Well here we are end of August and the start of Autumn, I stuck with my personal promise to make the most of the summer, knowing that autumn and winter can feel very long!
With the passing of Dolly Parton last week we have all lost the only woman in the world that no one has a bad word for – that in itself is amazing!
She was one of a kind! A rare shining star, earned her place in heaven, resting in peace, comfortably wrapped in cotton clothes sat on the porch of her childhood cabin home in the Tennessee mountains, no longer being ‘on Dolly duty’ and just being Dolly !
I was so upset when I heard the news and thought folks might think, me foolish for feeling so bereft, but I see that many of you and the entire world agree that we have all lost a woman that was special and important !
The following day Tim Curry passed also aged 80 and I have heard people say “quick, find Cher and wrap her in bubble wrap”, as she is now in her 80’s!
I’ve committed to be more Dolly! I am practising her philosophies, learning from her many wise quotes, and following her exampl . I’m starting with a Dolly Tribute Class to celebrate her exemplary life and raise funds for her charity, the Imagination Library.
The class is created to be simple and fun for everyone and is choreographed to Dolly’s hits, so come along and be one of the wonderful Dolly Mixtures for the night and ‘feel good doing good’. The class itself is a paid session, and your charity donation will be completely separate.
I will be donating myself and am happy to add your donation to our total, or you can donate directly via the link.
Please do come along and spread the word—I really want to make it a big success!
Here is a great Dolly quote to set you on your ‘Be More Dolly’ path:
“If you see someone without a smile today, give ‘em yours”
As we move into autumn, I want to remind you that now is the time to get your health, fitness, and immune system as strong as possible, ready to handle what the months ahead have in store!
Remember, optimal health, fitness, and wellbeing affect your appearance too. While lots of folks are on slimming meds and will lose ‘weight’ (and often muscle mass), those meds don’t make up for a poor diet, lack of nutrition, and a lack of exercise!
Slimming meds alone will negatively affect your health, fitness and appearance too !
Being skinny isn’t why we exercise at DYBO. That attitude was left behind way back in the 80s! DYBO Health & Fitness is about all-round physical and mental health. Our coaching is about your complete lifestyle, including exercise, optimal nutrition, healthy mental activity, rest, and stress management.
It’s about a daily approach towards and practice of self-care.
To assist you in getting on track and staying on track, we offer a DYBO membership package that provides you with classes at an incredible discount. You can attend live in-person at the studio, join on Zoom, or log in at any time of day from wherever you are via our members-only, complimentary DYBO TV!
If you take just two classes a week, the membership is your cheapest deal. You also get a £5 discount on one-to-one services!
Note: DYBO Membership runs from the 1st to the last day of the calendar month and is due the day before the start of your membership. A month’s notice is required for a membership freeze (for one month) or cancellation. Payment via BACS only. See the poster below.
The week ahead…
No Class on Bank Holiday Monday, so come and join the fitness and dance fun at the Cardio, Condition and Core class and/or the Dolly Tribute Class on Tuesday, Tell everyone and invite everyone please!
Tuesday (6:30 PM) – Cardio, Condition and Core: Total Tone crew, you will be well cared for at this combined Total Tone and 5-in-1 class. Expect a multi-level fitness class with banging tunes, plenty of sweat, banter, and laughter!
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
IndepenDANCE Bookings are now open ! Grab your special offer NOW !
Join us for INDEPENDANCE on Saturday 10 October, from 1–5pm, for an uplifting afternoon of dance, featuring special guest presenter Jo Ali, alongside Helen Carpenter-Waters.
Special Offer
Buy now, save £5 – tickets only £35
Full price £40
*Offer ends 30 September 2026
Scroll down for payment options
Your ticket includes all classes:
• Let The Beat Drop – Jo
• Sass & Soul – Helen
• Latin Heat – Jo
• Super Stretch – Helen
Location: All Hallows School, Farnham.
A relaxed, welcoming afternoon of movement, music and fun — come with friends or on your own.
Please note, tickets are non-transferable or refundable.
Secure your place today.
Bank transfer:
Name: UK Fitness Academy
Acc No: 04284324
Sort Code: 09-01-28
Reference: INDEPENDANCE October 26
Once paid, please email helen@dybo.co.uk with the attendee’s name(s) and contact number.
This is a friendly event – all levels of dance are very welcome!
Cucumber Harvest
I have a few cucumbers ripen at the same time so I had a little search with my AI pal and came up with this – I love cucumber so this is my kinda thing!
Asian Cucumber Salad (Pai Huang Gua).
Crushing the cucumbers instead of cleanly slicing them creates jagged, rough edges. These rough surfaces act like a magnet, trapping the savoury, garlicky, and slightly spicy dressing inside.
Maybe serve it with vegetable spring rolls and other oriental side dishes or as a large side dish with a protein such as Fish or chicken.
The 10-Minute Smashed Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large English cucumbers (or 4-5 small Persian cucumbers)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (for drawing out excess water)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili oil or chili crisp (adjust to your heat preference)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar (I’m going to use Palm sugar)
- Toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
- Smash the Cucumbers: Lay your cucumbers flat on a cutting board. Take a wide chef’s knife, lay the flat side against the cucumber, and whack it firmly with your fist. You want the cucumber to split open and fracture lengthwise.
- Chop and Salt: Slice the smashed halves diagonally into bite-sized pieces. Toss them into a colander, sprinkle with the sea salt, and let them drain for 10 minutes. This step keeps the cucumbers extra crunchy and prevents the dressing from getting watery.
- Mix the Dressing: While the cucumbers drain, whisk together the minced garlic, rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Toss and Serve: Shake off any excess water from the cucumbers and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add them directly to your dressing bowl, toss thoroughly to coat all the jagged edges, and top with toasted sesame seeds.
Tell me what you think?
Have a fab week, I hope to share our Dolly Tribute class with you and please spread the word !
Helen x
Lead DYBO Dolly Mixture for the week
DYBO Live & Online – This week’s Classes are as follows:.
At All Hallows, Farnham & DYBO Studio, Church Crookham (Book in Advance only): Zoom class details further down the page.
Tuesday (AH)
6.30pm: Cardio, Conditioning & Core – with bands, hand-weights and mat. Plus ketttle bells if you have one.
7.30pm: Dance Fit & Fab
Wednesday (DYBO Studio)
6.30pm: Old Skool Step – Step, hand weights and band.
7.30pm: Barre Fit – something to assist balance like a barre (supplied if you attend in studio) eg. chair, worktop, mantlepiece etc.
Thursday (AH)
6.15pm: Contemporary Stretch – various equipment used at each class, contact me for info.
7.30pm: Dancespiration
Friday (DYBO Studio)
6.30pm: Friday Fitness Yoga Express
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Joining us at All Hallows or The DYBO Church Crookham Studio? – Protocols and Information
I’m so happy to be able to run Face to Face classes at All Hallows and at the DYBO Studio in Church Crookham. My primary objective is to ensure that we all have a wonderful time with effective and fun classes that are engaging, relaxed and of course, safe.
Preparation
1) Firstly ensure that you have booked by sending us an email info@dybo.co.uk confirming all the classes you wish to attend plus your payment method, be it as a member, using your voucher, or pay as you go. No on the door bookings or payments can be taken. Bookings are not refundable or transferable. I will keep records of all attending, please also keep a record of your own attendance too.
2) Preparing your kit bag/box. This depends upon the class you are attending.
Boogie Fit, Dance Fit and Dancespiration crew will only require your indoor trainers/dance shoes to change in to, sweat towel, and drink.
Total Tone and 5 in 1 crew – in order to prevent cross contamination currently I am not sharing equipment in a group exercise setting so you will need your mat, a resistance band and light hand weights/equivalent in addition to your trainers, sweat towel and drink.
Contemporary Stretch crew need a mat, band, chi ball and on the last Thursday of the Month you will need 2 x tennis balls and a sock for our Trigger Point and Myofascial release class !
3) Re borrowing equipment – if you would like to try a class or have forgotten equipment then you may borrow equipment on that occasion and please ensure that you sanitise it before and afterwards (sanitising products supplied). I can assist you with sourcing your own equipment inexpensively, moving forward.
On the night
*When you arrive at All Hallows, enter the school via the gates to the left as you face the school and follow the road around the school buildings.
*Please park in the playing courts and walk between the old school building and new sports hall, up a few steps on to the outside seating area, the studio door is to your right.
*Participants are required to arrive 5-10 mins before the class.
*Please change into your clean trainers for indoor activity as you enter, ie. slip off your outdoor shoes, place in your bag, or leave at the door , and change into your indoor trainers . This is to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of the space, avoiding stones and glass being walked in and potentially causing injury and to protect the lovely new wood floor.
*The toilets are open to use but please arrive changed, ready for activity so as to keep use time minimal and avoiding queues.
*After a wonderful class change from your indoor trainers to outdoor shoes and sanitise your hands again if you wish.
*Please tell friends and family about our wonderful classes!
When joining me at the DYBO Studio (No.42, GU52 0YA) I will send information directly, including entrance code for the Studio and please note, advanced booking is required.
Fees, you have THREE options!
Please note that all Classes must be booked and paid for in advance and are non transferable or refundable.
Online payments only.
50 min Class – £9.00, 60/65 min Class – £9.50
10 Class Voucher: £85 (to be used within 12 weeks of purchase).
Membership: £59, unlimited classes, plus a bonus of free access to all class recordings on our DYBO TV channel, and another bonus of a £5 discount for one to one services for current membership holders.
To be paid by the 1st day of the month (at the latest) and is valid from the first to last day of calendar month.
One full month’s notice of membership suspension/cancellation is required with one membership restart permitted within a 12 month period.
Bank details are UK Fitness Academy Ltd.
Sort Code 09-01-28, Acc No. 04284324
Please email me when you have made a payment and use your name and what it’s for as a reference. eg. Jane Smith Class Voucher
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Joining us on Zoom? – Links and Information
Tuesday
6.30pm Cardio, Conditioning & Core
7.30pm Dance Fit & Fab
Wednesday
6.30pm Old Skool, Step & Strength
7.15pm Barre Fit
Thursday
6.15pm Contemporary Stretch
7.30pm Dancespiration
Friday
6.30pm Friday Fitness Yoga Express
****** All the above classes change and vary weekly! *****
How to prepare your Zoom environment
- You need space to move 2 side steps, 4 walks forward, 4 backward. Move trip hazards and furniture as much as you can (get help, be careful!) to give you maximum space for upper and lower body movement. Roll up rugs or secure them so they don’t slip or cause you to trip.
- Plugging your device in to your TV with an HDMI cable is brilliant as it gives you a good picture of you (like a mirror) and me – as well as boosting the sound if you go through the TV/Hi-Fi sound system. If you can place your device under the TV, then even better.
- I know some of you are using your phones – try to plug in to a speaker system (even those little speakers we have when we go on holiday would help) so that you can hear better as you move back from the phone. Angie has tried Bluetooth earphones and it worked well.
- Ensure you have maximum access to your Wi-Fi in the house and as close to the router as is feasible. Take phones off the Wi-Fi system and pop them on to your 4/5G network or place on airplane mode, unless that’s what you are using to join us, obviously. Ask family to do the same for the duration of your class – keep them off the internet whilst you need the bandwidth. The more bandwidth you have, the better the picture and sound and the less likely you are to lose the feed. Your health is a priority at this time and I’m sure they can do something else for that short time!
- Ventilate your exercise space, have plenty of water and towels to hand, keep your exercise equipment close – if you need anything, let me know.
- Wear correct footwear for your activity – putting an old pair of socks over the toes and ball of your trainers will help reduce friction when exercising on carpet (if they are a really old pair, cutting the toes open and then just having them over the ball of the foot is even better). It’s up to you if you want to dance or train in bare feet but be careful if you don’t usually do this as it takes time for the muscles and connective tissue of the feet and rest of the body to adapt to barefoot training.
- Make your own gym equipment. Save laundry liquid or milk bottles – you can fill them with water or wet sand/rice etc. to add weight and make a dumbell/kettlebell. I recommend you make a few in differing weights and you have written on them so you know what they weigh and seal the caps with tape to prevent leakage. Get a heavy duty shopping bag and put weighty items in it, check they can’t fall out and you have a kettlebell alternative. Make your own hurdles, put cushions, pillows, boxes, books on the floor to jump over. Use household items as floor markers for circuit activities. The stairs and outdoor steps are great temporary steps/benches for cardio and upper body work. The garden is a great open space to make an assault course or if you can get a signal, take your class or PT session outside, but do make it safe.
Disclaimer
I declare that all of the information I have given (both written and verbal) is accurate and truthful. I know of no reason why I cannot participate fully in any exercise programme and I do not deem it necessary to consult my medical Practitioner/GP/specialist. I undertake to inform my instructor should any information change.
I understand that I participate at my own risk and that any information given is not intended to replace or represent medical advice. I agree to comply with all terms conditions and class protocols and instructions as outlined above and whilst attending DYBO classes/training.
Do not attend classes if experiencing symptoms of Covid 19, Flu or airborne transmissible infection or have tested positive.
