Purely Pilates Studio

I class myself as pretty fit and supple, but after a week of camping I honestly felt like I’d been run over by a bus! 😂

Beautiful, wonderful times, absolutely. But my goodness, sleeping on an airbed for a week, coupled with all the camping joys of repeatedly moving one thing from one place to another, certainly takes its toll.

So, as well as enjoying the luxury of a good night’s sleep in your own bed, here are a few little gems to help you sort yourself out when you get home.

1. Hip Opener

This is a gorgeous, passive and gentle hip opener. You can use a roller or a large rolled-up towel underneath your lower back.

Simply extend one leg away from you whilst gently drawing the other knee towards your chest, and allow the straight leg to just hang.

You can also gently ‘wave’ the straight leg from side to side if that feels good.

Aim for 30 seconds–1 minute on each side.

2. Side Opener

Adding some rotation to this side opener helps to mobilise through the ribcage and thoracic spine.

A lovely one if you’re feeling a little stiff and compressed after a week of sleeping, sitting and generally living in slightly less-than-ideal positions!

3. Port de Bras

Make sure you support your head here, with your elbows slightly forward.

The roller (or a rolled-up towel or softball) sits just below the shoulder blades.

Inhale to extend over and exhale to return.

Take care not to let the head ‘fall back’ as you move over the roller — keep the movement feeling supported and controlled.

And remember, these aren’t about forcing movement. Just breathe, move gently and allow your body to gradually unwind.

Enjoy 🧡🧡

Behind the scenes at Purely… 👀

It’s not all Pilates, sunshine and pretty studio spaces! 😂

There’s also a fair amount of laptop time — planning, emails, spreadsheets, organising, problem-solving… and approximately 47 cups of tea. ☕️💻 For anyone that knows us well they know how important the tea is 🤣

A little peek at the less glamorous (but very important!) side of running a Pilates studio.

Because there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make everything you see in the studio feel effortless 🧡

🧡Six months in our new home...🧡

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been six months since we moved into our beautiful new studio.

As many of you know, moving wasn’t a decision we made ourselves.

After 18 very happy years at Salisbury Road, we were given just seven weeks’ notice to leave—only a few weeks before Christmas. It came as a huge shock.

Looking back now, we’re incredibly proud of what we achieved in such a short space of time.

We found a new home that we knew would still be accessible for our clients, decorated it, chose and fitted new flooring, reorganised timetables, and somehow managed to move nine Reformers, a Cadillac and all our other equipment down four flights of stairs!

Let’s just say we’re still paying back those favours! 😅

What felt like an enormous challenge at the time has actually given us all a whole new lease of life and an even greater appreciation for what we do—both as teachers and for the wonderful community of clients we have the privilege to work with.

It’s also opened doors we never expected. New opportunities have presented themselves, we’ve built relationships with other healthcare professionals and local businesses, and we’ve been reminded that change, however difficult, can bring growth. Sometimes the biggest challenges lead to the best new beginnings 💪🏽

Thank you to everyone who helped us move, supported us through the transition, and has continued to be part of the Purely community 🧡🧡