I hope Valentine’s was a lovely one for you, whether you are single or with your soul mate!
I have been busy but did take time out for dinner out and a show at G Live. This one was less cerebral than the previous week with Professor Brian Cox, as we were seeing the very cheeky and funny Clinton Baptiste, & yes Spirit was with him. Poor Steve had food poisoning and was bed and bathroom bound all weekend poor soul, so be gentle with him when you see him.
I have lots of news for you this week, plus the next edition of our Alignment series so read on. This week I write about the spine but first…
A week of Free DYBO Classes this week only (just for new customers) – 10 x free passes for the week, first come first served!
Karen and I are so excited to invite you to our May Independance Day! Independance places are going fast already so book now!
Join us this May — and save £10! (details below)
We have a brilliant afternoon planned for you! On Saturday 9 May we’re bringing you a feel-good dance event with four energising classes — and you’re invited.
There’s also an early bird offer, so you can secure your place for £30 (saving £10) if you book before 24 April.
Meet your Presenters…
Lady Kat Smith – returning after the amazing response to her debut, bringing her signature style and energy
Helen Carpenter-Waters – your resident expert, guiding you through fabulous dance movement and stretch
Class Schedule (1–5pm)
OG Jam – Kat. ‘The original Gangsta Jams, with an easy to follow street dance style with flava’
Express – Helen. Helen’s signature style that allows you to truly ‘express yourself through dance movement and original choreography!’
Latin Funk – Kat. ‘Get ready to shake those hips in an original fusion of Latin dance and easy hip hop style’.
Dancers Stretch – Helen. Another signature session from the DYBO Diva herself, assisting you to ‘recover from a day of dance and float home on a cloud’
Location
All Hallows School, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 9HF
Special Offer
Early bird: £30 until 24 April
Standard price: £40
Tickets include all classes.
Please note tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
It’s a relaxed, welcoming afternoon — perfect whether you come with friends or on your own. Just come along, have fun and enjoy the magic of movement and dance combined.
How To Pay
Bank Transfer
Reference: INDEPENDANCE May
Name: UK Fitness Academy
Acc No: 04284324
Sort Code: 09-01-28
Once paid, please email helen@dybo.co.uk
with the attendee’s name and a contact number.
We can’t wait to see you there! Love Karen and Helen x
Spine Alignment
Optimal spine alignment is crucial for maintaining good posture not only aesthetically but also for optimal functionality, ensuring our bodies move efficiently and safely – thus reducing the risk of injury, wear and tear, issues with internal health, movement, balance and so on.
When the spine is properly aligned, it supports the muscles and joints correctly, helps prevent unnecessary strain, and allows nerves to function without interference. This not only reduces the risk of injury but also improves overall well-being for all internal organs and tissues too.
However, if the spine becomes misaligned it can lead to a host of problems such as chronic back/neck pain, headaches, internal organ problems, reduced mobility, and even issues with digestion or breathing.
Misalignment often occurs due to poor posture either via laziness or lack of awareness, our sedentary life styles (too much sitting, not enough movement, mobility and strengthening exercises), repetitive movements such as looking at hand held devices for long periods, looking at laptops, TV monitors, holding phones to your ear for long periods, sitting at an angle, or muscle imbalances often from ipsilateral (one side dominant) activities such as racquet sports, golf, skating in one direction, favouring one leg going up and down stairs, carrying children on one hip, a hand bag or ruck sack on one shoulder and so on, and if left unchecked, it may result in long-term distorted posture, discomfort or injury.
Other factors of influence are birth or growth defects, disease such as osteoporosis, poor nutrition (affecting bone growth and repair) or injury via trauma. We all understand that whiplash is trauma to the neck and spine due to high velocity impact/force, but did you know that repetitively flicking your hair out of your eyes, peering out from under a ‘too long’ fringe, cap or woolly hat, looking over of glasses because they are the wrong prescription or shape will lead to whiplash neck injury too and ultimately wear and tear such as arthritis!
I want to take a pair of scissors to Claudia Winkelman’s bloody fringe, and pull up those stupid low slung wooly hats on teenagers (and while I’m at it pull up their trousers too ha ha!)
And whilst I’m nagging, when we hold our head forward looking at our phones the consequence is huge for the neck, the head gets heavier the further forward it is pulled which will shorten the muscles at the front of the neck and lengthen those at the back, placing huge strain on the neck, back and shoulders. Over time this becomes a permanent position and difficult to correct. It’s extremely dysfunctional for respiration, digestion, vision and more and can cause a great deal of pain after time (also looks awful).
So to the week ahead…
I’m so excited to share all this fabulousness !
Beetroot Hummus
I love the BBC, they are a great source of information. I found this fabulous Beetroot Hummus recipe. Beetroot is brilliant for our production of nitric oxide which helps to keep blood vessels open and clear, reducing blood pressure and strain on the heart (also good to help erectile issues for chaps).
Chick peas are a great source of protein and dietary fibre, garlic is great for our microbiome and immune system.
You can add this as a side dish for a salad, spread it on sourdough toast or have with chopped veggies as a snack or mini meal!
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 250g/9oz cooked beetroot, drained and quartered
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp flaked sea salt, and to taste
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Ground black pepper
- Toast the cumin seeds gently in a small, dry frying pan for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat.
- Put the beetroot, chickpeas, garlic, coriander, salt and olive oil in a food processor. Add the cumin seeds and lemon juice and season well with freshly ground black pepper. Blitz until smooth. Check the seasoning to taste, adding a little more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed, and blitz again.
Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze straight away.
Have the most fab half term, all classes are running and so are the one to one sessions, no excuses!!!
Love ya,
Helen x
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, handweights and mat.
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, 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.
