As if a Pandemic and a Brexit/war induced economic downturn wasn’t enough, followed by a broken finger, long Covid, and pneumonia I got a phone call from All Hallows, giving DYBO the notice to leave.
I sent the following email to every one in the DYBO family last week but for those who didn’t read it here is a copy!
“Hi,
I hope this message finds you well and please excuse the extra email this week.
On Monday I was called by All Hallows school admin informing me that at the end of the Autumn Term (December) they will no longer hire the Gym to us! This is due to the room being repurposed as a Gymnastic centre!
So we have a few months to find a new home for our classes and I’m reaching out to all DYBO family to help with this mission. Do you have contacts with any schools, halls, shared units or venues that would hire to us in the evenings?
Somewhere big enough, with opening windows/ventilation, toilets and car parking near by?
This news has hit me hard as I have invested a lot in All Hallows (kitting out with mirrors, blinds, the storage cupboard, even putting flowers and hand wash in the loos etc) and in DYBO having bought new banners and a new website recently.
This is my 40th Year of teaching and rather than celebrating with my DYBO darlings I may be forced out of business!
I am the last of a kind of teaching professional, one who is a full time (not a hobbyist, it’s not just a side line), constantly creates their own unique class content specifically to meet the needs and wants of their clients (not off the peg rinse and repeat) and is completely independent and franchise free. I create everything from scratch using the many years of training, education and experience I have accumulated.
I’ve already reached out to various local venues, but a personal relationship is often more impactful.
My desire is high to find a new home but truthfully my morale is dented as class numbers are low and I’m wondering if it’s time to shut the DYBO doors on classes due to low demand.
You see, every person who attends matters to me and of course the survival of DYBO; you might love the classes but if folks aren’t there it’s not paying the bills!
So my request is can you help find a venue, ask around, speak with contacts etc.
Please spread the work about our classes to boost attendance and of course attend as often as you can.
Being able to tell potential venues that I have a strong business and regular following will strengthen our position (and of course my morale to fight on).
Sorry to bring bad news, but maybe together we can turn it around and strengthen DYBO for now and the future.
Love ya always,
Helen x”
Since getting the call I have sent over 25 enquiries to local halls and schools; I have visited 4 and have another to see on Tuesday.
Thus far we have several “sorry, no can do” and one possibility for Wednesday and Thursday nights but nothing for Monday or Tuesday as yet.
So I really am hoping that between us (with your help) we can find somewhere suitable, I’m also hopeful that you will be okay with moving venues and probably some adjustments to the timetable (I am looking very locally though).
Many of you have moved around with me over the years (actually x 10 !) and I hope you will come with me again.
I must be the only girl who dreams of winning the Lottery not to retire but to buy a studio to keep her DYBO family healthy and happy!
I also need to know that you want to continue with the DYBO classes – please do keep attending over the Summer and Autumn, and keep telling your buddies and spreading the word! Knowing you want the classes to continue gives me the energy and motivation to keep looking and for negotiations!
Thank you to everyone who has already contacted potential venues – you are wonderful and please keep up the great work.
The week up coming!
I have lots of uplifting, fitness boosting fabulousness ready and waiting for you, and I can’t wait!
See classes below…
Due to client holidays
I have some One to One availability; it’s a great time to book in!
INDEPENDANCE!
Bookings are open for our last Independance event of 2023 with the adorable and super talented teaching ace, Jo Ali.
Book today for a £10 Early Bird offer! You can follow the link or email me and pay via Bacs to the UK Fitness Academy account.
Some FAB News – Bravo Daisy!
Our Daisy has achieved her Level 4 Yoga qualifications with flying colours, gaining perfect and near perfect scores in her theory exams, lesson planning, practical instruction and oral examination!
A fantastic achievement especially as she was studying whilst working as a professional Dancer on tour in ‘Dirty Dancing’!
We are bursting with pride (although we had no doubt in her abilities).
Continuing with our series of home grown herbs and veggies…
This week I’m talking about the herb that even I can grow easily, Rosemary.
Rosemary is a fragrant herb native to the Mediterranean region and grows well here in the UK. It provides a pleasant flavour and smell to many foods (meat and veggies) and can be used in tea or as an essential oil.
It is also renowned for many health benefits as it possesses iron, calcium and vitamins A, C, and B-6, in fact rosemary has been used for its medicinal purposes for centuries.
Some of the many potential health benefits of rosemary include:
- a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which are thought to help boost the immune system and improve blood circulation.
- is considered a cognitive stimulant and can help improve memory . It is also known to boost alertness, and focus.
- The smell has been linked to improving mood, clearing the mind, and relieving stress in those with chronic anxiety or stress.
- The oil of rosemary is believed to promote hair growth, slow greying, and treat dandruff and dry scalp.
- it is often used for digestive problems, including heartburn, intestinal gas, liver and gallbladder complaints, and loss of appetite.
- Rosemary is powerful against bacterial infections.
The nutrients in rosemary help protect skin cells from damage often caused by the sun and free radicals.
However too much can cause gastric upset, and skin scalp irritations so go easy.
Rosemary Tea
Ingredients
- 5 g of fresh rosemary leaves
- 250 ml (or 8 oz) of boiling water
- Natural Honey to taste
Add the rosemary to a pot of hot water and allow it to soak for 5 to 10 minutes, with the pot covered. Strain and wait for it to cool. You can take this, unsweetened, 3 to 4 times per day. Or add natural honey to taste.
Remember, taking it for several weeks can lead to side effects so I suggest taking regular breaks e.g. a couple of days a week, drink something else then after three months have a month off.
Its also lovely on roasted potatoes, with roasted Mediterranean veggies and with roasted fish or chicken!
Have a fabulous week.
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.
