Midlife on the Mat with Donna

16/06/2026

Why we need to talk about BALANCE after 40 (and it’s not just about a busy diary! 🧘‍♀️✨) We have explored it this week in classes. (Not the one in the pic!)

When we talk about health in our 40s and 50s, we usually focus on hot flushes, sleep, or joint pain.

But there is one vital skill that often gets left out of the conversation: our physical balance.

Did you know that our stability naturally starts to decline around age 50?

As oestrogen levels drop during the menopause transition, we lose muscle mass and bone density much faster.

This makes it harder for our bodies to catch ourselves during a sudden slip or trip.

Here is why building "balance capital" right now is a game-changer:

🦴 It protects your bones: Good balance is your number one insurance policy against falls and fractures.

🧠 It keeps your brain sharp: Balance training forces your brain and muscles to communicate, keeping your neural pathways firing.

🛒 It protects your independence: Staying steady now means you can keep lifting shopping bags, travelling, and moving freely for decades to come.

The UK Chief Medical Officers actually recommend that we do balance and coordination activities at least twice a week.

The good news? You don’t need hours of extra time.

You can build it into your day:

👉 Stand on one leg while you brush your teeth.
👉 Try my Pilates or Yoga classes 👉 Practice standing on one foot while the kettle boils.

Let’s invest in our future selves! 👟

💪Have you noticed your balance changing recently? Let me know in the comments!

📸Crow pose - Patnem Beach, Goa
(Yes balancing on your hands is also a balance!)

🗓 MONDAYS
Pilates 9.30am: Community Link, Haslingden

Yoga 6.00pm: Unitarian Church, Rawtenstall

🗓️TUESDAYS
Pilates 6.00pm &
Beginners Pilates 7.10pm: Community Link, Haslingden

🗓️WEDNESDAYS
Beginners Pilates 9am &
Yoga 10.15am: St Thomas' Hall

16/06/2026

For midlife women, "moving on the mat" (via practices like Pilates & yoga) offers a low-impact way to support an evolving body without causing nervous system burnout.

It is essential to

✨calm the mind with the breath

💪protect bone density

👍rebuild deep core strength

🙏and ease joint pain

Here’s my current schedule👇

I promise you a warm welcome and would love to see you to support you on your wellness journey!

Dont’t hesitate to message me with any questions.

Booking link in comments 🔗

15/06/2026

I usually start my yoga class with a short Dharma - these are words that bridge ancient yogic wisdom with modern daily life, designed to plant a mental or emotional seed for our physical practice. It is wide ranging and last week I talked about Ahimsa in Yoga🧘‍♀️

What is it?

The very first Yamas of the first limb of yoga, translated from sanskrit to English means non harm or non violence 🙏

It tells us that all of our thoughts, words and actions to ourselves, others and our planet should come from a place of love 🌎🧡

Last week, I invited students to reflect on negative thoughts or feelings they have to others, situations or particularly to THEMSELVES.

We are often most harmful to ourselves by being critical, frustrated, angry and negative😡

This can be particularly so when we go through challenges or as we move into midlife with hormones raging, bodies changing and all the emotional responses that go with that!

So I invited my students to show themselves and others love and kindness by cultivating peace through their practice ☮️

We breathed and moved with love and compassion for our mind and bodies and we found some peace and calm 🙏

Come and join us to find yours! 😊

Mondays 6pm, Rawtenstall
Wednesdays 10.15am, Helmshore

Booking link in bio

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

Thank you to all the beautiful souls who joined me for Yoga In the Park🧘‍♀️

We had nature’s music to guide our practise and even the Flying Scotsman could be heard at one point!

So lovely to see everyone and particularly, families coming along introducing their little ones to the magic of yoga ✨

I’m back in September but if you would like to join me for a class

🗓 MONDAYS
Pilates 9.30am: Community Link, Haslingden

Yoga 6.00pm: Unitarian Church, Rawtenstall

🗓️TUESDAYS
Pilates 6.00pm & Beginners Pilates 7.10pm: Community Link, Haslingden

🗓️WEDNESDAYS
Beginners Pilates 9am & Yoga 10.15am: St Thomas’ Hall

31/05/2026

One of the hats I wear is being an Independent Board Member for Active Lancashire and on Friday we had our Board away day.

Why am I telling you this?

It’s because I am deeply passionate about creating a world where movement is part of everyone's daily life, and so is this organisation.

I am particularly passionate about women’s health and breaking down barriers to inspire behaviour change to make movement accessible for EVERYONE - and this is why I also love being part of Rossendale’s Yoga in the Park (my turn next Sunday 7th June 🤞)

So on Friday, spending dedicated time with a leadership team that shares this exact energy, drive, and vision is deeply motivating and it was truly inspiring being part of the fabulous day!

29/05/2026

New block starts next week in Haslingden & Helmshore.

Comment Interested below for all the info and booking link…

28/05/2026

Just a little thank you to every single student who came to class this week in this heat. Hardcore!!!🙌
Super well done! 😎

27/05/2026

"How do I stop waking up feeling stiff, heavy, and disconnected from my body?”

That’s the question I hear a lot as a Pilates and Yoga teacher working with midlife women navigating menopause and beyond.

It doesn’t matter if they’ve always been active or followed all the “right” advice, this experience shows up again and again.

Many women tell me mornings feel like the hardest part of the day.

Their body feels less cooperative than it used to.

Movement feels stiff instead of fluid.

Core support feels unreliable.

Confidence feels fragile before the day has even begun.

I see women avoiding activities they once loved because their body no longer feels familiar or trustworthy.

I hear stories about walking holidays put on hold and a quiet fear that strength and confidence may not return.

The internal dialogue often sounds like:

“I don’t recognise me/my body anymore.”

“I used to feel strong, now I just feel heavy and stiff.”

“I’m worried this is just how it is now.”

Menopause changes how the body responds to movement, strength, and recovery. Pushing harder can make things worse, not better.

This is why Pilates and Yoga is soooo beneficial for midlife bodies (and beyond!)

The goal isn’t intensity, it’s rebuilding trust, strength, and confidence in a way that works with your changing body to find yourself again.

🗓 MONDAYS

Pilates 9.30am: Community Link, Haslingden
Yoga 6.00pm: Unitarian Church, The Unity Hub, Rawtenstall

🗓️TUESDAYS

Pilates 6.00pm & Beginners Pilates 7.10pm: Community Link, Haslingden

🗓️WEDNESDAYS

Beginners Pilates 9am & Yoga 10.15am: St Thomas' Church Hall, Helmshore

***NEW BEGINNERS PILATES STARTS NEXT WEEK - COMMENT BELOW FOR DETAILS***

📸Autumn Pilates & Yoga Retreat, Anglesey 2025 See less

19/05/2026

Midlife bodies need something different from exercise than they did 20 years ago.

I was a cardio bunny in my 20’s (loved a bit of step aerobics with my reebok pump trainers!)

I ran like Forrest Gump in my 30’s (ok not quite, but you catch my drift)

I became more serious about my strength training in my 40’s

And now in my 50’s, I practise a blend of movement that works for me that includes Pilates & yoga (obvs), strength training and a little bit of cardio.

Midlife bodies need more steadiness, mobility, strength, balance, breathing and movement that genuinely helps you feel better in everyday life.

All my mat based classes are designed specifically for midlife bodies and nervous systems though everyone and every body is welcome in my space.

The sessions are calm, supportive and practical (and fun!), helping you reconnect with a body that may have started to feel stiffer, tighter, more tired or less reliable than it once did.

From the first class you will notice your breath and as you continue to come to class, you notice your movement becoming easier again.

🧘‍♀️Breathing deepens.

💪Strength improves.

😊Confidence slowly starts to return — not through pushing harder, but through learning how to work with the body you have now.

🗓 MONDAYS
Pilates 9.30am: Community Link, Haslingden

Yoga 6.00pm: Unitarian Church, Rawtenstall

🗓️TUESDAYS
Pilates 6.00pm & Beginners Pilates 7.10pm: Community Link, Haslingden

🗓️WEDNESDAYS
Beginners Pilates 9am & Yoga 10.15am: St Thomas' Hall

***NEW BEGINNERS PILATES STARTS IN JUNE - COMMENT BELOW FOR DETAILS***

📸Spring Pilates & Yoga Retreat, Shropshire