Please indulge me for one moment…
Happy Anniversary Declan! Today is our Wedding Anniversary and at the tender ages of 19 (me) and 22 (almost 23, Declan). We said ‘we do’, no one thought it would last and there were plenty of skeptics but here we are proving them all wrong! How have we made it last? In my view it’s because we basically like each other! (‘simples’) even tho’ there is much that annoys each other about the other, I know that Dec is a good man, a kind man, is loyal, loving and totally has my back! What he sees in me, I have no idea! Enough of the self-indulgent ‘shmultz’!
I know many of you are sending your kids off to ‘Uni’ and it’s extra scary this year.
Trust that you raised them to be self-reliant, sensible and respectful of themselves and others – it’s a big step I know, but remember it’s one that you achieved, maybe not university but certainly life, jobs, apprenticeships – you know where I’m going with this, right?
A good parent gives their offspring Roots and Wings!
Try to trust them and you to crack on with living your best life knowing that you have given them the ability to live theirs and here’s a hug, cos I know its tough letting them go…
Your Lockdown Story
I love reading about your lockdown stories, what you have been up to and the personal and professional lessons you have learned. Keep them coming, I’m really enjoying reading them!
Last week I forgot to mention that Daisy and I are both doing some Yoga Teacher Training (different courses) which we started in Lockdown, We are both working hard and so fitting it in is a challenge but we are enjoying our respective courses.
Whilst the sun shines…
We popped down to the Witterings on Sunday for a beach walk and some sunshine. Whilst it was busy it was not rammed and we all had a fab day, getting some fresh air, sun and sand in our toes, ears and other places…!
New Choreography
I’ve been truly inspired by my music selections and can’t wait to share with you this week’s choreography, Daisy has some new sequences for you too. Please do your best to Zoom in, as I know lots of you are away at present, so those who are around, don’t leave me or Daisy hanging! (you know you always feel great for having got your ‘DYBO on’)!
Please do let me know your plans moving forward..
…as many of you have yet to throw your hat into the ring regarding a potential return to All Hallows for more social ‘Face to Face’ classes and/or the convenient Zoom option. I really need to know what you would like; every vote helps and counts with my decisions moving forward.
This week marks our 28th Week teaching and sharing our group classes via Zoom, thank goodness for this technology – I seriously don’t know what I would have done, psychologically or financially. I’m working to improve your experience all the time and to continue to provide fun, effective, engaging and safe fitness and dance services. Your input and support is essential please keep it coming we really do value each and everyone of you.
One to One, Face to Face (albeit 2m apart!). We are delivering one to one sessions here at HQ in Church Crookham and with some of our clients taking their holiday over the next couple of weeks, we have some appointments available. Grasp this opportunity and come for either One to One fitness or dance, fitness or gut health consultancy, sports therapy massage or life coaching/NLP. You can feel safe in the knowledge that we completely sanitise the Gym between each session.
Appointments with me are usually difficult to get so first come first served.
DYBO Live & Online – This week’s Classes are as follows:
Monday
6.30pm Boogie Fit (Beginners/Returners)
7.15pm The Middle Bit – Complimentary when attending BF or CD or £3.50
7.45pm Cardio Dance (Intermediate)
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
£6.50 per class. Paid in advance please.
10 Class Voucher £55
Membership, unlimited classes, £50
(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.
Gut Healthy Chick Pea Salad
Perfect at home or in your lunch box!
Ingredients
- lemon ½, juiced
- olive oil
- cumin seeds 1 tsp
- red chilli 1 small, seeded and diced
- chickpeas 400g tin, rinsed and drained
- red onion ½, chopped
- cucumber ¼, diced
- baby plum tomatoes 6, halved
- feta 50g, crumbled
- dill or flat-leaf parsley a small bunch, chopped
Method Whisk the lemon juice, 2 tbsp oil, cumin seeds and chilli with some seasoning in a large bowl. Lightly mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or the end of a rolling pin, and add them to the dressing bowl with the onion, cucumber and tomatoes, and leave to marinate for 5 minutes. Stir through the feta and herbs to serve.
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you this week.
Remember, Roots and Wings xx
Love ya,
Helen x
