Shaw Lifestyle

03/06/2026

Something I find myself saying a lot.

The best session is not always the hardest one.

Some days a client walks in and I can see within two minutes that we need to change the plan. Less load, more breath work, something that meets them where they actually are rather than where the programme says they should be.

That is not a compromise. That is the work🦋

Listening is the thing that makes over 30 years of experience actually useful.

30/05/2026

A message that came through after a session and genuinely made my day 💚.
"I arrived thinking I needed a painkiller and left with zero pain."
This is why I always start every session by asking how someone is actually feeling. Not just physically, but mentally also: I ask them to take the time to tune in & consider how they are feeling in every aspect. Because what the body needs that day is often not what you, as the coach, had planned for it....
If you have been thinking about Pilates or personal training but are not sure where to start, drop me a message or book a free discovery call via the link below. No pressure, just a chat.🦋

27/05/2026

Something I wish someone had explained to me during my own perimenopause.
Most of the women I work with who are struggling with weight, energy and that belly that appeared from nowhere are not doing nothing. They are training regularly. Some are training harder than they ever have.
The problem is usually not effort. It is cortisol, and the way the hormonal environment of perimenopause changes the way your body responds to training.
I have written about the research behind this, what it actually means in practice, and what I changed in my own training as a result🦋

Most women I work with who are going through perimenopause are not doing nothing. They are training regularly. Some of them are training harder than they ever have. And it is not working: not for weight, not for energy, not for the belly that appeared with no obvious explanation. What I tell them, a...

26/05/2026

Something I get asked about a lot: what actually makes studio Pilates different from a reformer class?

The honest answer is that the reformer is just one piece of a much bigger system. When Joseph Pilates designed his method, he created a whole range of apparatus: the Cadillac, the Wunda Chair, the Ladder Barrel, the Spine Corrector. Each piece designed to do something different, and all designed to work together.

So many studios only have a reformer. The Willow Studio has the full apparatus, which means every session can be genuinely tailored to the body in front of me rather than adapted from a class format. It is the difference between a session that fits you, and a class you fit into.

If you have been curious about what studio Pilates actually involves, I am always happy to have a chat. The discovery call is free and there is no obligation. Link below.🦋

https://calendly.com/liz-shawlifestyle/free-discovery-call?month=2026-05

24/05/2026

One of the things I love most about teaching is how much I continue to learn from every person I work with 🦋

Yesterday was a reminder of the power of going back to basics.

I was working with a gentleman in his 70s who experiences significant lower back pain. We were exploring the different layers of the abdominals, how they function, and how each layer contributes differently to movement.

As often happens, I was using anatomy visuals and movement cues… when suddenly he stopped and said:

“So the abdominals go all the way down there?!”

And honestly — it was such an important reminder.

As teachers, we can never assume knowledge.

Despite all the work we’d already done together, this one piece of understanding hadn’t quite connected yet. But the moment it did, everything else suddenly started making more sense.

The more complex visuals clicked.
The movement patterns became clearer.
His understanding deepened almost instantly.

He’s still on the journey of fully feeling and integrating that into movement…
but yesterday he took a HUGE step closer.

Sometimes progress doesn’t come from adding more.

Sometimes it comes from finally understanding something in a simpler, clearer way 🦋

22/05/2026

Just taking a little time out to breathe before a weekend full of tutoring future Pilates instructors...

Sometimes as wellness coaches we spend so much of our time encouraging others to "stop & breathe" that we forget to take our own advice... So it's time for a little Friday calm 🦋

16/05/2026

Does your lower back always feel tight, stiff or “held”?

If so, this is for you.
Introducing Movement Minutes 🦋
Small movements. Big difference.

I work with many people who experience lower back discomfort, and one of the things Pilates can be incredibly supportive for is spinal mobility, through awareness and movement quality.

Every body is different, but something I see often is held tension through the lower back.

When we’re uncomfortable, the body naturally shifts into “protection mode” and can begin holding excess tension around the area.

If this sounds familiar, try this simple exercise once a day. The aim is to create a gentle “slide & glide” motion through the lower spine & pelvis to encourage movement, reduce stiffness and help the body let go of some of that unnecessary holding. Let me know in the comments how you get on, & remember, as always:

Slow. Gentle. Controlled 🦋

Exercise no 1 for releasing the pelvic area, which can help with lower back tension...

13/05/2026

Good teaching isn’t just knowledge.
It’s observation, conversation… and feedback.

When the body struggles with something new, it will often default to the path of least resistance — compensating for weakness, restriction or lack of control.

Sometimes this shows up clearly:
asymmetrical (“wonky”) movement patterns, visible muscular imbalance, or certain areas working harder than they should.

But the body is never working in isolation.
One compensation can create a chain reaction elsewhere, which is why we’re rarely only looking at the “obvious” area.

And sometimes?
You can’t immediately see the issue at all.

That’s where conversation becomes vital:
helping clients describe what movement feels like, rather than simply what it looks like.

Tactile feedback can help bridge that gap even further — giving the body a clearer reference point and helping clients connect awareness with movement more effectively.

Over time, this develops greater understanding, control and autonomy:
the ability to recognise their own patterns, compensations and imbalances more independently.

And that level of understanding?
That’s incredibly empowering 🦋

09/05/2026

There’s a pattern to progress — whether you see it or not

Progress rarely happens by accident.

Even when it feels like it does…
there’s usually a pattern behind it.

A starting point.
A phase where things are built.
A stage where they’re refined.
And then… progression.

Most people experience parts of this.

But not always in the right order.
And not always with the right support.

Which is why progress can feel inconsistent.
Or slower than it should be.
Or harder than it needs to be.

Over time, I’ve found myself guiding people through this pattern
again and again…

Often without naming it.

Lately, I’ve been refining that process more deliberately.

More on that soon 🦋