October Challenges!

I’ve heard from some who participated and they report that they are feeling fitter, up beat and more motivated.

So I’ve created another Challenge for you for October!

With the cooling of the weather here in the UK our impulse to drink water lessens. Brits are renowned for not drinking water with up to 90% surveyed admitting to drinking just one glass a day, and approximately 45% of our population being dehydrated.

Chronic dehydration affects every cell in our body (we are after all, 60% water) and when dehydrated our body tries to preserve the vital functions of the brain and heart thus extracting and diverting water from eyes, mouth, nose, muscles and soft tissue, gut, kidneys and skin. The consequence is reduced performance and function in all these organs and tissues and potential harm in the short and long term!

Studies have shown that just 1% of dehydration can reduce your productivity by 12% and the more dehydrated you become, the bigger the drop in productivity. Being 3-4% dehydrated can result in a 25-50% reduction of productivity.

Dehydration can impair your performance to the same level as someone who has alcohol in their blood. A study at Loughborough University found that if your dehydration reaches 3% or more you may be impaired to the same level as someone who has a blood-alcohol level above the legal driving limit.

I certainly notice a drop in ability to concentrate, feeling alert and energy levels.

Professional models with beautiful skin and eyes often give drinking water and avoiding alcohol and caffeine as their greatest beauty tip!

Top athletes know to drink lots of water and research shows a dramatic reduction in sporting performance when even mildly dehydrated.

Staying hydrated improves blood flow and circulation (as blood is less sticky) and thus the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to working muscles. Dehydration puts more strain on the heart and affects blood pressure whereas good hydration helps to remove metabolic by-products and waste from muscles, while replacing the water that is lost through sweat and respiration.

Being thirsty can be interpreted by our brain as hunger – often leading to frequent snacking and weight gain.

Signs of Dehydration

• Feeling thirsty
• A dry mouth
• Tiredness, low energy
• Reduced cognition, focus and memory
• Dark coloured and strong-smelling urine
• Passing urine less often than usual

Join me in my DYBO wellness campaign to get hydrated and move forward with a water drinking habit that will keep us healthy, well and performing optimally – as well as looking and feeling our best!

Print off a copy and keep a record of your progress!

Note any changes in how you feel etc.

The week ahead…

Last week I gave you a heads up about All Hallows not being available to us on Thursday 5 October but I will be Zooming and offering a few spaces in the Studio with me in Church Crookham (10 for Stretch and 8 for Dance) – first come, first served. If you are out of practice with Zooming or have never done it, check out the second half of this newsletter where there are all the Zoom links and tips as to how to set up etc. If you need help, send me a message ahead of time and I will go through it with you.

Our October schedule looks like this…

INDEPENDANCE day is nearly here!

I’m so excited to be delivering two fabulous classes at our  Independance event this coming Saturday, I love the music and choreography that I’m teaching and 100% know you will love Jo Ali’s classes too – she is always a big hit with the Independancers!

If you haven’t booked, be quick as it’s nearly full!

Green Tomatoes

I’ve hardly had any ripe tomatoes this year but I’ve been doing a little research a have found a fabulous gut healthy recipe to try.

Green Tomato Thai Curry

Ingredients for the curry paste:

4 cloves of garlic

2 shallots

1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger

2 lemongrass stems

4 medium-hot green chillies

1 tspn ground cumin

1/2 bunch of fresh coriander, including the stalks

2 tbs fish sauce (or substitute soy sauce if like me you don’t do fish)

Plus:

2 tbsp oil ( I use coconut)

1 x 400g tin of coconut milk

200 ml boiling water

1 tspn vegetable bouillon powder

500g green tomatoes

300g butternut squash cubed

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/ Gas Mark 6.

Roast squash for 15-20mins

1/4/ the larger tomatoes or half if small and put to one side

Peel the garlic, shallots and ginger. Remove the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass and discard. De-seed the chillies if you like, or leave them in.

Chop everything finely and add to a food processor along with the cumin and half of the coriander. Whizz until everything is very finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary, and then add the fish/soy sauce and process again.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan on a low to medium heat and cook the paste for five or six minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour in the coconut milk, and then add the boiling water. Sprinkle in the bouillon powder and stir. Gently bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.

Add the tomatoes and cook gently until they are tender not squishy … you want them to hold their shape. Fold in the chunks of butternut squash and simmer gently until they’re heated through and the sauce amalgamates nicely. Stir in the rest of the coriander, roughly chopped, saving a few sprigs for garnish.

Serve with steamed rice (I use chick pea rice as higher in protein, no gluten and low carb) and lime wedges.

Let me know how you  get on !

Have a fab week, remember to book your classes and reach out if you need any Zoom help!

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)

6.30-7.15pm: Old Skool, Step & Strength – Step, hand weights and band.

7.30-8.30pm: 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

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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 1^st 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

https://zoom.us/j/93817898799

6.30pm: Boogie Fit
7.30pm: Total Tone

Tuesday

https://zoom.us/j/94370544053

6.30pm: 5 in 1 Fitness Class
7.30pm: Dance Fit

Wednesday

https://zoom.us/j/95899675041

6.30pm: Old Skool, Step & Strength – Step, hand weights and band.
7.30pm: Barre Fit – Something to assist balance like a barre, eg. chair, worktop, mantlepiece etc.

Thursday 

https://zoom.us/j/95416823519

6.15pm: Contemporary Stretch 

7.30pm: Dancespiration

****** All the above classes change and vary weekly! *****

How to prepare your Zoom environment

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. Ventilate your exercise space, have plenty of water and towels to hand, keep your exercise equipment close – if you need anything, let me know.
6. 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.
7. 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.