This month, we’re excited to introduce Francesca, This month, we’re spotlighting Francesca, a Norfolk-based physiotherapist and Pilates instructor whose journey from hip dysplasia to movement optimist is as inspiring as it is empowering.
Tell us a bit about yourself – how did your fitness journey begin?
My journey to fitness began a bit later in life. I spent my school years doing my best to avoid exercise, as I grew up with hip dysplasia and, following a lot of corrective surgery, had no confidence with exercise.
I chose to become a physiotherapist as I wanted to help people who may be in a similar situation to me. When I went to university I began exploring different types of exercise as I felt like it was a fresh start. I’ve done all sorts since then, and still do, from CrossFit to yoga, HIIT classes to hiking, and of course, Pilates!
Pilates became a real love of mine when I went through an extremely stressful period at work, and the high intensity workouts CrossFit gave me made me feel worse, whereas Pilates gave me calm in the chaos, whilst still boosting those vital exercise endorphins:
What drew you to make movement such a big part of your life and career?
I think following on from the above - having limitations for a significant amount of my life made me have a greater appreciation for movement, and really develop a passion to help others too.
How would you describe your approach or philosophy to teaching?
I would say that I am a movement optimist; I love empowering people to move their bodies and build that trust with their own body as they develop and get stronger.
Plus I love working with people to help educate them to understand their bodies better.
What does your own practice look like day to day?
Each day is different! I love Pilates for its flexibility to support my lifestyle. My Pilates practice varies from a slow flow and stretch, to a more focused warm up or workout to support my sport and gym work. Sometimes I follow workouts on YouTube for example, but more often than not I just roll out my mat and do what feels right in the moment.
What are your go-to Amp products, and how do they support your practice or classes?
My mat!! I am not only obsessed with the aesthetic, but the feel and how it supports me during my practice. I also love the magic circle - it gives such a burn.
How do you keep movement and self-care consistent when life gets busy?
Oh good question - aren’t we always trying to strike that balance?! My best advice is to schedule it in like you would with anything, for example a meeting. Scheduling it in makes it much easier to stick to.
What’s one common misconception you see in your area of expertise (e.g., yoga, Pilates, barre)?
I think Pilates has grown in popularity recently and I am so here for it, but with the rise in coverage on social media, comes the increase in misconceptions.
I think one is that not all Pilates is on a reformer - and reformer isn’t necessarily harder than matwork! I love the reformer, but you can absolutely still get an incredible workout without the need for equipment.
Quick-fire: Morning or evening workouts? Go-to song? One word to describe your workout vibe?
Morning for gym workouts, evening for Pilates. Anything with a good beat in the gym, and beach club vibes for Pilates. My workout vibe: fun!
Where can we find you? (Instagram/where do you teach)?
I teach at a beautiful studio in Norfolk, but you can also find me on Instagram @flow.with.francesca.