…and couldn’t be happier!
Kay and I popped over to Miller’s Ark for another wonderful two hours of piglet tickling, baby donkey snuggling plus lamb and kid scratching and wrangling! I couldn’t have been any happier rolling in the hay with these gorgeous babies. We both agree that these days should be on an NHS prescription because you are completely immersed in the non-judgemental affection of these animals, time flies and only happy hormones pump through your body leaving you feeling utterly blissed out – highly recommended!
Happy hormones and keeping active are what is needed for a healthy life for mind and body, and as we move to the end of May with our focus for this month having been on mental health I really do hope you maintain the information and practices that I have shared with you every week and that you will carry them forward always.
This week’s blog includes the final instalment of Dementia fighting information and I want to outline what the WHO (World Health Organisation) call ‘a fundamental element of life style interventions’ and that is strength training. Now there are many reasons to keep strong throughout life and these become even more important as we age.
Resistance training 3-5 x per week using body weight, bands, and/ or weights will provide wonderful improvements in muscular and bone strength, joint stability, useable/functional mobility and even appearance (maintaining muscle and skin tone), plus weight management (also fighting diseases associated with being over fat) reducing the risks of falling (and suffering serious consequences of falling) and brain health too!
Reported in Psychology Today (22/10/23)…
…one Brazilian multi University study review found:
‘Resistance exercises protect brain cells and provide cognitive benefits because they reduce inflammation and also reduce the formation of amyloid plaque that damages brain cells and their networks to a degree that disrupts language, reasoning, metabolism, and social behaviours, and eventually leads to death. Resistance exercises have a positive effect not only on brain health but also on bone density, balance, muscle strength, and overall physical function.’
As you know I aim to cover all aspects of whole person health fitness and well-being in our DYBO classes and one to one services , our ‘Total Tone’, ‘5 in1’ ‘Old Skool Step’, ‘Barre’, ‘Contemporary Stretch’ and ‘FFY Express classes all include resistance exercises that provide strength gaining benefits and of course much of my one to one work with clients includes, as a main objective, strength work-
Here is a little home routine that you can do to help improve your strength – many of the exercises are included in our classes so hopefully you know them, know how to do them with correct form and know which progressions and alternatives work for you.
Remember to warm up and then stretch out .
The week ahead..
No Monday evening classes but we have a ‘pop up’ Bank Holiday Special for you! Class starts at 9.30 so get in touch if you want to join in with us in the Studio, or of course you can Zoom from home using our usual Monday night code.
Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing
With lots of yummy gut and brain healthy ingredients!
(Found on eating well and modified)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-wheat macaroni (about 2 cups) I use Zen B Macaroni
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup thinly sliced celery
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
- 1 ripe medium avocado
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (I love the Vegan version)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water; drain again. Transfer to a large bowl. Add bell pepper, celery, spring onions and parsley (or cilantro).
- Halve avocado, remove stone and scoop flesh into a mini food processor. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, dried garlic and pepper. Process until smooth. Add the avocado dressing to the large bowl with the macaroni salad and stir until well coated.
I think this would be nice with added hazelnuts or walnuts and maybe some nachos on the side.
Have a wonderful week, I hope you will let me know how you have got on with the May Challenge.
Also, I will be sending you the June Challenge at the end of the week so check your inbox on Friday!
Love ya,
Helen x
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DYBO Live & Online – Next weeks Classes are as follows:.
At All Hallows, Farnham & DYBO Studio, Church Crookham (Book in Advance only): Zoom class details further down the page.
Monday (DYBO Studio)
9.30-10.15am: Boogie Fit
Tuesday (AH)
6.30-7.15pm: 5 in 1 Fitness – with bands, handweights and mat.
7.30-8.15pm: Dance Fit & Fab
Wednesday (DYBO Studio)
6.30pm Old Skool Step – Step, hand weights and band.
7.30pm 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
Friday (DYBO Studio)
6.30-7.15pm: Friday Fitness Yoga Express
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Joining us at All Hallows or The DYBO Church Crookham Studio? – 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.
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, please also keep a record of your own attendance too.
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 – in order to prevent cross contamination 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 on the last Thursday of the Month you will need 2 x tennis balls and a sock for our Trigger Point and Myofascial release class !
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 inexpensively, moving forward.
On the night
*When you arrive at All Hallows, enter the school via the gates to the left as you face the school and follow the road around the school buildings.
*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 5-10 mins before the class.
*Please change into your clean trainers for indoor activity as you enter, e.g. slip off your outdoor shoes, place 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 queues.
*After a wonderful class 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!
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.
45 min Class – £8.00, 60/65 min Class – £8.50.
10 Class Voucher: £75 (to be used within 12 weeks of purchase).
Membership: £55, 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 (at the latest) 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
9.30am: Boogie Fit
Tuesday
6.30pm 5 in 1 Fitness Class
7.30pm Dance Fit & Fab
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 Friday Fitness Yoga Express
****** 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.
