Whoopee – we are now fully immersed in Summer and the school holidays!
I find that Summer is a season that naturally invites more movement, adventure, and renewed commitment to personal health. With longer days, warmer temperatures, and nature filling our outdoor spaces with vivid colour and smells, Summer offers the perfect opportunity to refresh our fitness routine and achieve our wellness goals.
Why Summer is ideal for our fitness and health boost…
There’s something inherently energizing about Summer. The abundance of daylight can boost our mood and motivation, while the accessibility of outdoor spaces makes it easy to add variety to our workouts. Here are just a few reasons why Summer can be the ultimate fitness season:
- Natural Motivation: Sunlight increases serotonin levels, helping to improve mood and motivation.
- Varied Activities: Outdoor (even wild) swimming, cycling, hiking and garden games summer can provide a diverse range of physical activities, adding interest to our workout week.
- Social Opportunities: meeting up with pals at the park for a walk or our dance and fitness classes makes it easy to combine exercise with socialising – which is so good for our mental wellbeing and long term cognitive health.
- Seasonal Nutrition: Fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant, and less expensive – you might have been growing your own too, thus making healthy eating both easier and more enjoyable.
- Colourful Veggies: Tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, leafy greens, salads and veggies are packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
Beware of the derailers…
Having the kids/grandkids off school can throw off your routine – you might end up basing your life around their activities, leading you to feel exhausted, de-motivated, skipping your classes, neglecting your fitness and ultimately a bit resentful/irritated and in low mood.
Remember ‘you’ time and your health, fitness and wellbeing is essential. Can you be active with them? i.e. all of you go for a walk, swim, bike ride or even a class – remember well behaved kiddo’s are welcome to join our classes with their responsible adult, free of charge! Of course you might want to get a break away from them in which case, forget I mentioned it! Ha ha!
Summer fetes, trips out and days at the beach can increase our consumption of junk food, drink and ice creams. I’m a fan of the occasional Mr Whippy but we must maintain some balance!
I know preparing 3 meals a day (minimum) every day of the school holidays is an utter drag but plan ahead, bulk buy, batch cook and store home made ready meals to use on those days when you have had enough! It’s cheaper than Deliveroo, better for the kids , you and your waistline !
Watch out for those pub garden lunches or picnics with a little rosé wine on the side! Or the early evening chilled wine whilst sitting in the garden, or the beer whilst watching Summer sports, you know what I mean. Booze is bad for your waistline, your health, your appearance and budget!
Summer presents a wonderful opportunity to revitalise our fitness journey. By embracing outdoor activities, nourishing our bodies with fresh food, minimising the booze and junk and sharing our fitness exploits with friends and family, we can transform our fitness and health in a good way rather than let it slide. Remember, the best fitness plan is the one you enjoy and will stick with – DYBO are here to help you with that mission so let this Summer be our healthiest, fittest and most fabulous yet.
The Grand Tour
It’s been a while since I wrote about Steve and his Pro Cycle team, Team Picnic Post NL. Well if you watch the Tour de France you might have heard about one of his riders, Oscar Onley gaining 4th place overall – which is incredible and better than expected. They also had 9 top 5 finishes across the 21 stages so Steve and his team are thrilled with the results.
I also neglected to share his hole in one on the golf course last week – apparently that’s good haha !!!
Summer Membership Deal
If you are out and about, on your day trips, hols etc. remember when you are a DYBO member you have complementary access to DYBO TV from anywhere in the world at any time, and I’m offering a Summer deal for August too!
Remember Monday, Tuesday and Thursday classes are at All Hallows, Farnham GU9 9HF and
Wednesday and Friday Classes are at DYBO PT and Small Group Studio in Church Crookham GU52 0YA
All classes to be booked in advance including ZOOM attendance .
This week ahead…
As always fun, fabulousness and effectiveness at all of our classes!
Notably a new routine for the Boogie Fit crew set to a track from my Pro dancing days in the 80’s and 90’s (not forgetting the pro dance jobs I did more recently of course)
This one I’ve called ‘Big in the 80’s, with an all 80’s play list and performance track! Feel free to wear the big hair, Madonna lace gloves, denim dungarees and thong leotard etc!!!
Banna Oat Cookie
If you are trying to feed the kids healthily then try these gut healthy and filling cookies, they are good for you and better than chocolate chip from the shop !
- 2 (340g unpeeled or 200g peeled) ripe bananas
- 200g rolled oats
- 50g caster sugar/try stevia as an alternative
- 50g coconut oil or butter, melted
- 50g cacoa chips
- plain flour to dust hands
· Step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a large baking tray with non-stick parchment paper. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir until they are all combined. Leave to sit for 10 mins – this is to let it soak into the oats.
· Step 2
Roll 1 tbsp of the mix into a ball in floured hands and place on the baking tray, pressing down slightly so they are around 1cm thick. Repeat with the rest of the mix, spacing them 1-2cm apart. You will make about 20 cookies.
· Step 3
Bake for 12–15 mins until golden brown. Transfer to a rack until cooled.
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 & 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, ie. slip off your outdoor shoes, place in your bag, or leave at the door , and change into your indoor trainers . 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
6.30pm: Boogie Fit
7.30pm: Total Tone
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.
