The Key to Longevity – And it’s not what you might think, plus all the news

Hello [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]

I have been a little bit quiet on here recently, because writing a book has taken all of the extra juice from me. It turns out that writing a book is the easy bit, it’s the editing, re-editing, proofreading, typesetting and all of the other things that you don’t even think about that take up all the time.

Anyway, my book is now in the pipeline, it’s called ‘The Embodied Core’, and it will probably come out in September time…hopefully!

Whilst writing my book I have a section on muscles, and it made me think that we know that we should be keeping our muscles strong and healthy to enable us to move. But, did you know that having strong muscles is also key to longevity and anti-ageing?

Here’s just a few reasons your muscle health will keep you young;

1. Muscles are responsible for generating force and enabling movement. Maintaining strong and functional muscles can help you stay active and independent as you age. Regular exercise, including strength training, can help preserve muscle mass and strength, reduce the risk of falls and injuries, and enhance overall physical performance.
2. Muscles are highly metabolically active tissues. They require energy even at rest, contributing to a higher metabolic rate. Having more muscle mass can increase your basal metabolic rate, which means you burn more calories throughout the day. This can be beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
3. Muscles provide support and protection to bones. When muscles contract, they exert force on the bones, promoting bone strength and density. Regular weight-bearing exercises and resistance training can stimulate bone remodelling, helping to prevent age-related bone loss and reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
4. Muscles play a role in hormone production and regulation. For example, they release myokines, which are signalling molecules that have various physiological effects, including anti-inflammatory and metabolic benefits. These myokines can help improve insulin sensitivity, reduce chronic low-grade inflammation, and support overall health.
5. Maintaining muscle strength and mass is essential for maintaining functional independence and quality of life as you age. Strong muscles support activities of daily living, such as walking, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, and performing household chores, allowing you to remain self-sufficient for longer.

Most of us do not put enough effort into keeping our muscles strong. We go from bed, to breakfast table, to car, to desk then reverse. We don’t challenge our bodies enough to create strength, or work at the level of intensity required to change our muscles.

That’s why my Saturday morning kettlebell class is amazing, the challenge is there, but you do it at your level. When I first started I used to do the whole class with a 4kg, I’m now up to a 10kg, but thats through consistency and persistance. That’s what’s great about strength training you can see the results right in front of you.

If you live to far away, you can still join live via Zoom, or I can send you a recording. If you’re a human, and I’m assuming your are, then you need to be weight training!

My Holidays

I am off on an adventure with my dad, around the Napoleonic Battlefields in Spain and Southern France. Upon my return I’ll know all about the Pennisula Wars, and I will be including a full lecture in all of my classes (joking!).

My last class will be Tuesday Pilates, as we leave that night, and I will return to classes on Tuesday 4th July. Watch out on my Instagram stories, as I’ll be posting photos.

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Events Upcoming

I have two events upon my return that you can book on.

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Enchanted Garden Retreat Day – Saturday 15th July, 10-4pm

In conjunction with Neil from ‘The Soul Sound Spirit’, we’ll be spending the day in the beautiful physic garden in Dilston, nr Corbridge. We’ll be stretching, sound bathing, breathing and much more amongst the magical herbs and medicinal gardens.

The Earlybird offer ends 30th June – and there’s only a few spaces left, the price includes lunch.

​https://organicpilates.co.uk/classes/enchanted-garden-day-retreat/​

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Lionsgate and Starseed Gathering – Wednesday 9th Aug – 6-9pm

In conjunction with Dawn from ‘Shamanic Rebirth’ this will be another of our fabulous ‘Gatherings’. We love running these, they get great feedback and are truly transformative events. We have cacao, journeying, drumming, ecstatic dance and breathwork.

​Here’s the link to book.​

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When I get back I’ll also be running a week long ‘Healthy Booster Week’, my last ‘Core Challenge’ week got such good results that I like running these weekly boosters to give you all a reminder of what to focus on, and it’ll get us in shape before our hols (or after hols in my case, both are required!)

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Heat!

I love this warm weather, but I also love that I’ve got air con in the studio, actually my studio is the place to be, especially in the back room! 😀

Today, I posted a reel on instagram about how to use your breath to cool you down, our breath is central to our bodies temperature regulation.

​You can check it out here on Instagram.​

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Ok, I think that’s it from me, I’m signing off now. I’ll see you all in a couple of weeks.

Keep moving

Jill x

PS

If you miss me too much, you can always get a recording of a class or two. Just use them as normal on your class passes. Then you can keep up your practice.

PPS

I’m also learning QiGong, and will be bringing that to my retreats and events. I am loving learning it.