As Balance prepares to move its classes online, I want to extend a huge thank you to all our lovely clients who have said that they will continue to support us and are enthusiastic and happy to be able to do some online classes – it means such a lot to us and allows Balance to be able to continue after this has passed.

A few points for you to consider at this time:

We may feel that this situation is out of our control and that may make us feel powerless, but there are many things we can do for ourslef. The number one priority is to keep our Immune system functioning to its optimum. So here are a few of my suggestions:

1. Move your body

Moving your body helps to build a strong immune system, your Pilates classes help you in many ways and now more than ever you need to keep moving.

If you have to self isolate, then please do not stop moving! Lymph flow is very important in keeping your immune system strong, so exercise is key – we will get Pilates classes to you so please make sure you do them on a very regular basis.

Self isolation does NOT mean you have to stay inside.  Yes, avoid crowds and social gatherings but do get out for walks, be in nature, be in your garden, as long as you keep one meter away from others you are perfectly safe – so get outside, get in the sunshine (when its out) and get your body moving – it will help you to stay healthier and happier.

2. De Stress

This might feel a hard one to do, but if you are in a constant state of anxiety about what might happen, then you will find the next few months very hard to deal with. 

Remember this will pass.

I urge you to take care of your mental well being too. I will also be sending you a variety of relaxations and Meditations for you to listen to at home. A few ideas that I will be doing…….

Reading – I have loads of books I want to read, some novels, some to expand my knowledge

Course – consider learning something new, we have endless online courses which are very affordable.

De clutter – this is always on my list and how great would it be to get the clutter out and re organise – we might have to wait some time before we donate to charity, but we can get the clutter out of the house and neatly packed away into our garage/shed.

Paint/draw/write – be creative, we are all creative beings and creativity brings us lots of pleasure, so try something new or start something you used to do and haven’t done for a long time.

Connect – we are social beings and connection is vital to our well being, so use technology to your advantage and connect with your friends and family more, use skype, zoom, facetime, so you can see each other and get a deeper connection than just by phoning people. Check in on your family and friends regularly and if you are a bit more technical you can even have a coffee morning with your friends over zoom!

We mustn’t stop connecting, we all need each other now more than ever, so find new ways to connect and show people you care. The village I live in is in the process of setting up a delivery system for the older people in the village and those that are self isolating and living alone – make this a time to pull together and not to pull apart.

Stress does have a huge impact on our immune system, so remember it is important to do things that help your well being, think of all the things you never had time to do and now you do! 

So, let’s worry less and laugh more – laughter is a great way to boost your immunity and lift your spirits 🙂

3. Get enough sleep

Another bigger, when your sleep gets disrupted, your body goes into a stress state and as you know stress leads to a suppressed immune system.  When I struggle with sleep, I use a guided meditation that helps me to gently nod off. Don’t forget I will be sending some lovely guided meditations to you. Get your 8 hours of sleep in, even if it means a power nap through out the day.

4. Eat well 

This has to be one of the best ways of boosting your immune system.

So, lets make sure we are eating loads of veggies, eat the colours of the rainbow and make sure you include loads of green leafy veg, cruciferous veg and plenty of fruit that’s in season.

Cut down drastically or get rid of alcohol, refined sugar and junk food – Jules will be doing an article on what we can do to naturally boost our immunity and also any supplements that we could include……coming soon.

5. Stay hydrated 

Plenty of water, plenty of herbal teas.