Isn’t it great to actually to be having some proper Summer weather!
Of course the heat isn’t great for everyone! We know that the very young and old can have problems as well as those with medical conditions and of course some medications don’t work as well, and ladies you might find your HRT regime needs a little tweak – but all in all I feel that we have needed a good Summer and here it is!
I’m hopeful that the good weather will stay and I can get down to the local beach, with the dogs, maybe take some long weekend breaks and really embrace Summer this year- I confess that every year, come September, I’m filled with dread about the arrival of Winter and regret that I’ve worked all the way through the Summer and have missed out, again.
I know that not everything about Summer is wonderful – biting insects, constant sweating, humidity and never feeling polished. The battle with the Sports Bra is real and I sometimes wonder if a Kaftan at class is acceptable?
Is it hot or is it me?
I’m not a girl who looks her best in the heat – those of you who come to class can attest to that. Recently some of us were comparing ‘what happens to us in the heat’ notes and lots of us said we experienced swollen feet, ankles, hands, fingers and belly in the heat and here is why (yes it’s a real thing and not just too many white wine spritz and Mr Whippy ice creams!!!)
Beat the Heat: Why the Summer Warmth Makes You Feel Bloated (And How to Fix It!)
Ever notice that as the temperature climbs, your favourite fitness leggings suddenly feel a whole lot tighter? You are not imagining it! Experiencing a puffy, heavy tummy during the Summer months is incredibly common – especially as our bodies adapt to hormonal changes and shifting metabolisms in our 40s, 50s, and 60s.
We at DYBO Health & Fitness, want to make sure you stay feeling fit, firm, and fabulous all Summer long. So let’s look at the science behind the “Summer swell” and exactly how you can keep dancing through the heat with a happy, comfortable gut!
Why Does the Heat Cause Bloating?
When the weather gets hot, your body works extra hard to keep you cool. This natural cooling process triggers a few internal chain reactions that directly impact your digestion:
- Fluid Pooling: To release heat, your blood vessels dilate (widen). This process can cause fluids to leak into surrounding tissues and pool in your abdomen, ankles, and hands.
- Sluggish Digestion: Your body cleverly redirects blood flow away from your digestive tract and toward your skin to sweat and cool down. With less blood flow, your gut slows down. Food sits in your stomach longer, ferments, and creates excess gas (don’t we all know about that one!).
- The Dehydration Trap: When we sweat during a high-energy dance/fitness class, like the ones we do at DYBO, we lose water and electrolytes. If you don’t replenish them properly, your body triggers “survival mode,” fiercely holding onto every drop of water and salt it has left.
- Seasonal Habits: Summer often brings changes to our diet. Gulping down ice-cold carbonated sodas and beers, or a wine spritz, enjoying extra dairy from ice cream, or suddenly eating massive bowls of raw, fibrous salads can overwhelm a heat-slowed digestive system. Remember those BBQ’s where folks eat huge amounts of meat, i.e. steak , sausage, burger etc. on one plate and bread rolls like the bakery is closing down! Remember the advert ‘If Carlsburg did BBQ’
4 Quick Tips to Stay Light and Energized
You do not have to let seasonal bloating sit you on the sidelines hiding under your kaftan. Use these quick strategies to keep your digestion moving and make the most of your workouts:
- Sip, Don’t Gulp: Drink water consistently throughout the day. Gulping down huge amounts of water right before or after your fitness class causes you to swallow excess air, which turns into belly gas, or a stitch. However throughout the day the 10 gulp rule can really help you stay hydrated.
- Add Electrolytes: If you’re sweating heavily in class, plain water might not be enough. Drop an electrolyte tablet into your water bottle to maintain a proper salt-to-fluid balance and stop your body from hoarding water. Or one of my hydration recipes I’ve been sharing with you, there is another one further down !
- Cook Your Veggies: While raw salads scream “summer,” they are incredibly tough for a sluggish gut to break down. Try steaming, roasting, or grilling your vegetables instead to make them much easier to digest.
- Keep Moving Gently: If you feel too heavy for a high-intensity workout, don’t skip movement entirely! A gentle contemporary Stretch or Fitness Yoga Express session stimulates the muscles in your gut and manually helps push trapped gas out of your system. I remember, as a friend told me once “better an empty house than a bad tenant!”
Let’s Keep Moving Together!
Don’t let the heat slow you down. Whether you are joining us face-to-face at All Hallows School in Farnham, dropping into our Air Conditioned Studio in Fleet, or dancing from the comfort of your living room via Zoom and DYBO TV, we’ve got you covered. In Farnham our big studio fans with piles of ice blocks are out to keep us cool, comfortable, and moving beautifully!
Check out our current DYBO Timetable to book your next class, or look into our specialized Peri-Post Menopause Health & Gut Health Services if you want a fully personalised approach to mastering your wellness this season!
Note: Listen to your body! While temporary heat bloating is normal, please consult a healthcare professional if you experience persistent abdominal pain, severe swelling, or sudden changes in your digestion.
Some very sad news.
I’m very sorry to tell you that last Monday we lost one of our long standing and dear DYBO Divas to cancer.
Caroline Purver put up a brave fight for two years and yet remained incredibly stoic and positive! She took part in our classes via the TV channel between treatments, surgeries and many, many medical appointments. Caroline and I messaged back and forth several times a week where she kept me up to date with her progress and always thanked me for any advice and support I offered.
Recently she requested that we kept her favourite dance routine on the TV Channel so that she could watch it for inspiration every time she did a class, Knowing that is a little comfort.
Mike, her partner, told me how much she loved the DYBO family and that the messages and videos we sent her gave her great joy, lifting her up just when she needed it.
To say I’m shocked and very saddened is an understatement – I had hoped that after all she had been through we would see her back in class with us. I will of course let you know when there are funeral or memorial arrangements and will think of a suitable tribute from us all, let me know if you have any ideas.
Dance your butt off in heaven dear Caroline, we miss you x
This week…
Wednesday – Step & Strength: Pre-recorded class available at the DYBO Studio (Advance Booking Only)
Wednesday – Barre Fit: Pre-recorded class available at the DYBO Studio (Advance Booking Only)
NO Yoga 17/7/26!
————————————————————————————————–
Clear Pineapple Hydration Drink
No blender needed, you can put it straight into your water bottle and shake . Ideal before, during and after class
Ingredients
- Pineapple Juice (Unsweetened): 1/2 cup (120 ml) — Provides potassium and natural fruit sugars.
- Cold Water: 1 .5 cups (350 ml) — Dilutes the sugar to the optimal concentration for rapid hydration.
- Salt: 1/8 teaspoon of fine table salt or sea salt — Replenishes critical sodium.
- Optional: A squeeze of fresh lime juice for a crisp, tropical flavour contrast.
Instructions
- Mix the liquids: Pour the pineapple juice and cold water directly into a water bottle or tall glass.
- Add the salt: Drop in the salt.
- Shake or stir: Shake your bottle vigorously or stir well for 15 seconds until the salt completely dissolves.
- Serve: Add a few ice cubes if you prefer it ice-cold.
Why this dilution is necessary
Drinking straight pineapple juice is too sugary for quick hydration. By mixing 1 part juice with 3 parts water, you reduce the sugar concentration to roughly 4% to 6%. This creates a hypotonic/isotonic balance, allowing your stomach to empty the fluid into your bloodstream much faster than plain water or heavy juice alone.
Have a fab week, can’t wait to see you!
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
—————————————————————————————————-
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
————————————————————————————-
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
Thursday
6.15pm Contemporary Stretch
7.30pm Dancespiration
****** 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.
