Marina Huxley Pilates

In this grounding class we focus on the all-important anchor - wherever it is in the body. The perfect class to begin the 20:20 Series. You'll need a ball of some sort if you have one - a tennis ball, spiky ball or a golf ball - to roll the feet at the beginning of the class. Have fun!

This class is all about going large! Lengthening the arms all the way to the fingertips, the legs all the way to the toes. Standing tall, expanding the body with the breath and filling the space around us. Tune in to your breath and enjoy this class.

It's time to BREATHE. In this class we explore the breath in conjunction with our well known Pilates exercises. Understanding and working with the breath can really transform your practise, not to mention calm the nervous system. We'll start with some simple breathing exercises to focus, before getting moving.

Day 4 is all about flow! One of the guiding principles of Pilates is flowing movements and this class will get those joints oiled as you flow from one movement to the next with grace and control. Enjoy!

We'll be doing lots of upper body strengthening work on Day 5. The theme today is "Find Your Strength". There's a fair bit of wrist loading - planks and 4 point kneeling - but these exercises can be modified if necessary. We start with a standing flow and some strengthening work for the legs and hips too.

It's Day 6 and we're giving those abs their moment to shine! We'll be working the lower abdominals with some toe taps and leg lowers, the upper abdominals with curl ups and getting into those obliques with the criss cross and hip rolls. Also some deep core work in 4 point kneeling. Don't forget, you can take breaks whenever you like, come back to the breath, and remember those Pilates principles. Enjoy!

Grab your resistance band and let's add some spice to your Pilates! If you don't have a band you can use a pair of tights or a dressing gown belt (although these may not work for all of the exercises as some really need that stretch you get with the band). The band will give you support when you need it and resistance to challenge you - its a great piece of kit!

For Day 8 we have a full body Pilates class - lots of feel-good movement packed into 20 minutes on your mat. We'll start on all fours with some cat stretches and rotation, some glute work and then we'll move into some abdominal work, with a couple of advanced modifications for those who want a bit more of a challenge. As always, look after your body and don't feel pressured to do anything that feels too strong. Enjoy Day 8!