Caroline Hope-Hawkins Pilates
I teach ladies over 40 how to reclaim their core strength, move better without pain, and generally find enjoyment in movement.
I teach in Sulgrave, on the Oxfordshire/Northamptonshire border and also teach Pilates on Zoom in small group classes & 1:1s.
29/01/2024
It’s been a tough few months for my Mum but she’s a fighter and she’s making it out the other side 💪🏻
Through it all I continued my teaching, and all you wonderful people who joined me (often daily) kept me going when life was not easy. A big thank you for that 🙏🙏🙏
And in the midst of it all, just after taking Mum back into hospital, I went on holiday - terrible timing - and at the time I was not in the right frame of mind to really appreciate it enough. But I’m looking back now through the wonderful photos and wishing I could do it all again.
Pilates with friends whilst on safari in Kenya.
Does it get any better than that?
Victoria Hodgson you are the best 🥰🥰
23/10/2022
Half term is upon us, my usual classes are off for the week, but I'm here to tell you that you still need to set aside time to move, however busy you are.
Now you might say, "But Caroline, I am rushing around like a blue a$$ed fly, I don't need your Challenge, I am never NOT moving".
And I hear you, but sometimes taking a step back from the hectic pace of your life, and taking half an hour to still your mind from the stresses of your day, to breathe deeply, and to focus your attention on some mindful movement that your body craves will allow you to face your day with a little extra energy and enthusiasm. Not to mention the fact that five days of Pilates might help ease that ni**le in your lower back, improve your mobility, and give you that mental boost that comes from achieving a challenge that you have set yourself.
So, how does it work?
I will be running the Challenge from my Video Library at hhpilates.com, so if you are not yet a member, you will need to sign up for the FREE 7 day trial. (Choose either Monthly Membership at £14.99/month, or Annual Membership at £149/year).
You will need to submit your credit card details, but you will NOT be charged until 7 days after signing up, so make a note of the date in your calendar and then simply cancel your subscription from within the Members' Area before your 7 days is up if you do not wish to continue using the library.
Each day, starting tomorrow (Monday) I will post a half hour video for you to complete in your own time during the day. The videos will remain up all week, so if you cannot start on Monday, they will still be there for you for the rest of the week.
Once you have done the class, drop me an email, let me know how you found it. I love to hear from you, and read every one of your messages.
And the added bonus is that you will have access to the entire video library of over 100 half hour classes, so if you don't feel like doing the class that I have scheduled for you, simply pick a different one.
Tomorrow we are kicking off gently with a No Frills Pilates Class - an introduction to the basics of Pilates, and a class that you can keep coming back to if you want to keep it simple. It is suitable for all levels.
I hope that you feel up to joining me in this Challenge - I'll be doing it with you!
Caroline x
🤩 Your FREE 5 Day Movement Challenge kicks off on Monday!! 🤩🤸🏻♀️
This challenge will really help you carve out time and space for your daily movement practice.
Five days, five half hour prerecorded videos for you to do in your own time, daily emails to help motivate and encourage you and a guarantee that you’ll feel better at the end of it.
DM me if you’d like more information.
03/09/2022
Back to school, back to work, let’s get moving again after the summer.
Classes kick off again this week.
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8:30am.
Sign up online https://hhpilates.com/online-pilates-classes/
15/08/2022
In need of some motivation to keep moving during the holidays? 🏝🍹
Now that the weather is a little cooler 🥵, I am inviting you to join me to do a short Pilates session every day for 7 days. Only 30 minutes each day, so easy to squeeze in to a busy day at some point if you set your mind to it. Maybe even allocate a time to do it and write it in your diary to remind yourself.
You'll only have access to these videos on my membership site HH Pilates on Demand, and you'll get 7 days free when you sign up, so this Challenge could be totally free for you to join. (Just make sure that you cancel your subscription in your profile page before the 7 days is up).
We start TOMORROW, Tuesday 16th August with the first video, so no procrastinating with this one. Just sign up straight away to join me on https://hhpilates.com/on-demand/
Looking forward to seeing you there 😍
CHH x
04/08/2022
Don't forget you still need that daily dose of healthy movement even on holiday.
Join me every Monday during August at 08:30 BST for an invigorating start to your day.
Sign up on hhpilates.com
Gardening tips 🪴
Now that the sun is out I know a lot of you will be spending more time in the garden, and dealing with subsequent aches and pains 🙃.
Because after all, if you suddenly do something for four hours on the trot which your body is not used to, it is going to hurt 🤷🏻♀️.
My top tips:
🪴 Don’t stay in the same position for too long
🪴 Use a small trug so you have to get up to empty it more often. (This might seem a real pain but it is better for you!)
🪴 Change activity frequently. Trim the hedge for a bit, then w**d for a bit, then water for a bit. If you trim a hedge for one hour without a break you will know about it.
🪴 And finally, finish off with some Pilates. No fancy equipment needed, just lie down on your mat and move a bit.
This summer I will mostly be picking up magnolia leaves 😥🍂.
Got any top tips to stop them falling ALL YEAR ROUND??!! 🤣
No time in your day to exercise?
No motivation to workout on your own?
I’m here to help!
I’ll meet you at 08:30 up to three mornings a week, and we’ll work out together, then you can get on with your day with a positive glow about you!
30 minute movement sessions
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday
08:30 (GMT)
Wherever you are in the world (and sometimes when I’m on holiday too!)
Message me to find out more.
28/04/2022
When you HAVE to teach a class whilst on holiday as your view is too good not to share!!
20/04/2022
Let’s get ready to roll into summer!
After a mini Easter break, and way too much chocolate the usual schedule is back on.
Half hour morning sessions kick off again tomorrow (Thursday) at 8:30am.
Book online classes at https://hhpilates.com
Are aches and pains bothering you?
Too busy to squeeze an hour of exercise into your day?
Not sure which exercises to do to make a difference?
Then my On Demand membership is for you.
You get access to a library full of amazing 30 minute Pilates routines to help you get stronger and more mobile. Try it for FREE for 7 days
Sign up at https://hhpilates.com/on-demand/
My 55 minute Zoom classes are all about YOU 🙌
I guide you through the work, I’ll give you cues unique to you, and your individual needs even in a group class setting.
It’s a personalised experience that is more about helping you than watching me get a workout 💪🏼🤷🏻♀️
The class sizes remain small so I know everyone attending.
I teach 3 longer format classes a week like this:
Mondays at 5:30pm - Staying Strong over 60
Weds at 8:30am - All Levels
Weds at 5:30pm - Intermediate
Drop me a message if you’d like to know more 👇🏻
Tight or rounded shoulders? Spending too long at your computer?
Grab your foam roller or roll up a bath towel and try these.
Try and keep the back of the rib cage on the roller as you move your arms. Video speed up x2 so keep it slow.
I felt truly energised after this morning’s half hour session. What a great way to start the day. I practically skipped to the boulangerie to get my baguette afterwards!
I don’t think I say this enough but well done to my amazing team who join me online four mornings a week. you are a fabulous lot and I LOVE seeing your commitment, smiles and enthusiasm each morning.
If you are interested in adding a half hour morning movement session into your routine (830 GMT) before cracking on with the rest of your day with a spring in your step, then DM me or comment below.
CHH x

14/02/2022
Interesting reading
14/02/2022
30/09/2021
Bye Bye Paris
What a fabulous few days it has been filled with sightseeing, making new friends, and finished off with a proud wife moment watching Rupert lay a wreath at the Arc de Triomphe. All interspersed here and there with a Pilates lesson led from my hotel room.
Don’t let yourself think that you don’t have enough space to do Pilates. Or enough time.
Find the time, make the space - your body and mind will be so grateful 😊
All in grey today to match this grey day 🌧 ☔️
I know most of you hate the magic circle, ⭕️ of🔥, but I really struggle with this exercise - Open Leg Rocker - and the magic circle makes it a whole lot easier for me.
This years theme is to say thank you, so Thank you Mr Pilates for always giving us something to work towards and thank you for the magic circle!!
Day 3 brings us to The Roll Over.
Not one that I like to teach on Zoom, legs over your head & turning your head to look at the screen = not good. So you are only allowed to do it if you don't look!
We get to the full version by placing a ball under the pelvis, and starting off with bent knees, and just going for a small butt lift off the ball.
Try not to use to much momentum to swing your legs over your head. It's gotta come from those abdominals. And you can use your arms to push into the floor. Keep the weight in the shoulders, rather than the neck and the head.
And it's always better if you don't have a chair behind you!
Day 2 of is The Roll Up. This is a tricky one to master as it requires not only strength but also mobility of the pelvis and the lower back.
In this video I have shown some modifications to make this exercise more achievable. If you find you get stuck half way, pop a cushion behind your pelvis. Adding a cushion is not cheating, it's a useful feedback tool for your spine... wherever you are on your Roll Up journey we are always aiming for progress not perfection!
Have a go at the modifications and let me know how you get on.
02/03/2021
March is when the whole Pilates world whips itself into an Insta-frenzy which we call .
Each day of March, Pilates practitioners from around the globe post a photo/video of each exercise in the order of the Classical Mat series that Joseph Pilates created. 34 exercises squished into 31 days!
I'm so rubbish with social media that I will not be posting every day, but I thought it would be fun to join in here and there.
Day 1 (yesterday - late already!) started with the Hundred - the warm up, and what a challenging warm up it is. With this exercise we are working on the strength to support our bodies against the pull of gravity, using breath and a vigorous beating of the arms to get the blood pumping. Making that connection between mind and body, and this is just the start...
I'm challenging myself to do my Pilates workout every day this month - why not join me and see how you feel by the end of the month? www.hhpilates.com/classes
28/02/2021
As a sufferer of back pain myself (it was the reason I took up Pilates many years ago), I know that pain flare ups can be scary, and you worry that you have done untold damage to your spine.
This graphic is really useful in explaining away some common misconceptions regarding back pain.
Check out in particular number 9, and the link between stress, anxiety, lack of sleep or unaccustomed activity and back pain flare ups.
And above all, the importance of keeping moving to help you out of pain.
17/02/2021
Is Half Term robbing you of your much needed ME TIME?
Would you like a 30 minute movement session for FREE?
This is an invitation to those of you who have not joined me on Zoom before and may still be sceptical of the wonders of Zoom.
Come and join me tomorrow (Thursday) at 9:15am for a half hour of feel good Pilates.
No hard sell at the end of class. Let's just enjoy moving together.
Book your space at www.hhpilates.com/classes
14/02/2021
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’m not a fan of the unknown - for me there is really only one chocolate - I LOVE a Bendicks bittermint and these looked way too fancy for me. But I was wrong - they were delicious (and I tried every flavour) 🤷🏻♀️.
So this is for you if you have never tried Zoom Pilates with me and are waiting for me to come back to a village hall near you.
We move to France in August and it is looking most likely that I will not teach another group Pilates class in England before we go.
So if you want to keep your body strong and healthy, keep back pain at bay, rehab those shoulder injuries, bounce on that trampoline with your children or grandchildren (why not?) with confidence, and learn a little about how your bodies work from me on the way, then it is online only from now on.
💝 So Zoom Pilates newbies, this is my invitation to join me for a free class on Thursday 18th at 9:15am 💝
Can’t make the class? I’ll send you the recording.
No catches, no sales pitch at the end of class. Just come and experience a class on Zoom and see if you like it.
(Fancy chocolates not included - there are none left!!)
Comment below👇🏻 or DM me to get your link.
Pilates with Me!
I will be starting up again in Warminster from September 2019, mainly offering private 1:1 Pilates sessions on the studio equipment from my home.
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