It’s been a wonderful weekend of inspiration, which is always rejuvenating and motivating for me as a teacher and a human!
This lockdown has thrown up different challenges from the first one, such as…
*Pandemic fatigue, the novelty has certainly worn off! It no longer feels like a long school holiday (but at least it is nearly over).
* Without the Summer and sunny weather to look forward to, the short days and long nights combined with the wet weather certainly puts a dampener on outdoor play and activity (but we are blessed with a comfy warm home and the technology to workout on Zoom, keeping fit and healthy and staying in touch with one another).
* The news is so bleak, it’s best to not turn it on! (but there is much news about the effective and soon to be available vaccines and the hint that we will have some normality, open gyms and shops, next week).
So much is out of our control, and therefore I’m choosing to concentrate on what is within my control.
Eg…
*Organising my day and week to make the most of daylight and dry weather, taking my clients outside to train and we can enjoy the fresh air and exercise together. All I need is an open space and somewhere to secure my bands and I can create a really effective and fun workout. When indoors on Zoom I can also deliver a great home workout with whatever they have around the home too.
*Planning some fun time, fitness and chill time to compliment my work schedule. I feel pretty rubbish just like everyone else when I don’t get the correct balance I need, so this is essential.
* Planning healthy meals, getting in the required ingredients, (leaving the stuff that’s not good for us in the supermarket) preparing and eating satisfying healthy meals. I know that sugar, starch and alcohol is really harmful for me, increasing joint and muscle aches and pains, bloating, poor sleep, energy and mood dips and so on.
*Arranging catch up’s with pals – either going out for a talk and walk or by phone,
Podcast Guest
This weekend, I was invited to speak on a podcast with industry professional Lincoln Bryden. I really enjoyed the chat and this sounds odd but I learned about and myself as he highlighted and asked me about what I had been doing over my many years as a Fit Pro, what has worked well in the past and the things I am doing that is serving us well now. Lincoln spoke about the benefits of me bucking trends ‘the shiny object syndrome’ he described it as, and staying true to my values and beliefs, relying on my own abilities to create a health, fitness and dance business that honours my instinctive beliefs in what is right. Our chat allowed me to acknowledge (for myself) that as a team that cares for each other the DYBO family has supported, nurtured, cajoled and inspired each other to keep going – moving forward and thriving, which is truly unique and as this current situation will attest to, is essential.
If I can get a copy of the hour long interview I will share it with you.
Collaboration
On Sunday, Daisy and I had a social distance get together to put the final touches to our new DYBO class ‘Total Tone’. You are going to love it. It’s wonderful to share and collaborate, and we both loved doing it.
New Dance
I then got to run my new Dance routine by Daisy and it was fab having her as a sounding board. I’ve created a routine that is influenced by the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pairing of Bill and Otti and their Street Dance routine. Check their version out on BBC iPlayer then come and enjoys ours on Thursday at 7.30pm.
The week ahead…
I would be thrilled if you can join me this Saturday and help me celebrate my 35th++ Birthday. I’m teaching ‘Slayin It’ at 11.30am and Dancers Stretch at 2pm and then will crack open the Fizz.
There will be lots of fantastic sessions and it’s fab way of making the most of the Lockdown!
Please do use my code for discount, FCWHC
DYBO Family Services!
New Timetable!
Please keep and share…
DYBO Live & Online – This week’s Classes are as follows:
Monday
6.30pm Boogie Fit (Beginners/Returners)
7.30pm Total Tone (All)
Tuesday
6.30pm HIIT (Simple & effective fitness training)
7.15pm Core Power – Complimentary when attending HIIT or DF or £3.50
7.45pm Dance Fit (Intermediate)
Wednesday
6.30pm Old Skool Step (All levels)
7.15pm Barre Fit (All levels)
Thursday
6.15pm Contemporary Stretch (All levels)
7.30pm Dance & Perspiration (Fitness with a Dance focus, more experienced)
Friday
6.30pm Freestyle Fitness Yoga (Relax, Restore and Reboot)
****** All the above classes change and vary weekly! *****
How to prepare your 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.
Fees, you have THREE options!
£6.50 per class. Paid in advance please.
10 Class Voucher £55
Membership, unlimited classes, £50 plus a lockdown bonus of free access to all videos of the classes!
(Valid first to last day of calendar month, paid on the first day of the month)
If things get so tight that you can’t afford it then please reach out to me, I want to keep you healthy and happy and help you through this tough time and trust that no-one will take advantage of me.
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. As reference, I do have a Paypal account but it costs money to receive and move money.
Gut Friendly and Waistline Friendly Brocolli and Cauliflower Soup
Kay’s Gut Healthy Gluten Free Porridge
Thanks Kay for this tasty and healthy recipe!
Choc, Raspberry and Quinoa porridge (2 servings)
Ingredients
½ cup Quinoa
1 cup organic Coconut milk (from can)
1 cup filtered water
1 tblsp Cacao powder
1 tblsp Maple syrup
1 cup Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tblsp shredded Coconut
1tblsp Cacao nibs
Method
Rinse Quinoa and place in pan with Coconut milk and water, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, add Cacao powder and Maple syrup cover and simmer 18-20 mins.
(Quinoa will triple in size.) Add more water if absorbed too quickly.
Divide across two bowls and sprinkle the Cacao nibs and Raspberries on top.
Have a fab week, I hope you enjoy the new classes and new routines, plus some fresh air and inspiration.
Love ya,
Helen x
