If you’ve resolved to get stronger this New Year but the gym simply isn’t your thing, there’s another way to build strength while enjoying the yoga you love.
I’m bringing Strong Yoga - Resistance Training with the Soul of Yoga - to my studios in Kent and East Sussex. It brings together strength training and yoga to help us stay strong and mobile as we get older.
Why I started practising Strong Yoga
I’ve been practising yoga for 20 years. It’s a magnificent practice and has given me so much, physically and emotionally. But learning more about menopause and healthy ageing made me realise that even a regular yoga practice might leave some muscles and bones needing more of a challenge. I knew I needed resistance training, but doing weights separately wasn’t something I enjoyed. I wanted to build strength and keep the yoga I love.
So I trained in Strong Yoga, a method developed by internationally respected yoga teacher Jason Crandell that combines modern sports science with carefully planned yoga sequencing.
What happens in a Strong Yoga class?
Every class has a specific strength goal linked to a yoga posture or sequence. I follow a six-phase progression, using targeted resistance exercises to build strength and stability before we explore how that work supports the yoga that follows.
In each hour-long class, we spend about 30 minutes on resistance training with bands and hand weights and 30 minutes on yoga. We keep the breath awareness, mindful movement and relaxation that make yoga so rewarding.
Building strength for the years ahead
This is especially relevant during menopause, when hormonal changes can speed up bone loss and contribute to a decline in muscle strength. Gradually increasing the resistance you work with can help maintain muscle strength and support bone health.
In June 2026, the World Health Organization highlighted yoga’s role in healthy ageing, including how it can support balance, mobility and wellbeing. The WHO also recommends strength training at least twice a week alongside regular aerobic activity. Add in some brisk walks, perhaps through our beautiful local countryside, and you’re building habits that can serve you for years.
I think about the life I want to enjoy in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time. Scooping up grandchildren, dancing, getting out of a chair without help, travelling and exploring. And absolutely still rolling out my yoga mat. That’s what I want to stay strong for.
Strong Yoga in Peasmarsh
I’ve also trained in Yoga for Menopause, and I’ll help you find a starting point that feels right for you. If you’re new to resistance training, you’re very welcome to come and give it a go.
Book a Strong Yoga class in Peasmarsh
Move well. Feel strong. Live fully.