I’ve been following the story of the missing lady, Nicola Bulley, and of course am saddened to hear of the discovery of a body in the river where she was last seen.
I was also shocked to hear of the police disclosing her very personal issues with menopause and alcohol, I couldn’t imagine why it was necessary to tell the world and feared that amongst some unkind and unenlighted individuals it would create very unhelpful dialogue and gossip. It seems this disclosure was to shut down the gossip mongers and conspiracy theorists! (those individuals who peddle misery and cause harm constantly appal me!)
The reason I’m writing about this is because of the connection with menopause and alcohol.
Menopause is the cessation of menstrual cycle, when, once a full year of no periods has passed, a woman is called post-menopausal (the average age is 51-53), and the few years prior the ending of periods is called the peri-menopause.
Peri menopause can begin in some women in their 30s, although rarely, but most often it starts in women ages 40 to 44 – my own began around 48.
It is marked by changes in menstrual flow and in the length of the cycle, plus other symptoms such as sleep disturbance, changes in skin and hair texture, hot flushes, brain fog, poor concentration and memory, increased aches and pains in joints and muscles, itchy skin and scalp, low libido, low energy and so on, plus changes in mood and for some significant mental health issues, depression, psychosis and suicidal thoughts. Some women have no or few symptoms that are very manageable whilst others have many or all of them.
The degree of challenge experienced during the menopausal journey seems to be linked with some influencing factors such as genetics, trauma in younger years, poor diet and nutrition (ie the better the diet and gut health, the lesser the symptoms) knowledge about and understanding of the menopause, higher levels of stress, fear and worry, pre existing/history of mental and physical health conditions, history of self medication with drugs and alcohol and prescribed medications too.
Many women choose to take hormone replacement, which helps with menopausal symptoms, and also a helpful effect in the reduction of the risk of dementia, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke and poor mental health and cognitive decline.
Alcohol and the menopause -I’ve heard many times that a little drink won’t do you any harm and in our younger years for many this might be the case although it will never do us any good, I have never had a good tolerance of it!
As we get a few more ‘miles on the clock’ our hormonal profile changes (ie a reduction in and imbalance of our sex hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone plus a many others) which affects every single cell in our body!
All the bits you can see changing on the outside is hiding all the internal organs and tissues that you can’t see on our insides and they are changing too.
Our liver has a reduced ability to deal with the toxic affects of poor diet, pollutants, drugs and alcohol. If someone has already used them to self medicate they are likely to return to or continue to use them and the impact is becoming even more severe. We all know that the consequences of drugs, improper diet and alcohol will bring about ill health physically but it also affects mental and social health and wellbeing in the long term and even more so in those peri and menopause years. Our ability to deal with the sugars in alcohol is also diminished and impacts both our body fat levels and the ability to balance our blood sugars. The risk or insulin resistance and diabetes increases with menopause.
The reason I have recently qualified as a peri-post menopausal health and fitness professional (in addition to my other specialisms including ante-post natal health and fitness) is to inform and support women and their families with what happens during the peri-post menopausal years, showing them how to navigate through that time of life with optimal mental and physical health and wellbeing.
The first part of that journey is gaining knowledge and understanding which is free from judgement, prejudice, conjecture or hearsay!
If you want advice and support for yourself or some one else then please reach out to me! helen@dybo.co.uk
The Week Ahead…
I’m very grateful to Sarah and Rachel for having stepped up to cover your classes whilst I’ve been poorly, they have had to return to their regular duties which means you are stuck with me (although Lynne will be teaching ‘Dancespiration’ this week as she has really enjoyed teaching you DYBO Dance Divas and wants another week to create a masterpiece!).
I returned to One to One coaching last week with no ill effect and I’m getting stronger daily, although nowhere near my usual level of fitness, so I’m asking you to help me here!
I really do need you to bring your A game and be at class in full force, everyone of you!
Whilst my lungs recover, I’m relying on you to give your all and motivate and inspire each other!
I will instruct and show you what to do and then you take it from there, giving it your best efforts…
Can you do that for me and you?
If it doesn’t work then I will have to re-think and possibly close the classes until I’m fully recovered, which I really don’t want to do. I don’t want to let you down so I’m hoping this will work whilst I respect and don’t abuse my health
It’s Pancake (Shrove) Tuesday this week – yayyyyy! I love a pancake why not try this gut healthy pancake recipe?
Ingredients
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ( I will use coconut oil)
- 2 tsp raw honey
- 2 tbsp dairy or plant based yoghurt (I will use almond or coconut)
- 2 tsp jam or fruit compote ( will use fresh berries)
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs, flaxseeds and psyllium husk together and set aside for 2 minutes to “bloom” and thicken.
- Heat half the oil in a small pan and then add half the egg mixture. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds on one side and flip over and cook for another 15 to 30 seconds. Slide onto a plate and make the second pancake in the same way.
- On each pancake place 1 tablespoon of your chosen yoghurt, topped with jam or fruit compote and a drizzle of honey. To make it look prettier you can add a tiny sprinkle of ground flaxseeds!
Have a wonderful week; I really do hope that together we can thrive.
Love ya,
Helen x
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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.
Monday (AH)
6.30-7.15pm: Boogie Fit
7.30-8.15pm: Total Tone – with bands, handweights and mat.
Tuesday (AH)
6.30-7.15pm: 5 in 1 Fitness – with bands, handweights and mat.
7.30-8.15pm: Dance Fit
Wednesday (DYBO Studio)
6.30pm Old Skool, Step & Strength – Step, hand weights and band.
7.15pm Barre Fit – Something to assist balance like a barre, eg. chair, worktop, mantlepiece etc.
Thursday (AH)
6.15-7.20pm: Contemporary Stretch – various equipment used at each class, contact me for info.
7.30-8.30pm: Dancespiration
Friday (DYBO Studio)
6.30pm Freestyle Fitness Yoga Express – Release, Restore, Recover and Deep Stretch.
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Joining us at All Hallows? – 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.
To ensure that is the case I just want to share with you our class protocols to inform and reassure everyone. Not everyone has been out and about much over the past, almost 3 years, and some of us are more anxious than others about getting back to ‘normal’ life and activities since restrictions have been lifted. Please be patient with each other and me – I have the responsibility of keeping you all happy and safe whilst complying with governing body guidelines and providing the best experience possible.
*Denotes for you to do, the rest is just info…
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.
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 – 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 at times 2 x tennis balls and a sock!
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
On the night
*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, enter and be in their personal exercise space between 5 and 10 mins before the class,
*Please change into your clean trainers for indoor activity as you enter, e.g. slip off your outdoor shoes, place in your bag, walk to activity area then put indoor shoes on, the same in reverse to leave. 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 cues.
I will be sticking to class times for sanitising and ventilation purposes. Doors and windows will be open for ventilation, unless the weather is very cold, and if it’s hot, fans will be used to blow air forwards out of the windows and open door for maximum and safe ventilation. Our exercise space is much larger than the governing body requirements (more than double in fact) indeed the government have lifted all guidelines, so it will be easy to maintain 2m social distance but please do keep your distance as some of our clients are more vulnerable to infection and wary .
I will maintain social distance, however I will have a visor/mask if I have to come close to provide first aid etc.
After an entire teaching career facing my class participants with my back to the mirrors I have made the change (for now) to face the mirrors, this is for my safety in this strange Covid world, but I assure you that I will still be able to see everything you get up to and will coach, encourage and nag as effectively as usual!!!
*After a wonderful class and virtual hugs, 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, I now have to rebuild my group exercise business after months away from face to face teaching due to the pandemic and more recently these flu and cold bugs.
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.
£7.50 per class.
10 Class Voucher: £65 (to be used within 12 weeks of purchase).
Membership: £50, 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 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
Monday
6.30pm Boogie Fit
7.30pm Total Tone
Tuesday
6.30pm 5 in 1 Fitness Class
7.30pm Dance Fit
Wednesday
6.30pm Old Skool, Step & Strength – Step, hand weights and band.
7.15pm Barre Fit – Something to assist balance like a barre, eg. chair, worktop, mantlepiece etc.
Thursday
6.15pm Contemporary Stretch
7.30pm Dancespiration
Friday
6.30pm Freestyle Fitness Yoga – Release, Restore, Recover and Deep Stretch.
****** 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.
Attending any DYBO class will assume agreement with above terms and disclaimer.
