Creative, functional workouts to sculpt, tone and give you a body that serves you well in life, because ultimately that's what we all need. It's not about how you look, it's about how you feel inside and out- full of confidence in your own skin. On my YouTube channel we celebrate all ages and levels of fitness with something for everyone. Every workout will teach you something new about your body and is rooted in over 50 years of experience in movement, dance and pilates. I am a Fully Certified Pilates Instructor with over 13 years of practice in many settings from Physiotherapy clinics specialising in Sports Injuries to Rehabilitation post knee, hip and shoulder replacement. I had my own boutique studio in London pre the pandemic and now I choose to share my teaching online for anyone in the world keen to learn more about their body and grow physically, emotionally and mentally through an intelligent, focused, movement practice.
February, the month of love, is not just reserved for showering affection on others. This Valentine's season, let's redirect some of that love inward and embark on a journey of self-love. Let's explore how taking care of yourself can be the ultimate act of love.
• Love Begins with Self-Care - In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's easy to neglect the most important person – yourself. Just as Pilates can strengthen and rejuvenate the body, a self-care practice will nourish the soul. Take time for activities that bring you joy, whether it's a relaxing bath, a walk in nature, or reading a good book. Treat yourself with the same kindness and attention you would give to a friend.
5 Benefits of Pilates Breathing and 5 Health Conditions it can Help
1️⃣ Increases your lung capacity
2️⃣ Improves muscle activation and performance during exercise
3️⃣ Reduces anxiety and stress
4️⃣ The exhale activates the core muscles
5️⃣ Improves mental health by focusing your attention to the mind/ body connection
One Lung Breathing is an incredible tool for anyone as it focuses you on one lung and one side of your ribs at a time. I’ve found it very helpful for people new to Pilates in understanding HOW lateral breathing works.
I have exciting news for you. My first book on Pilates will be published this spring!
Last year I was asked by a publisher to write an easy to follow guidebook on Mat Pilates and I am thrilled to announce that it's now available for Pre-Order on Amazon UK and Amazon.com
I spent all last summer writing it and many a late night post YouTube broadcasts working on it to make it as easy to follow as possible. If you can I would love it if you could pre-order a copy on Amazon; pre-orders help push the promotion of books and I need the help to get it out there to everyone who needs it. It's very reasonably priced and a great little guide you can dip in and out of whenever you need to refer to an exercise or want to build your own little programme for home practice. It has all 34 of Joseph Pilates original exercises in with tips and cues to make the difficult exercises more accessible and the easier exercises more challenging- not that mat pilates isn’t challenging enough anyway 😊
Happy New year!
This year I plan to focus as much on keeping a healthy mind as well as a healthy body. It’s going to be an exciting year with lots of fun Pilates practice, new ideas to boost your mental and physical health and a deepening of our community connection.
It has been a momentous year at Rachel Lawrence Pilates and I wanted to thank you all for your continued support. Whether you read the blog, follow me on twitter or instagram, read my Facebook page or come to class you are all appreciated.
With more and more of you tuning into the benefits of Pilates and a healthy lifestyle the business has gone from strength to strength just as your wellbeing has. It's so rewarding to see and hear how you have created your own healthy lifestyle from what you've learned.
Well done!
There are exciting plans ahead for 2016; more health and wellbeing news, more classes and I will be adding Pilates films for you to view and take part in at home, so stay tuned for a bigger, better, healthier 2016!
Merry Christmas to you all,
Rachel x
I don’t know about you but the British summer plays havoc with my skin. What with the weather being hot and humid one minute and cold and wet the next, my skin can really suffer. You would have thought I’d have found the answer in a pot by now, but having tried my fair share of skincare brands over the years, I’ve found it hard to find the right product that’s suits my sensitive skin and modest budget!
So a few years ago I started experimenting with the idea of feeding my skin from the inside, to see if it made a difference. Using the saying ‘we are what we eat’ as a starting point, I looked into fruits, vegetables and supplements that help support collagen production, maintain balanced hormone levels, and aid digestion, all areas of the body which will affect how your skin looks if they are not functioning properly. I wanted to find and maintain a healthy glowing skin, and I finally found the answer in food!
The key components of my ‘skin friendly’ eating plan are keeping well hydrated, eating fruit and vegetables that contain powerful antioxidants, and making sure I have a healthy dose of essential fatty acids. In particular, eating foods that contain omega 3’s, as they encourage the body to produce anti-inflammatory compounds, which are particularly helpful for inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
Having been a lifelong eczema sufferer my skin has never been as clear, as healthy, and as fresh and plump looking as it is today. I put this all down to eating well and, eating the right types of food to feed my skin.
On that basis here is a recipe I’ve been tinkering away with in my Chiswick kitchen. It’s a delicious smoothie pudding recipe, which contains all the key ingredients to feed your skin, from the inside out. I must confess to liking my smoothies so thick you can spoon them out of the glass! So these ingredients and measures give you the consistency of a greek yoghurt. You can make it as a pudding, and serve in small glasses with a spoon. Or alternatively, you can have it as a straight smoothie, adding more coconut water to thin it out and drink straight from the glass. As always, don’t forget to share your healthy living treat with friends, family or partner, and enjoy!
Feed your skin smoothie pudding
250ml coconut water
Half a ripe avocado
3 frozen broccoli florets
Handful of spinach
1 apple -chopped
2 dsp ground flaxseed
Pour the coconut water into your processor and add the frozen broccoli and ripe avocado, blend until the broccoli is fully broken down which may take a while depending on the power of your blender. Then add all the other ingredients and whizz away until fully blended. If you’re having as a pudding decant into 4 small glasses and serve with a teaspoon. Or, add more coconut water to your desired consistency and you’ll get two good size glasses to drink. Be sure to consume as soon as possible after making, it’ll be cold, fresh and very, very tasty!
Do let me know what you think of it by adding a comment below, or responding via facebook or twitter. I’d love to hear from you!
© Rachel Lawrence. All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.
Described as ‘the most antioxidant rich super food in the world’ Matcha is the ground leaves of the green tea plant. Favoured in Japanese tea houses for centuries, this little green powder packs a powerful punch in terms of goodness. It burns fat, fights cancer, increases your concentration and boosts your energy.
I have a confession to make....I absolutely love chocolate. Being a pilates teacher and eating copious amounts of the stuff aren't compatible so I'm always looking at ways I can satisfy my chocolate craving whilst keeping my sugar intake low and being as healthy as possible.
So here is my version of a healthy chocolate mousse - it has no cream and no sugar- just a few simple ingredients and if I say so myself it's not bad for a healthy treat!
Ingredients
1 ripe avocado
1 ripe banana
1 400ml can of coconut milk
2 tbsp Cocoa powder ( I use Green & Blacks Organic as it's very rich and chocolatey!)
Put into your blender the flesh of an avocado and the banana - you can just tear into chunks. Then add the coconut milk and cocoa powder. If you're using a hand blender, stir the cocoa in before you blend as the cocoa will go everywhere if you're not careful. Switch on and whizz for a good 5 minutes until it is thoroughly mixed, you need to make sure there aren't any stray pieces of avocado floating around as it'll spoil the flavour. Spoon the mixture into four ramekins and put in the fridge for three hours so the mixture firms up. Then it's ready to eat whilst smiling saintly knowing it's actually good for you!
If you're making it for a dinner party you could serve in vintage tea cups for an extra bit of glamour! Enjoy!
© Rachel Lawrence. All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.
I love Easter for so many reasons, the break from work, the sunshine, the cherry blossoms that start to appear on the trees, and not least of all the possibility of some extra chocolate. I do love my chocolate! But after the Easter break, I can feel a bit lethargic and in need of something fresh, clean and healthy so here it is. My post Easter detox smoothie, a perfect antidote!
It’s got a zing from the lime, and tastes exceptionally fresh and clean. The pineapple is packed with Vitamin C, essential fibre, and potassium so great for heart health, digestion and clearer skin. There is also a little known fact that the enzyme it contains Bromelain has been found in studies to reduce swelling, bruising and pain associated with injury and surgery. So one to add to the recipe book for those occasions.
Coconut oil is a 'must have' ingredient, it has too many benefits to list here but a key one to note in relation to Easter and chocolate is its weight loss properties! It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. Furthermore, it increases the body’s metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, thereby burning more energy which in turn helps to lose weight.
So drink, enjoy, and feel a little bit smug that you're doing something incredibly healthy for yourself.
Ingredients
Half a small pineapple cut into chunks
1 banana
1 apple cut into chunks
Juice of half a lime
250 ml Coconut water
1 dessertspoon coconut oil
2 dessertspoons of Linwoods Milled flaxseed, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts and co-enzyme Q10
I like to keep things simple so put it all in the blender and whizz until fully blended. You can have this as a meal replacement (I had it for breakfast today) in which case drink it all. If you're having it with a meal then share with a friend/colleague or get the kids to drink it with you! You never know you may convert them into smoothie fans too!
© Rachel Lawrence. All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.
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