It’s the first of March, the sun is shining, we are being teased with Spring vibes and with the first stage of release from Lockdown 3 only being one week away, I’m sure we have much more ‘spring’ in our step.
I went back to the newsletter I sent to you this day one year ago, a week before we closed our studio doors and went online. The tone was very much about safety and self-care ahead of what I feared might happen, yet not knowing that we would be here 51 weeks later! It took my breath away.
But here we are and bravo to you guys, I know just as well as anyone how tough it’s been and will continue to be for a while yet.
I’m a positive realist, which means I understand what is going on (not in denial) but I want to create the best possible journey and outcome for myself and all those whose lives I touch.
I noted that in the message sent to you a year ago I was nagging you about your immune system and its links to gut health and here I am reminding you a year later, please get that gut health sorted!
I’ve spoken before about the lack of ‘fidget fitness’ we achieve when working from home. Numbers of footsteps are reduced dramatically when at home, unless you count the trips to the fridge for snacks, and for many this pandemic has been tough on fitness, mobility, mental health and the waistline!
As we prepare to open up to the big wide world again please bear this in mind. Now is the time (and I mean urgently) to improve your immune system and health and fitness but you must do so progressively.
Deconditioning during confinement is a real problem and unless you have taken some form of exercise every day and ‘fidgeted’ throughout the day you will have lost some fitness. I’m talking about joint stability, optimal alignment, mobility, cardio vascular fitness and muscular strength. You have a window of opportunity to get this sorted but please go steady – too much impact and intensity at this time is counter productive. I want to create a return to fitness group so if that’s something you would like to be involved in, reach out to me and we can get ‘crackalackin’!
Other news
The 1st March heralds the start of Pie week, I love a pie but we have to consider that it can really be a bit dodgy for the waistline, so I’ve included a gut friendly pie recipe at the bottom of this message so you can enjoy pie week and take care of your gut. With the cold nights of March I’m sure you will love it as a comfort meal.
Happy St Davids Day…
to all my Welsh pals and Davids out there!
Busy weekend
I presented at two different online conventions this weekend – which kept me out of trouble and very active. Members you will have access to the recordings in addition to their weekly class recordings.
My sessions were very well received and I’ve had some lovely feedback (especially when you consider we were competing with the sunshine).
DYBO Membership
Is most definitely the easiest and most cost effective way to have access to great classes that will get you fit and help you stay that way! The variety of classes we offer covers all areas of fitness and mental health plus our classes provide friendship, camaraderie and fun and entertainment too. We offer 10 weekly, original client centred classes that are bespoke and created to meet our DYBO family’s needs, likes and requests. The bonus is that you have access to on-demand classes too with hundreds to choose from for you to do when ever is convenient.
The membership runs from the first to the last day of the month and as today is the 1st , so how about starting your membership today! (details below).
I just have received this message as I write to you, it made my morning…
‘Just to let you know my March membership is paid and to say Happy St David’s Day! He said ‘Do the little things’, so thank you yet again for doing more than just the little things to get me through the last year. I know that my mental and physical wellbeing would be far worse off without your constant help!
Love Val x’
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 ( to be used within 12
weeks of purchase)
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.
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.
Attending any DYBO class will assume agreement with above terms and disclaimer.
Gut Friendly Vegan Pie
- 2kg potatoes (I prefer sweet potatoes as they are more gut friendly, but if you double cook white potatoes they are the better for the microbiome )
- 50ml vegetable oil
- 30g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 15 mins, then drained (reserve the liquid)
- 2 large leeks chopped
- 2 small white onions chopped
- 4 medium carrots (about 300g), cut into small cubes
- 1 vegetable stock cube (make sure it’s vegan – we use Kallo)
- 3 garlic cloves crushed (I cut this down as I’m not a fan)
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 small butternut sqaush peeled and cut into small cubes
- ½ small pack marjoram or oregano, leaves picked and roughly chopped
- ½ small pack of thyme, leaves picked of
- ½ small pack sage leaves picked and roughly chopped
- 4 celery sticks chopped
- 400g can chickpeas
- 300g frozen peas
- 300g frozen spinach
- 20ml nut oil
- small pack flat leaf parsley chopped
Method
- STEP 1
Boil potatoes till soft and fluffy
- STEP 2
In a pan heat cooking oil, add the mushrooms, leeks, onions, carrots and the stock cube and cook gently for 5 mins, stirring every so often. The veg should be soft but not mushy.
- STEP 3
Add the garlic, tomato purée, paprika, squash and herbs. Stir and turn the heat up a bit, cook for 3 mins, add the celery, then stir and cook for a few more mins.
- STEP 4
Tip in the chickpeas along with the water in the can and reserved mushroom stock. Add the peas and spinach and stir well. Cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, then season, turn off and set aside. There should still be plenty of liquid and the veg should be bright and a little firm.
- STEP 5
Mash 200kg potatoes with a fork and stir into the veg. Break the rest of the potatoes into chunks, mix with the olive oil and parsley and season.
- STEP 6
Divide the filling into the pie dishes and top with the potatotes. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and bake the pies for 40-45 mins, until the top is golden and the filling is heated through. If making individual pies, check after 20 mins. Best served with tomato ketchup – as all great Shepherd’s pies are!
Yummy!
And of course,
Remember I love ya !
Helen
