If you’ve been following the news, you already know the heatwave has triggered a local hosepipe ban. For garden lovers, this means one thing: it’s time to break out the classic watering can!
While your plants will thank you, your lower back might not. A fully loaded 10-litre watering can weighs roughly 10 kilograms (22 lbs). Lugging that back and forth across your garden dozens of times isn’t just a chore—it is a serious, repetitive resistance workout.
This is exactly where all your hard work at DYBO in our functional fitness and resistance training classes pays off! Your workouts aren’t just for the gym or studio, or simply to pass the time; they are designed to protect your body during everyday tasks just like this.
To keep your garden blooming fabulously without throwing out your spine, treat your watering session like a mindful lifting circuit. Here is your ultimate guide to functional gardening ergonomics:
- Mind Your Distance: Stand as close to your watering can as possible before lifting. Proximal lifting dramatically reduces the shear force on your lumbar spine.
- The Perfect Squat Setup: Drop your hips back and squat down while maintaining a long, neutral spine with your chest facing forward.
- Drive with the Legs: Keep your knees tracked in a straight line with your toes. Push firmly through your legs to stand, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders drawn back and down.
- Keep it Close: Carry the heavy watering can right next to your legs and centre of gravity rather than letting it swing outward.
- Functional Lunges: When reaching over deep flower beds, drop into a controlled lunge to pour the water safely, keeping your core braced.
- Lighten the Load: Don’t let your ego take over. If a full can feels too cumbersome or difficult, half-fill it and make a few extra trips. Consider it bonus cardio!
The Post-Gardening Cool-Down Circuit
Even with pristine lifting form, moving back and forth with a heavy watering can involves continuous, isometric work for your upper body and a lot of repetition for your lower half. Treat the end of your gardening session just like the end of a DYBO fitness class—with a conscious, restorative cool-down.
Before you head inside for a glass of water, run through these three simple recovery movements to help reduce next-day stiffness:
1. The Standing Chest & Shoulder Opener
- Why it helps: Carrying heavy cans causes the shoulders to round forward and stresses the upper back muscles.
- How to do it: Clasp your hands behind your lower back or bottom. Gently straighten your arms, lift your chest proudly toward the sky, and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 15–30 seconds while taking deep, slow breaths.
2. The Functional Hip Flexor Release
- Why it helps: All that squatting and bending down shortens tissues at the front of the hip joints and tightens the fronts of your thighs.
- How to do it: Step one foot forward into a long lunge, place your hands on your pelvis, bend your knees, and sink your hips downward until you feel a gentle stretch across the front of your rear hip and thigh. Hold for 15–30 seconds per side.
3. The Gentle Torso Twist & Stretch
- Why it helps: Pouring water at awkward angles twists the spine under load, making the deep lower back muscles rigid.
- How to do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Keeping your hips pointing straight forward, place your hands across your chest and gently twist the spine right and left. This movement will unwind the tension in your mid-back. Repeat for 30 seconds. Follow up with 15–30 repetitions of slow, gentle sideways stretching and reaching upwards.
By combining your functional lifting form with a quick cool-down routine, you’ll keep both your body and your garden blooming absolutely fabulously this summer!
Of course, make sure to keep up with your DYBO fitness, dance, and stretch sessions—we have a fabulous summer schedule planned to meet your needs!
Your DYBO Summer Schedule: This Week and Moving into August
It’s the final week of July and we have a full week (Monday to Friday) of fabulous sessions ready for you to keep up that summer figure and fitness.
Mondays
- 6:30 PM – 7:20 PM: Ladies Night @ Boogie Fit (Let’s celebrate Kool & The Gang style!)
- Location: All Hallows (GU9 9HF) & Zoom
- Perfect for: Beginners & Returners! Grab your spot on the dance floor now.
- 7:30 PM – 8:20 PM: Total Tone (Top to Toe Exercise & Results!)
- Location: All Hallows (GU9 9HF) & Zoom
- Perfect for: Everyone.
Tuesdays
- 6:30 PM – 7:20 PM: 5-in-1 (Whole body strength, endurance, cardio, mobility & flexibility in 1 class!)
- Location: All Hallows, Farnham (GU9 9HF)
- Perfect for: All fitness levels and everyone seeking motivation, expert advice, and results!
- 7:30 PM – 8:20 PM: Dance Fit & Fab (Afro-Pop and Reggaeton style—let’s get our Latin on and shake what our Muma gave us!)
- Location: All Hallows, Farnham (GU9 9HF) & Zoom
- Perfect for: More experienced participants and improvers
Wednesdays
- 6:30 PM – 7:20 PM: New, Old-Skool Step & Strength (Weights, intervals, simple choreography, core & stretch)
- Location: DYBO Studio (GU52 0YA) & Zoom
- 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Barre Fit with DYBO (Improve posture, mobility, balance, muscle & bone mass)
- Location: DYBO Studio (GU52 0YA) & Zoom
- Perfect for: Everyone welcome, no experience required!
Thursdays
- 6:15 PM – 7:20 PM: Contemporary Stretch (‘Movement Medicine’ including Pilates, Yoga, Feldenkrais, Chi Ball, Sports Therapy, Dance, and Myofascial Release)
- Location: All Hallows, Farnham (GU9 9HF) & Zoom
- 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Soul Jazz @ Dancespiration (‘The dance class for grown-ups of all ages who LOVE to Dance to Express’)
- Location: All Hallows (GU9 9HF) & Zoom
Fridays
- 6:30 PM – 7:20 PM: Fitness Yoga Express with Helen! (‘The Yoga class for people who ‘don’t do’ Yoga!’—Release, Restore, Relax, Reset, Refresh)
- Location: DYBO Studio (GU52 0YA) & Zoom
☀️ Important August Schedule Changes
For August, we shift over to our special summer timetable. Monday and Friday evening sessions will take a short break and return fully refreshed in September. However, there is absolutely no need to miss your workouts!
If you are a regular on Mondays or Fridays, I have curated alternative classes that you will absolutely love on other nights:
- Total Tone fans: You will love the Cardio, Condition & Core class on Tuesdays at 6:30 PM!
- Boogie Fit lovers: You will love the Boogie Fit & Fab class on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM!
- Fitness Yoga Express lovers: Thursday’s 6:15 PM Contemporary Stretch class is ideal for you!
Of course, you can also grab this opportunity to try something completely new!
Whether it’s Step & Strength, Barre Fitness, or Dancespiration, there is plenty to choose from.
Alternatively, why not treat yourself to some focused Personal Training, or partner up with a pal for a fun small group session?
🚨 August Membership Deal: Remember, we have a fantastic August Membership deal on offer right now. Numbers are strictly limited and some spots have gone already—don’t miss out!
📧 Booking Info: Advanced booking is required for all classes. Please email info@dybo.co.uk or visit www.dybo.co.uk to secure your place.
From the Garden: A Gut-Healthy Courgette Recipe!
I don’t profess to being a master gardener, but I am growing courgettes successfully this year! Because I have quite the harvest, I’ve been hunting for delicious, healthy recipes to use them up. Check this one out:
Charred Courgette and Garlicky Butter Bean Salad with Probiotic Yogurt
🛒 Ingredients
- 3–4 Courgettes (sliced into thick 2cm half-moons)
- 1 tin (400g) Butter Beans or Cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 150g Live Greek Yogurt (full-fat or 0% works, just check it has “live cultures”)
- 2 cloves Garlic (finely grated or minced)
- Juice and Zest of half a Lemon
- A large handful of Fresh Mint or Dill (chopped)
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- A pinch of Sea Salt, Black Pepper, and Chilli Flakes
- Optional Crunch: 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
🍳 Method
- Whip the Gut-Loving Base: In a small bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, grated garlic, half of your lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Spoon this mixture directly onto your serving platter and use the back of a spoon to smooth it out into a beautiful, thick bed.
- Char the Courgettes: Toss your thick courgette chunks with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Heat a large frying pan or griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Add the courgettes and fry for 7–8 minutes until they get deep, golden charred marks on both sides but still retain a little bit of bite.
- Warm the Beans: Turn the heat down to low. Toss the rinsed butter beans directly into the pan with the courgettes for just 2 minutes. They will warm through and absorb the delicious juices left in the pan. Turn off the heat and squeeze the remaining lemon juice over the top.
- Assemble and Serve: Tumble the warm, charred courgettes and butter beans straight over your cold garlic-yogurt base. Scatter the fresh herbs, lemon zest, chilli flakes, and seeds over the top. Finish with a generous drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil and enjoy warm!
Nom Nom!
I’m so looking forward to us getting together for some fabulous, fun fitness, dance and friendship throughout the Summer!
Love Ya,
Helen xxx
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)
6.30pm: Boogie Fit
7.30pm: Total Tone – with bands, handweights and mat.
Tuesday (AH)
6.30pm: 5 in 1 Fitness – 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
Monday
6.30pm: Boogie Fit
7.30pm: Total Tone
Tuesday
6.30pm 5 in 1 Fitness Class
7.30pm Dance Fit & Fab
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 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.
