Clean Well-Being

My six principles of effective exercise are:

1. Strength
2. Mobility
3. Flexibility
4. Stability
5. Balance
6. Enjoyment

I incorporate them into every single class I teach as I believe this is the most effective and sustainable way to move.

The most crucial one? Find something you enjoy as you are more likely to stick to it!

Want a fun and effective exercise class? Come to one of my classes. All details and booking are available on my website www.cleanwellbeing.com or via the link in my bio.

Here’s a question if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by things at the moment and in no way making light of awfulness…

What can lower your blood pressure, reduce your stress levels, improve your heart muscle, boost T-cell production, release endorphins, and give you a general sense of well-being? It’s simply laughter.

When was the last time you laughed? Not your ‘career laugh’, but a real laugh when you might not have been able to stop – your sides hurt, you can’t catch your breath, your cheeks ache but in a good way. If you haven’t done it for a while, give it a whirl today!

If ‘funny’ is in short supply at the moment, go looking for some. And let me know what makes you laugh – pass it on! (And know that it’s OK to laugh even when things aren’t the best. It could be a great skill to hone.)

😆

Movement is important for all bodies, for so many reasons: it releases endorphins and helps relieve stress; it allows us to take a break from everyday challenges and responsibilities; it also helps emotions move through our bodies. For many people, it provides an outlet for self-expression and also strengthens the connection we have with our bodies.

There are seven primal movements that are bodies are designed for. How many of them do you use regularly?

Of course, you get to use all of these in my exercise classes, where we focus on moving the body as it is designed to be moved, rather than jumping on the latest fitness fashions.

Find out more at www.cleanwellbeing.com/bookings or via the link in my bio.

🎉Behold! A brand-new exercise class is coming! ⭐️

On Thursday 3rd September at 7pm, I'll be starting Pilates Stretch.

What can you expect in Pilates Stretch?

👍A thorough warm-up
🙋A well-planned sequence of stretches and poses to help lengthen and strengthen your whole body and release tension
❤️‍🔥Moves to get your heart rate up
👣Coverage of the six Pilates principles
🧘A proper cool-down

You’ll leave feeling freer and possibly taller!🌻

This is a fully led class, on mats, in socks/bare feet.

As with any class I teach, we move in an omnidirectional way, so the whole body gets a really decent change of pace and direction.

This Stretch class complements strength training, yoga, running/walking, dancing, cycling and many different sports. It's also great if you work at a desk or sit/stand for long periods of the day.

Everyone is welcome! Book via the link in my bio or at www.cleanwellbeing.com/bookings.

Here's one for your , among other things. for this week's .

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Engage your core by tilting the muscles above your p***c bone upwards (without squeezing your buttocks) and 'gathering' your trunk muscles inwards. Bend your knees as you raise your arms up to shoulder height or around your ears. Then sit back as if towards an imaginary chair.

Keep your knees pointing forwards and away, and in line with your feet. Breathe and hold the pose.

If it's all a bit too much, drop your arms and focus on sitting backwards.

I've been thinking about using reflection as a tool to support well-being.

If your memory is anything like mine, it tends to remember the awful stuff and disregard or downplay the good bits (and this is amplified when I'm tired). Knowing that this happens is useful in itself.

What if we were to actively recall what has gone well in the past and focus on that? When things go well, instead of glossing over them, hold them firmly in your sight.

For many people, feelings ebb and flow over time and so it can be a real skill to remember when things go well and what that feels like. If nothing else, it offers hope for when things feel a bit hopeless.

This week's , the swimmer, works on building strength in the lower back, legs and buttocks - and the core gets some action too. Lie on your front, head resting on your stacked hands.

Ensure you have engaged your core muscles (without 'bracing'; try to angle the upper part of your p***c bone closer to the floor) and point your feet, stretching down your legs. Lift one leg off the floor, then place it down as you lift the other leg. Flutter your feet slowly as if you are swimming crawl with just your legs. Make sure you're not just flopping your feet around: the movement comes from the hips.

Here's a breakdown of this week's

I'm often asked by clients to go through each exercise in detail and offer variations and progressions on a theme. See how you get on with this one.

This term's focus in classes is strength, so this week's works on building strength in the hips.

Bend your legs and bring the heels of your feet hand-distance away from the hips. The feet are in line with the knees. Lift hips off the mat until the thighs are parallel with the floor. Pressing the left foot firmly into the floor, stretch the right leg up to the sky, perpendicular to the floor. Hold for a few breaths, then lower down and swap legs.

A lifted leg in the bridge pose is a great hip strengthener, but if it feels too much for now, stay in the classic bridge pose until you feel stronger.

Ta-daaaah!

Introducing my book: Mental Health - Practical Support for Effective Teaching and Learning with Pupils Aged 11-18.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out, mainly because the colours match those of both my businesses!

Seriously, though. It feels good to have all my (evidence-based) thoughts about how mental health promotion can be facilitated in schools in one place.

People keep asking me whether I will write a follow-up. Honestly, I can't think of anything else to say: I have poured it all into here. A phrase I use regularly in the book and when training teacher is: 'There is nothing new under the sun'. You can jazz it up any way you like, but really, effective practice will always be effective practice. It never goes out of fashion.

Fancy a copy? You can buy it here: www.routledge.com/Mental-Health-Practical-Support-for-Effective-Teaching-and-Learning-with-Pupils-aged-11-18/Feast/p/book/9781041004820