food court and pools were Level 12 and the Kids Club was Level 14. Not to mention that the areas you needed to get to were often at either ends of the ship. The Pacific Jewel is 245m long. There is much more to a ship, but they were the main areas we frequented.

I also did a lot of walking around the ship in the hope of keeping my fitness up, but have to admit I also had some lazy times reading my book, drinking cocktails while listening to music or watching a movie (which is why I went!)

I noticed the pain in my knees about 5 days in, I didn’t take any support bandages with me as I didn’t think I needed to, but I was amazed that even though I was still using my quads (meaty thigh group muscles at the front of the leg) to walk up and down the stairs, I wasn’t doing any specific moves like we do in class that help strengthen the tendons and ligaments around the knees.

My neck – I put this down to hard pillows and them not being the usual height that I normally use. At home I use one pillow, but one pillow on the ship was too low, so I used two. Whilst I did do some stretches for my neck I most certainly didn’t do them as much as I should have.

Gosh, I sound like a right off don’t I? Ha, ha ha :)

No, I wasn’t, I still got around and enjoyed the cruise very much, I just wanted to share how my body reacted to not having its usual intake of Essentrics and the functional movement that Essentrics provides.

Imagine what I would have been like if I had done NOTHING?

I also wanted to point out that you really don’t realise how much you get from doing Essentrics until you stop doing it, week by week it keeps our bodies moving without pain. I guess I take it for granted, maybe because I am an instructor and I do Essentrics more than the average participant that my body will not be affected so much if I stop for a wee while…….ummmmm WRONG!

Let’s delve into the science behind lack of movement - what happens when you stop doing your regular exercise routine? Loss of flexibility is really noticeable (think of any of our cool down stretches, where you used to be able to do a lot more before going away, maybe the lying leg circles where you used to be able to do a big circle and be lower to the ground, but after being away you are not so flexible. Or you used to be able to stretch the back of your leg more (bring it closer to your head) in the hamstring stretches). Loss of flexibility is common and this can happen when missing just one week of class! You can also feel more sluggish and stiff, I know I certainly felt sluggish, due to the amount of food too! So imagine what happens after more than a week? Eeeek!!!

You can also lose muscle mass, when you exercise regularly, you're gaining muscle, so when you stop for a certain amount of time you lose it. According to Doctor Google - the book “Sports-Specific Rehabilitation” reports that endurance athletes such as rowers took up to 12 weeks to lose muscle mass. On the other hand, power lifters, competitive weightlifters and football players can lose muscle strength as early as two weeks with inactivity. May 5, 2011” 2 weeks, that’s not long, wow!!!

Regular exercise keeps our body flexible and makes things easier for everyday life.

It’s easy to see how some people after being away from exercise after a long period of time can take so long to try and get back into it. When you are feeling sluggish, non motivated, stiff – you don’t want to do anything, especially any type of cardio exercise.

Thank heavens for Essentrics, it’s a nice way to get back into things and it doesn’t take long to get yourself back into your routine. The first class back is always the hardest and you think “oh gosh this is hard” to the second class back and you think, “Oh this wasn’t as hard as last week” Why? Because you got your body moving again, because you woke it up so the more classes after that (especially doing the same routine) becomes easier. Until of course I change the routine! :)

I do know that when I am back teaching my regular classes my body will thank me for it, I know that my back will no longer ache, my knees will be stronger and that neck pain will disappear.

If it helps me in this way, imagine how it helps you? So, bring it on!

I know what you are all thinking! Why I am I talking about winter wellness? Yes you have heard it all before, I am sure, but I want to share other aspects to looking after yourself over the cold winter months.

As I start to write this blog it’s the beginning of July and its sure been a colder than usual July here in Auckland, NZ. We hit a record low of -3 degrees a few days ago, one that we have not had in over 64 years!!

So what are you doing to combat the cold and prevent getting sick?

I will start with the general things that most people turn to –

The flu injection – obviously this is over to you. This is not something that I recommend as I am a full believer in the body dealing with viruses on its own. I personally only refer to the medical side of things when it’s something I cannot deal with naturally. Like I said, this is my own personal opinion and we are all entitled to that :)Lemon and honey drinks – ah yes, this well-known drink we all turn to when we start getting a sore throat. These are great and absolutely give your body the vitamin C boost it needs to help fight off the incoming cold. There is absolutely not much better than a lemon and honey drink, apart from adding raw ginger and raw turmeric. Ginger is amazing and so underutilized, ginger helps you sweat out the toxins in your body, which is helpful when you have a cold or flu. As a side note, ginger is also good for pain and inflammation and stomach upsets, but I digress…... Turmeric is good for inflammation as well and is an antioxidant. It also helps the body to absorb other antioxidants. Boosting your antioxidant intake can help provide added protection for the body against immune system problems. You don’t necessarily need to have raw ginger and turmeric you can use the powdered variety, you just have to figure out what you like for your taste preference.Throat lozenge – I always head for Comvita Manuka honey lozenges (made in NZ), but obviously there are many natural lozenges now on the market. OR you may go for the standard medicated Strepsils (which absolutely make me feel sick :(, I don’t know what is in them, but my gosh, I can’t have them)Vitamin C – yes we get some tablets and suck them as often as we can. These are also great, but do keep in mind there is vitamin C and vitamin C – not all vitamins are equal. It’s best to talk to a naturopath if you can and I can thoroughly recommend Milena from Max Health Store on Rosedale Road, East Coast Bays end. There is always a naturopath in store and they can definitely recommend the right thing for you and the best brand. There is no charge for Milena's help in store. Sorry to say, but most supermarket brands, just don’t cut it.Other natural remedies – one of my favourites I was put on to via Milena, is Systemwell by Nature’s Way. This stuff is fabulous and I cannot recommend it enough, although I don’t just use it when I feel sick (more on that later).General pharmaceutical drugs – Codral, Nurofen, cough medicines etc – yes they do the trick and stop that runny nose and help you continue with your day, as long as they are not taken in excess then all good and once again, totally up to you. I will definitely turn to Codral when I absolutely need it. (Not had to for a few years now!)

Usually when we get sick, the only thing we want to do is rest. However, on the 16th of June there was an article in the New Zealand Herald by: Kathleen Alleaume with the headline – “Surprising reason you should exercise when you are sick ”Until now, we had the understanding that our immune system would be compromised as our body recovers post workout — and we could be more susceptible to infection during this time. But the new research has blown away this theory.

In fact, "Evidence now suggests that your immune system remains boosted after exercise — for example we know that exercise can improve your immune response to a flu jab," says study co-author, Dr James Turner.

The researchers believe that the cells are not 'destroyed' (as previously thought), instead the cells migrate to other parts of the body, looking for other infections, such as the lower respiratory tract (chest or lungs), representing an immune boost, making it less likely for infections to flourish.” On top of that Dr. Michael Roizen, MD states “When you begin to show signs of a cold, increase your vitamin C to as much as 4 grams (4,000 milligrams) a day, taken with plenty of water (eight glasses for 4 grams). Although this won't cure colds, it will lessen the severity of the symptoms. For example, when you have a cold and take your C, you may find that you can keep exercising”

Now that makes things interesting and gives you food for thought doesn’t it?

Just like Essentrics can prevent injury, we can also try and help to prevent colds. Here is what I do on a daily basis:

a) I wake up in the morning and have a lemon, ginger and turmeric drink – yes EVERY day. I have started to drink it with a straw of late as lemon is known for removing the enamel off teeth and after years of having a lemon drink every morning I am starting to notice it. Oh by the way, I don’t use normal straws – not good for the environment and all that. I have recently invested in a stainless steel straw, pretty cool actually!

b) I also have vitamin C drink at some stage during the day – yes that’s right a drink, rather than tablets, by drinking vitamin C it absorbs into your body quickly. I use Clinicians but there are various brands again and like I said, talk to a naturopath who is in store as they will direct you to the right thing for you – unlike a pharmacy where most will just sell you what they think is good or what they are getting a bonus for selling or you just buy whats on special and it may not be the best one for you.

c) When the months start to cool, I start taking Nature's Way, Systemwell. So usually around April, I take 1 a day and then build up to 2 a day, I have this with my vitamin C drink, but you don’t have to. When I feel like I might be getting a cold, I up the Systemwell to 2 a day. I usually keep it at 2 a day over the winter months UNLESS I feel like I am coming down with something, so I up the dosage to 3 a day. By the way I am no naturopath, but this is what works for me.

d) Sleep – yes indeed, I must admit I don’t always sleep that well, but sleep is the best thing you can do for your immunity and is definitely aids towards prevention. When I start to feel a bit run down and I don't sleep, I absolutely know the result will end in me getting sick.

This routine I have going on a daily basis has kept me from getting really sick for over 2 years now, so I can vouch for that. But one thing that everyone overlooks is exercise! Yes you heard it, exercise!

Science has proven that exercise can boost your immunity and exercising regularly will definitely help ward off the winter ills. So exercise is a prevention tool to stay fit and healthy over the winter months. If you want to read more, Google it :)

Many of us just want to stay inside near the fire (I totally get that), but that is not supporting your immune system. When I googled how does exercise help your immunity? I got this: “Exercise causes changes in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease” I also got “There is evidence that regular exercise, which improves circulation, can boost immunity”

In my opinion, continuing to exercise through winter definitely helps you, even if I do get sick, I am usually only sick for a few days and its very mild, where others I know who do not exercise are down for 4-5 days with a general cold.

So, the moral of the story is – keep on exercising, support your body and don’t give up just because it’s cold and wet outside. Your body will thank you for it!

To date I have currently been running my own small business for 5 years – wow that has gone quick! I won’t lie, there are many times I ask myself “what are you doing?” not to mention “why am I doing this?”

Being in a small business, up against the larger ones that can offer so much more because they have the finances is difficult. It takes stamina, a lot of energy and a lot of disappointments. It’s getting up and keeping going that is the biggest effort of all.

I can only share with you my experience, which of course, is why I am writing this blog!

As some of you know, I engaged in a business mentor earlier this year to help me. He has been absolutely wonderful, but he has also opened up a can of worms. A can that has my head spinning and a can that involves a lot more background to running this small business than I ever imagined.

I truly thought, he would just tell me what to do and things would run smoothly. I had no idea that there was a great deal more work involved. One thing for sure that has come out of it, nothing happens overnight. I wish it did! I have never been one for patience.

Whilst I am a good student for my mentor and he is always pleased that I have done my homework, putting things into practice takes a lot more, that’s where I wish I had a team of people that I could delegate things to and the finances to match!

Apart from my mentor who I see every 3-4 weeks, my patient friend Debby who listens to me for a bit on a weekly basis, my caring friend Shoko, who I catch up with every 5-6 weeks, my savvy friend Amanda in Ottawa, Canada (who I try and Skype, but of late it’s been about 3 months apart), my friendly confidante Dyan in the USA who I occasionally bounce ideas off and the odd feedback from the Essentrics instructors only page on Facebook, I really have NO ONE to talk to. Although reading back through this paragraph, it actually seems like I do, but I hardly talk to anyone and feel very much on my own.

One of the things that people don’t realise is the only adults I get to talk to during the day and/or evening is YOU my class participants. And of course my partner, but it’s usually in the middle of running around after our children. I do have a wonderful sister, Karyne, who I am so grateful for having in my life, that I can ring up and have a talk to and my mother, who probably wonders what on earth I am going on about now. BUT, apart from that, it’s pretty lonely on a day to day basis.

There are times, when I think it would be easier just to go back into office work, (prior to doing Essentrics I was a legal executive) and earn a lot more money. I would then be able to buy things we simply cannot afford, then I think – nah I would miss my Essentrics family too much – i.e. YOU!

So, I decided to do a list, of pros and cons of being in your own business and I will share that with you:

Pros –

Work the hours you want (well, not fully, as there is evening work involved, and a lot of time during the day to do things like this blog, emails, creating routines etc - which I mentioned in a previous blog). But I can do it at my own pace and time that suits me.Be available for my children - whilst they are still young I am available for their out of school activities, if they are sick etc, and I get to attend the odd class trip.I can be with my children over the school holidays – I count this as a pro, but they do drive me crazy, so maybe this can be listed as a con too?I meet amazing people – yes that’s YOU! I have met people from all walks of life and I have certainly learnt a lot. I appreciate when things are shared to me as I feel that I am trusted, which is an honour as I know how hard it is for people to trust :)Getting results – this is a BIG one. When I hear of people getting HUGE results from doing Essentrics, it makes my heart sing! I want to hear all those great results, even the little ones. I would love to receive any testimonials you are willing to share :)Referrals – I just LOVE it when you refer friends/family. This says to me that you love doing Essentrics and you are confident that your friends/family will love it too. It means so much to me and I am truly grateful for those of you that have done so :) The main reason why my classes are still going is because of referrals, so thank you so, so, so much!Lunch – I can go out to lunch with friends when I don’t have a class, I can also have lunch for more than an hour if I choose, which you can’t if you are working in an office.Having my toenails done – yes it’s a pro! As we do not wear shoes, I definitely need to have nice, clean, good looking feet! I feel it’s a must and having them done professionally is a bonus (especially when you get the chair massage as well :) :) :) ). I can also get them done in less busy times, so a win/win.Creating routines – I LOVE this part of my business, I love the challenge of find the music (you know me, themes especially), I love being able to use my creative side.Autonomy – HUGE – I am not sure how I would cope being told what to do again and when to do it. I am in control and I LOVE it :)

Cons –

I am on my own - This is fine most of the time, but there are times I really want to talk to someone about what is going on business wise. My poor friend Debby, who most of you know really gets hammered by me when she comes over before class. I feel bad, but this is what happens when you are on your own and have nobody to talk to.The money – I know you probably look around and do the math as some of my classes are quite big BUT that is only for the 1 hour class. The time and energy spent behind the scenes far outweighs what I get paid.It’s just me – in this regard, I mean I have no other instructors. No one who can fill in if I am sick. Luckily I have been pretty good over the past 5 years when it comes to coughs and colds. But still, unlike a Gym they can get someone to cover you, I cannot.I have to take a class, no matter what – unlike other jobs, if you are unwell or not feeling right, you can have a day off work. For me, I have to take a class no matter what has happened in my life. I remember when my father died, I was a mess BUT I still had to turn up to class, put a smile on my face and carry on.Chasing payments – oh I really hate this part of it. I know it goes hand in hand with all businesses, but I do find it hard – especially when I am the one that makes friends with everyone. I certainly wish I had someone else to do this.Taking holidays in the school term break – whilst this is not really a negative, it is. Mainly because everything increases in price over the school holidays, so it’s an expensive time to travel (not that I go away much these days).Only being paid for the classes I take – like many contractors, this too of course relates to me. If I do have time off, I don’t get paid and I only get paid term to term. So there is no sick pay or holiday pay.Never knowing whether I have a class – I never really truly know whether a class is going ahead the next term until I receive emails back from you. I require a minimum of 8 (although that number may increase as the venue hire places have increased). Most times I am totally stressing out as many of you leave it until the last minute to let me know. I understand that is human nature, but to me – well, it’s nail biting time! Especially as I have to pre-pay for the whole term ahead without knowing whether you are going to return.Being let down – this relates to all aspects in life and all businesses, but here is my take: Obviously without you, there is no class. I always hope that you will return. I know people’s lives change, but it’s hard to think that it’s you changing your circumstances and it’s not me personally. This also goes for new people trying the class, many people tell me how wonderful they feel and say they are going to return, then never do. I think I would prefer people to be honest and tell me the truth. Yes, I want everyone to love Essentrics and return to class, but I do appreciate that it may not suit all. However, to be "led down a garden path", with many emails over weeks/months, well let’s say that really gets to me.People wanting things for nothing – I feel my classes are pretty reasonable price wise, plus I am an instructor with a lot of experience (which I would think would account for a lot), but there are still those who want more and more without consideration of my time, nor a thank you. I will leave that there.People who really need counselling – as an instructor you hear all sorts of things and I keep that information to myself, so please note I would never share anything that you say to me with anyone else. On the whole it is absolutely fine, as mentioned above, I feel honoured and worthy when you share things with me. But, sometimes, the line can be crossed and I feel that I do not have the skills to deal with what you may tell me. If you really have issues, please go and see someone that can help, yes I will listen, but sometimes that listening goes on for a long time before or after class. Its very taxing for me trying to set up class while I am being talked to. I need to get my head in the right space and to be focussing on what I am about to do.Not being appreciated – ok I know you don’t get appreciated in your everyday job unless you have a good boss. Then again, when you are on your own, you pretty much bust a gut (ok it’s for yourself), but there is no recognition for what you do. Apart from the odd person who says something to you that really makes you smile and reminds you why, you do what you do.Getting new people to class – again, you may look around class and say ‘wow look at all these people’ BUT many people have been with me since day 1. I am lucky that they continue to come to class, however, it is very hard to get new people to come along. Hence why referrals are so important and I stress once again that I am truly grateful to those of you who refer friends. Advertising is very costly and for me does not really have much effect, which leads me into the next one……. People not knowing what Essentrics is – this is a tough one. Even after the article written in Stuff.co.nz about it, people still commented on their page – oh its just Yoga. Ummmmm, no it is not. Once more, having finances to do an ad on TV or a big ad in a magazine or local rag, would be amazing. Well I would, if I could.Having more instructors - this would certainly help me. If anyone is interested in training up and becoming an instructor, even if it is just to fill in for me when needed, do let me know. In this regard, you need to be willing to learn, be reliable and be able to commit. It takes time.

So, looking back at my lists, it looks like there are more cons than pros……….but if I compare my pros and cons of going back to office work full time, I think there would be more cons than pros – apart from the money, which of course is the main reason we work! But to me, you have to have career satisfaction.

Being in business on your own is challenging, especially by yourself. Consequently why many people don’t do it, or stick with it. They say it takes 3 years for a business to thrive, if you make it in 3 years, then the hardest part is over. I personally think part of that is true, but I also think that you have to be passionate about it, love what you do and consistently put the effort into it.

If you lose the passion, the determination and the enjoyment, then there is absolutely no reason to continue. I am definitely not at this stage as I LOVE what I do, I would LOVE it to be a bit easier at times and I would LOVE to have more people to share my passion with.

Baby steps……….watch this space :)

Many people think, a group exercise instructor just turns up for a class and teaches it; let me shed some light:

First of all, even before you begin to actually teach a class, you need to qualify. Depending on what you teach, depends on how much study is involved. Some Gyms (but not many these days) are happy to train you up, they supply the music and the choreography (routine), and all the instructor has to do, is learn it. This is certainly an easy way to get into the field to see if you like it, but it still takes time to learn the routines.

Another pathway to becoming an instructor is to do a weekend course (such as Pilates, Yoga & Zumba). You can obtain a basic Pilates mat certification after about 40–50 hours of training (www.exerciseacademy.nz).

For Yoga, the average time to complete a 200 hour course is between three to five months (www.goldenyogi.com).

For Zumba – it varies from one or two days, attendees leave fully licensed to lead group classes (www.quora.com).

You may even go down the track of learning through AUT, Fitness Colleges or Skills Active NZ (www.skillsactive.org.nz). They offer a variety of certifications from live classes to correspondence.

None of the pathways are free and all cost money depending on which course you decide to do and how much you want to learn. Courses can range from $250 to $5,000 plus.

For me personally, I was asked to become an instructor (I was one of those people who used to do all the high impact classes and circuit classes. I was pointed out by the instructor to do a few steps, star jumps etc. on my own and lead the class for a few minutes). So, I started with a Gym and was given routines and music. I did this for a few months then wanted to become qualified. I went to Top Gunz Aerobic Academy (this was back around 1988).

The directors of Top Gunz Aerobic Academy were Brett Fairweather (he was the two time World Aerobic Champion and eight time New Zealand Aerobic Champion, he now choreographs (creates routines) and is the director for Jump Jam) and Ruth Pirihi who used to be the owner of Radical Fitness (this is a company that creates routines/classes for Gyms. The instructors at the said Gyms get trained up to teach the Radical Fitness routines).

The Top Gunz Aerobic Academy course involved an 8 week weekend course. It taught you how to choreograph, deliver and adapt safe and effective group exercise classes.

At that time I became REPS registered – what this means is REPs registration gives independent verification that a registered individual/facility meets the industry standards on an ongoing basis. This includes regular upskilling. Registration with REPs is the recognised standard to ensure safe and effective exercise advice. (Many exercise professionals are NOT registered with REPS, so there is no safeguard to you).

I taught at the Gym for years until I became an Essentrics Instructor.

Essentrics is broken down into 4 levels, you are a certified instructor after Level 1. The expected time to complete Level 1 is approximately 12 weeks (www.Essentrics.com). Unfortunately, some instructors just stay at Level 1 (I liken this to riding a bike, at this stage you are just sitting on the seat).

Level 2 – the expected time to complete Level 2 is approximately 6 weeks (now you have your feet on the pedals), Level 3 – the expected time to complete Level 3 is approximately 20 weeks (now you are pushing the pedals while not moving) and Level 4 – the expected time to complete Level 4 is approximately 16 weeks (now you are riding the bike).

As you can guess it took me a few years to become fully certified in all 4 levels for Essentrics. I learnt more about Anatomy & Physiology and gained a thorough understanding of the key anatomy involved in the Essentrics exercises. I learnt about which bones the muscles attach to and how many joints the muscles pass through. I have a deeper understanding of the physiology behind the exercises and techniques. NO other course with regards to exercise taught me what Essentrics has and I have been on quite a few courses!

Once certified Level 4, I decided to take this amazing programme out into the Community. You don’t have to wait until Level 4, you can go out after Level 1. But I wanted to know everything about it and be able to help my class participants in every way I could.

I then decided to re-register for REPS. I soon found out that my previous qualification through Top Gunz had lapsed and I needed to re-sit more exams to become REPS registered again. I ended up doing a Level 4 NZ Certification in Group Exercise via Skills Active. This took 6 months from memory, but well worth it to become REPs registered once more.

As part of the REPS registration you need to be updated in CPR and basic First Aid, this needs to be renewed every 2 years (approximately $200) and of course you are required to pay an annual fee @ $300 to belong to REPS along with proof of upskilling (www.reps.org.nz). Some upskilling courses can range between $500 - $2000.

If you do not belong to a Gym where the classes you teach are choreographed by someone else and music is provided, you then have extra work on your hands.

Plenty of time, money and effort is taken in finding the right music for my routines, the right tempo, the right length, even the right words!!! Even though it is only for 3-6 minutes for the average song, the time involved to find that right song, then the time involved to choreograph what to do with that 3-6 minutes can take FOREVER!!

Once the songs are found and the routine is complete, I then have to learn that routine. This again can take weeks and weeks. It is about going over and over and over and over the routine until you have it in your head. Sometimes I make tweaks on what I have previously choreographed and sometimes after spending that time choreographing I tweak it again, especially once I teach it in class. Doing a routine at home and teaching it in class are completely different. At home it all may fit perfectly, but when I go to teach it, it doesn’t quite fit or I spend time talking about something else (usually when I see someone doing something not quite right, so I spend more time talking about it in class), then of course the routine maybe tweaked again.

Hence, you will never get the exact same routine, every time you come to class. It may be slightly different, but be generally the same. I know I get a few raised eyebrows from some of you when I change things :)

Even if it’s a routine you may have done before, I still have to re-learn it. Ok, I have the music, so that’s a huge amount of time saved BUT I do have to go over and over and over and over it so I have it down pat. I also tweak it again. Someone said to me recently, (and not a stupid idea) is to video myself taking the current routine, so when I do it again I can just watch it and re-learn it that way. I may look into that at some point, but for now I do what I have done for the past 30 years as I know it works for me.

Even if it’s a routine I just did last week, I still have to go over my notes and I do that before EVERY class.

Now, hopefully you can understand why I like to do a routine for 4 weeks before I change it? I need to get it absolutely down pat in my head, not to mention giving myself a wee break before tackling the next routine. But alas, most of our terms do not allow me to do that.

Not to mention, it usually takes at least 4 weeks for the class participants to understand what we are trying to achieve and to really get the most out of that routine. The more you get to know a routine, the more you put into it.

Therefore, most times, whilst we are doing a routine in class, I am usually working on the next one. I am surprised I don’t get them mixed up (I won’t lie to you, I do have some ‘blank’ moments, now I am telling!!)

Imagine if I continued to do the same routine for the whole 10 week term? Do you know, some instructors (in every field) do that? I think you would be bored out of your brains if I did that……… and I would go insane!!!

I hope that sheds some light on life as an instructor (well more my life as an instructor) many hours and study and upskilling go into your classes. Plus if you are running your own small business (like me) you also have to do all the administration side of things, daily Facebook updates, emails, spreadsheets, advertising, blogs, research etc. Being an instructor is more than just turning up to class.

Hopefully now, you can understand that when you turn up to class, a lot more has gone on behind the scenes. You are paying for all that extra time and energy involved in creating that class, all the study to initially get the instructor there, all the upskilling, music and of course the hire of the premises, not just the 1 hour that you are there.

Let me ask you…….. Would you go to a doctor, dentist, lawyer that was not qualified or registered? My gut feeling says ‘no’. Yet many people go to fitness instructors with little qualifications and definitely not registered. So, I ask again - how much do you value your instructor?

I have been pretty active though out my whole life, I started tap and jazz dancing when I was 8 and continued to do so until the age of 19. I was never the stick pin kid, but I was not fat.

After leaving school I ended up working in a legal office, which led me to study law. I didn’t have the finances to study full time so I ended up working full time whilst studying part time.

Looking back, this is where I first went wrong as far as my health and fitness.

Due to working and studying, I stopped dancing and any other form of exercise. It was over these 3 years of study that I ended up putting on weight. I had a terrible habit of eating while studying. You know how it goes, learning and chewing, learning and chewing…. I am sure many of you can relate to this?

After completing my studies I realised how much I missed my dancing so, I joined a Gym where I could do all the classes. I was never really interested in working out on the machines at the Gym (to this day it still does not interest me). I enjoy the motivation of having other people around me. I loved the group classes so much, I decided to do an Aerobics Instructors Course. Bonus - I lost the weight I had put on while studying, which was great!

Over the years at the Gym I taught every imaginable class there was, every new fad of the time - Slide was one of them I remember, and if you know what that was, then, you are as old as me!! :) :) I taught Step, New Body (using dumbbells while doing a whole bunch of warm ups), Sculpt (toning class with dumbbells) Boxing, Pump (toning class with barbells), Circuits, Pilates, Tai Bo (OMG I remember having 112 people in my class for Tai Bo!!!!) Those were the days, I was young, fit and healthy – I pushed my body to the limit, because I could!

I worked at the Gym for over 30 years and even though I was teaching classes the weight (depending on what was going on in my life, went on and off). In the beginning I could stop eating junk food and the weight would easily fall off, but of course the older I got, the harder it became (I am sure you have heard that saying before, but you know, it’s not really until it happens to you, that you totally get it). It was harder for me, having my children late in life, first child at (39) – oh I forgot to mention, that I was not allowed to do any form of exercise whilst pregnant as I could lose my babies :( From memory I packed on 20-25 kgs during pregnancy and that extra weight after giving birth, would barely budge.

I continued to teach classes, even though I was overweight (I would look in the mirror and say to myself “why would anyone come to your classes looking like that?”) – I tried copious amounts of diets, but the weight would take ages to come off and I would get disheartened and give up.

I also had the flip side of the coin, members of the Gym would come up to me and say, “I love having a ‘real’ person take the class, I look at you and know that if you can do it, I can too” – this gave me solace and made me realize that even though I was not happy in my appearance, I was still able to encourage other people.

After my second child at the age of 42, I absolutely packed on even more weight. When I returned to teaching afterwards, I only taught Pilates and Pump. It was then that I noticed when I was teaching Pump that my knee would ache and I would get sharp pains. I still kept teaching Pump. Then I noticed after walking up and down stairs it would hurt and sometimes my knee would give way. I still kept teaching Pump. (if I only knew what I know today!!!)

In the end I went to a Physio, who did all the usual treatments including acupuncture (which I think is fabulous!) It took ages for my knee to heal, so my Physio referred me to a specialist and I had an MRI (yuk, I can’t stand them, you would think in this day and age they would have machines that are smaller, that don’t make you feel claustrophobic and don’t make such a huge noise – I mean, they can make these amazing mobile phones, but they can’t take an image of the body without a huge piece of thumping machinery?)

To my disappointment, the MRI showed signs of osteoarthritis and the specialist sat me down and said you MUST lose weight and stop lifting heavy weights. He made me realise that in Pump class, lifting weights, along with the extra body weight I was carrying was putting extreme pressure on my knees. He told me there is no way to cure osteoarthritis but it will only get worse if I did not lose weight. I was heading down the road of a knee replacement by the time I was 50!

Now that scared the hell out of me, there was NO WAY I was going to have a knee replacement!

Luckily for me around the same time this was all going down, the Gym had recently been introduced to a new form of exercise whilst overseas in Canada called Essentrics. They asked me if I would like to teach it. I went along to a workshop and realised that this was something I could do, as it would not put pressure on my knees. I do remember trying some of the exercises and thinking “I can’t do that!, I can’t touch my toes!, I am not flexible enough to teach this class! (I was told many years ago form a Sports specialist that I would never be able to touch my toes as my hamstrings had atrophied (shrunk)).

The amount of negative thoughts I had going around in my head and the questioning of my abilities would have led me to not even try learning Essentrics, however I knew I couldn’t continue with Pump anymore, so I decided to go ahead and learn the routine, along with the Level 1 manual of becoming an Essentrics instructor.

The more I did, the more I feel in love with Essentrics, I love how my body feels afterwards, I love how I can feel my muscles working but I don’t ache for days and days afterwards like Pump. I love how it flows, I love how it feels like you are dancing. The more I taught Essentrics, the more I didn’t want to teach Pilates, the more I studied the more I wanted to know. I learnt more with Essentrics than any other modality.

After 3 months of teaching Essentrics a few times a week, members at the Gym would stop me and say “you have lost weight” – actually, I hadn’t lost any weight at all, but because Essentrics lengthens your muscles and works on posture, my whole body composition had changed, I looked taller and therefore leaner.

Realising that Essentrics was changing my body, I went on another diet and actually lost weight. I was looking great with Essentrics and a leaner bod, I was very happy – until that emotional eating kicked in yet again! Back the weight came on. People didn’t seem to notice it as much (or maybe they did but were too polite to say anything? They still came to my classes and enjoyed what Essentrics offered, whether or not the instructor was overweight) I felt gross and started doubting myself teaching Essentrics as I certainly did not look the part and my knee started to ache again.

The scare of my knee and the startling fact that I could not lose the weight after many more failed diets led me to a naturopath, who discovered that my thyroid was not functioning properly. It was challenging working with the naturopath and I mean challenging– total detox, slowly introducing a food to see if I reacted. I also did extra tests to find out what foods my body had an allergic reaction to. Slowly but surely with this and a Keto diet I lost weight, after 8 months people started noticing and saying ‘wow you look good!’ I am still not a stick pin and I know I never will be. But here I am a year after starting with the naturopath, solidly focusing on Essentrics and feeling the best I have ever felt.

My diet is probably not as good as it should be, as I write this I know I have to pull back and eat better (I now have the fear of putting the weight back on and I NEVER want to be where I was before), but my exercise regime of Essentrics is the BEST form of exercise I have EVER done.

It works the whole body, putting no pressure on the knees, I know that every Essentrics lunge and plie is strengthening the tendons and ligaments around my knee, therefore supporting it and aiding in the stability of my knee. (Yes I use knee supports, mainly for balancing)

I know that I don’t have to lift heavy weights to look good and for my body to function better. I know that when my knee hurts, it is ok for me to continue to take my classes as Essentrics is based on PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) stretching (that is what Physiotherapists use). I am turning 50 this year and there is no sign of a knee replacement :)

Essentrics keeps me moving, it keeps me flexible, it strengthens my muscles, ligaments and tendons and it goes to show that even when you are told ‘you can’t’ or ‘you will never’ it is so wrong, especially with Essentrics around as I am proud to say, I can now touch my toes!

I have been in the fitness industry for over 30 years, I have met many people and seen many people. I have taught many modalities, I have seen how the fitness industry is always looking for the new 'buzz', the new 'trend in fitness' and I have seen many people follow from one fitness trend to the next.

Whilst we may enjoy it at the time, how much thought and research really goes into the 'what is this doing to my body, long term?' - I can probably answer that easily, we don't, we don't think that at all.

Sometimes we get into a new activity from peer pressure, our friends are doing it, so we go along and join them (it may not be the right thing for us, you may have a previous injury, but hey its ok because your friend is doing it, right?), sometimes its the thrill of bouncing from one new fitness trend to the next. Some of us are 'fitness junkies', looking out for the next 'best' thing - but is it? I align this with drinking coffee, first its good for you, then we find out its bad, then we find out its good again and so on and so on.

I am pretty sure if we all stood back and looked at our injuries we have today we can probably pinpoint where in our lives it happened (I am not talking about injuries from an accident), I am talking about those niggles we have - bad knees, back, elbow, shoulders. They have stemmed from somewhere, some sport, some new fitness trend, even how we stand can cause damage to our bodies.

I have personally learnt that lifting heavy weights over the years caused damage to my knees, I now have a severe case of osteoarthritis. Had I known that in my younger years, I would have thought twice about doing what I was doing. Unfortunately, we don't all hold crystal balls where we can see into the future and see what possible damage could be done to our bodies from our current activities.

So take the time now, think about what you are doing and truly ask yourself 'what are some possible injury outcomes from doing this activity?'

I am not saying to stop what you love because it may cause injuries, I am saying that if you can prevent injury, do everything in your power to do so - ie. if you love to run, what can you do to prevent injury? (Ok running is not a fitness fad, but you get the gist) Runners are notorious for knee problems from the jarring, tight IT bands, tight calves. A simple answer to this is decent running shoes, BUT most importantly doing the right stretches. Find the time to prevent injuries and you will be loving yourself for it later in life, this is where Essentrics can help you!