I hope you have had a lovely week and thank you for the great feedback and questions I have received from my menopause health and wellbeing article (Pt.1). Via these three articles and the work I do with clients, I aim to demystify the subject, provide accurate and simplified information, debunk myths, reinforce positivity and highlight the potential of all women to live optimally at this time of life.
Part two is later in this missive – I look forward to hearing your thoughts and receiving any questions.
Firstly, Zoom
Over the past couple of weeks we have really been struggling to get a stable WiFi signal at All Hallows which has impacted the Zoom service we provide from that venue. Steve and I spent several hours with Vodaphone on Thursday and I purchased a new mobile WiFi unit but this was completely unsatisfactory that same evening. I have since sought more independent advice and purchased another unit that is due on Monday and hopefully will resolve the problem. I have also reached out to the school to see if they can offer help.
I am doing all I can to try and get back to a good Zoom service from All Hallows (the Wednesday classes are from the Church Crookham Studio which is hard wired to my router, and is great).
The classes are recorded on a separate camera and available on the TV channel if you wish to take advantage of that option, especially whilst we are having this problem.
OMG
It’s been a really challenging year for me personally and for DYBO, and to add to our challenges, All Hallows are raising their hall hire from January!
So quite frankly we really need you to attend classes regularly, attendance pays bills (and of course your get fitter and healthier which is the whole point).
I ask that you to tell everyone about our classes in any way you think you can. I have leaflets you can share, I can email over posters etc. We really must boost numbers.
Currently on social media we have poor post interaction and sharing causing the algorithm to be dreadful and that’s an easy and free thing to correct to increase our reach.
We have such wonderful effective, friendly and fun classes, it would be such a shame to lose them. They are under real threat and there is nothing else like DYBO anywhere.
The week ahead…
Put Saturday 25 November in your diary for EMD UK’s Instructor Revolution 2023!
This one-day online event brings together 20+ speakers from across the fitness sector to help boost your career knowledge.
With three dedicated streams covering topics from Group Exercise, Yoga, and Pilates, you can mix and match the sessions to suit your interests and practices.
Join my session ‘Release Relax and Restore’ (at 3pm) in the group ex stream.
1 event | 3 streams | 20+ speakers
Get your ticket from just £25 today.
Find out more and book your ticket here: https://emduk.org/instructor-revolution-23/
Independance – book now to guarantee your place and discount…
Join us for INDEPENDANCE on Saturday 27 April ‘24
With Helen Carpenter-Waters & guest presenter Nikkie Riozzi
Enjoy four creative and unique masterclasses;
- House is a Feeling – Nikkie
- Soul Motion – Helen
- Fluid Art – Nikkie
- Release – Helen
Location – All Hallows School, Farnham, GU9 9HF
Special Offer
Buy now save £10 – tickets only £29*
Normal price £39
*Offer ends Wed 31 Jan 2024
Please note, tickets are non-transferable or refundable.
Pay via BACS to UK Fitness Academy Ltd.
——————————————————————————————
Menopause Health and Wellbeing – Part 2
Written by Helen Carpenter –Waters
Award winning health and fitness professional including specialisms in women’s health, (ante-post natal, menopause, health & fitness and wellbeing) Sports Massage Therapy, Gut Health. NLP and Life coaching.
How to…
Menopause need not be regarded the beginning of the end but rather a transition in to the next exciting phase of life!
There is much we can do for ourselves to turn our frown upside down, switch a negative in to a positive and to take those lemons and make lemonade (at least).
Such as…
Lifestyle adjustments – so much can be managed/prevented by tweaking how we run and live our lives; let’s look at…
Exercise – selecting appropriate activities that include resistance training for bone, joint, and muscle strength will make day-to-day activities easier (walking the dog, maintaining the house and garden, personal care, work, being active and playing with children and grandchildren).
- Increasing our physical strength also boosts mental strength and confidence.
- Resistance training improves muscle and skin tone (a real self-esteem booster) and elevates resting metabolic rate (resulting in higher calorie burn, even at rest!)
- Mixing hi/lo impact interval training with any steady state cardio training will strengthen and protect bones and joints (preventing osteoporosis) whilst creating a strong, healthy heart, great circulation and boosts metabolism – all of which are negatively impacted by menopause.
- Include bouncing, agility, balance and co ordination work, to have a body that can cope with all of life’s demands and to continue with active hobbies. Even with osteoporosis there is much you can do with just a few adjustments.Being able to change speed and direction and bounce is really important all our life and especially as we pass through menopause, i.e. being able to absorb and recycle impact when jumping keeps bones and joints functional and reduces risk of injury.
- Being able to control body position and balance when stationary and when moving makes every day life easier and safer, boosting confidence and keeps life interesting and more fun keeping health and spirits high.
- Adapting and changing the intensity and frequency of your exercise i.e. do some high intensity training on 1 or 2 days a week then moderate and recovery training for the rest of the week. This allows better recovery after training, better muscular adaptation and manages inflammation levels. But training and being active every day is definitely a must.
- Trying new things and working on all the components of fitness you never made time for before. Including lots of flexibility, relaxation, mindfulness and core training. These are the things that we need to do throughout life but often neglect in our younger years because ‘they don’t burn calories’! (go on admit it, you did think that didn’t you!). Keeping our muscles flexible and our joints mobile and lubricated reduces friction within the joint, lowering inflammation, wear and tear and arthritic pain.
- Maintaining great posture and mobility improves balance and coordination, will make day to day life easier, reduces our risk of aches, pains and injuries, keep us standing and moving optimally with great posture and ease of movement! Standing up and connecting with people eye to eye creates a more youthful silhouette, gives an air of confidence and energy! It also means that we get more daylight into the back of our eye and boosts mood!
Nutrition– Maintaining Gut Health becomes even more essential.
- By avoiding things that damage our Microbiome whilst doing all we can to protect and strengthen it will boost our immune system, boost vital vitamin and mineral production and absorption, will improve the function of all systems and organs of the body, giving better health, appearance and energy levels.
- There is so much more to gut health so check out my gut health articles and presentations, but in summary we need to eat, pre and probiotic foods, lots of fibrous colourful veggies, pulses, nuts, seeds and legumes, avoid alcohol, refined sugars, ultra-processed foods, don’t smoke (anything!) only take absolutely necessary medications and anti-biotics, be careful with cleaning and sanitising products as they damage our microbial systems and manage your stress well and consistently!
- By doing so we can have healthy weight management and body composition with all the associated health and aesthetic benefits, better sleep, better cognitive function, improved energy, reduced risk of disease and inflammation throughout the body.
Supplements – as we age, we are less efficient at creating, maintaining and absorbing vital vitamins and minerals. This combined with modern food production and distribution results in malnutrition (it is common for a person to be over weight and still malnourished ). Some women take various herbal preparations to help with menopause symptoms such as Black Cohosh, Sage, Yam, Red Clover, Ginseng and more. This is not my area of expertise, but worth looking at if you are interested.
Stress Management – an accumulation of ‘life’ stuff combined with the challenges of modern living and multiple plate spinning with the added impact of hormonal dys-regulation often results in low mood, depression, mood swings, anxiety brain fog, low self esteem, low libido and motivation. Firstly, put your health and well being first and at the top of your long list – you are no good to any one if you don’t fix your own leaking boat first and it is your birth right to live optimally all your life!
A good diet, optimal good exercise, optimal sleep, practicing mindfulness, mediation and where necessary, seeking support via talk therapies such as CBT, NLP, psychotherapy etc. are all very helpful!
Managing stress effectively is an essential health giving skill and worth investing in!
Sleep!
Women often experience disturbed sleep when raising their children and sometimes never get back to a normal 6-8 hours per night routine. The reduction of female hormones during menopause exacerbates the problem.
Hot flushes, a drop/disappearance of progesterone levels, low mood, menopausal joint and muscle pain, and busy brain combines to create truly awful sleep.
- For menopausal women, alcohol and sugar are a disaster for trying to get a good night’s sleep and whilst a heavy meal is not a good idea close to bed time, a snack with protein and fibrous carbohydrates such as a date and walnut with a nut milk warm drink, or peanut butter and celery with warm water will help you get off to and stay asleep.
- Even if your brain is tired, exercising will help produce the post exercise relaxation hormones needed to help you sleep, so don’t skip that class!
- A good quality magnesium tablet and warm (not too hot) bath, or an Epsom salts bath are perfect tools to help you get off to sleep.
- A pen and notebook by the bed is a good way of jotting down those ‘things to do’ that come to you when you are supposed to be asleep!
- If you have tried all of these things, there are several herbal sleep remedies available (I sell a natural product called Sleep Well, that does the trick) or you can get medication from your GP.
Living purposefully
If you have kids, Empty Nest Syndrome is very real, women have often devoted every spare thought and moment to their family and home, and when those chicks fly, the nest there is often a ‘now what’ grieving process (I think that’s why parents and teenagers fight, it’s natures way of helping you to look forward to them moving out, ha ha).
When women become parents and /or have a life partner they can lose sight of who they are and their own needs, they are not the same version of themselves that they were before kids/partner and maybe they have lost touch with the relationships they have once had with their partner, family or friends too. This combined with the ever changing sands of their hormones, a sense of loss, lack of purpose or motivation can become a problem.
- Create purpose / an intention for every day that goes beyond doing jobs! Look for new hobbies, and make new friends/ reconnect with old ones.
- Plan activities and events, get back to the gym or your classes, learn a language, try art and crafts, learn or go back to dancing, the list is endless.
- Hang out with mood inflators not mood drainers (misery loves company and it multiplies when it has some!)
- Monitor your own thoughts and language, ditch the words, ‘must’, ‘have to’, ‘need’, ‘can’t’ and replace with ‘can do’, ‘want to’ (or ‘don’t want to’ if that’s true). Choose to focus on the reasons why you can make it happen – if you want to – rather than the ‘excuses’ we make and pay more attention to.
I personally have ditched the phrase ‘can’t be bothered‘ if I even think it, I get off my butt and bother and always feel better for it.
Find what is it you have always wanted to do and do it.
Next time in Part Three of Menopause Health and Wellbeing, I talk about hormones and…
…to take HRT or not to take HRT – that is the question!
——————————————————————————————
Roasted Brussels and Squash Salad
I love a Brussels and I’m thrilled to see these ‘fairy cabbages’, as my granny called them, in the supermarkets – this recipe is packed with gut healthy goodies. Leave out the maple syrup to make it even more gut healthy and anti inflammatory.
I would throw in some nuts tooth boost the protein levels
Ingredients
Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
- 3 cups brussels sprouts
- 3 tablespoons favourite nut oil
- Salt to taste
Roasted Butternut Squash:
- 4 cups (approx. 1.5 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons favourite not or seed oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Other Ingredients:
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking try with 1 tablespoon of nut oil.
- Trim and slice half all the sprouts place in a medium bowl, combine the sprouts, 2 tablespoons of nut oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. Place onto a foil-lined baking tray, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning.
Roasted Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of nut oil.
- In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded), 1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
- Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
Note: roast brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time.
In a large bowl, combine roasted brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries, and mix to combine. Add maple syrup if sweetness is preferred.
Tell me what you think.
Have a fab week!
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)
6.30-7.15pm: 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
—————————————————————————————————-
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
————————————————————————————-
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.
7.30pm: Barre Fit – Something to assist balance like a barre, eg. chair, worktop, mantlepiece etc.
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.
Attending any DYBO class will assume agreement with above terms and disclaimer.
