Thinking Day!

There aren’t many dates that stick in my head but for some reason this one does.

I loved being a Brownie Girl Guide and was introduced to the WWTD (World Wide Thinking Day) as I sat cross-legged around the Toadstool in the middle of the Village Hall.

How amazingly progressive has the scouting organiaation been over these years (although recent history does cast a shadow over the institutional racism and misogyny of the time when played through our filters of equality for today)

‘Celebrated since 1926, World Thinking Day is a day of international friendship. It is an opportunity to speak out on issues that affect young women and fundraise for 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 150 countries.’

This years theme is peace building, it’s wonderful – check out their website and click on this years free resource pack its excellent.

I think the scouting movement have wonderful objectives and may have influenced how I think and behave as an Adult today. Every day I work towards supporting health, happiness, wellness, kindness, equality, the environment and animal welfare, so I think my Brownie leader would feel that she had done a good job.

Hurry up and wait

We await with baited breath the PM’s announcement tonight – it affects us all and I hope that we can all, as a society, keep calm and keep a level head.

I will finish my classes for the evening and then put on the news, whatever is said tonight will not make a difference to my evening apart from potentially distract me or ruin it, so waiting a little while will not make any difference to the next hour of my life. I hope to see plenty of you at class tonight!

We are here for each other and it certainly gives Daisy and I a boost when we see you pop up on our screen for class.

I know you parents are hopeful that your cherubs will be back at school soon, I understand that teachers want the same and for everyone to be safe, so there are many concerns for them.

I have no idea what is planned for my sector and can already feel my anxiety levels rise with all the what ifs and ramifications, plus my fears all of which I am doing my best to deal with. I know I am not alone with these feelings so let’s ensure we are kind to each other and ourselves.

As a small operator (with a big heart) DYBO can move quickly to react to the rapidly, and then slowly, changing times. It’s been 50 weeks since I taught my last face-to-face class, none of us knowing what lay ahead or indeed how we and others would behave, cope and so on. It’s been a huge eye opener and learning event , at the very least. For some there has been and continue to be great pain loss and grief. I’ve not found it easy either but my heart goes out to you.

Amongst our DYBO community we have front line heroes and words alone cannot sufficiently express my gratitude.

I’m choosing to focus my gratitude on those who have stood up and been counted, who have put them selves in the line of fire, inconvenienced themselves, who have supported small business and individuals (like DYBO), who have stuck to the rules even when seeing others breaking them, who have remembered to recommend and say thank you, other than those who have not behaved so well or considerately . I pray that this kind behaviour will be carried forward – I’m certain life will be better for it.

Are you preparing for post lockdown life?

Our immune system gets stronger with exposure to bugs and bacteria – we have weakened it during confinement and constant sanitizing. We are all more vulnerable to all bugs and viruses as we leave lockdown and open up society.

Now is the time to boost our immune system, via gut health (70% of our immune system is created by our gut bacteria) and nutrition, foods that do good not harm, optimal amounts and types of exercise, mental health management, sleep habits. These are proven areas of influence on immunity plus, in this Covid 19 case, the vaccination. The success of this vaccination roll out for this and potential future variants is down to all of us (where possible) getting the jab. I see the Vaccine as a parachute to lower us gently to earth, the more holes in the parachute (people who don’t take it or comply with guidelines) the more likely it is to fail us all. I have read lots of research and paid attention to a variety of opinions and this is the conclusion that I have come to – when it’s my turn I will accept the vaccine for the benefit of my entire community to be able to get back to near normal a.s.a.p.

Mark the occasion

Please keep those ideas coming forward as to how we can, together, mark a full year on Zoom supporting each other with our fitness, and health.

I have only been involved with classes and seminars online – how could we do a party or drinks and music event, have you any suggestions ?

This week

We offer new routines for Boogie Fit and Dance Fit

Plus fresh content for every other class as always and the opportunity to join me on Saturday for ‘Fun, Funk and Fabulous’  at 12.30pm

And ‘Flo Motion’ on Sunday at 11.15am

Please use the code FCWHC

DYBO Live & Online – This week’s Classes are as follows:

Monday

https://zoom.us/j/93817898799

6.30pm Boogie Fit (Beginners/Returners)
7.30pm Total Tone (All)

Tuesday

https://zoom.us/j/94370544053

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

https://zoom.us/j/95899675041

6.30pm Old Skool Step (All levels)
7.15pm Barre Fit (All levels)

Thursday

https://zoom.us/j/95416823519

6.15pm Contemporary Stretch (All levels)

7.30pm Dance & Perspiration (Fitness with a Dance focus, more experienced)

Friday

https://zoom.us/j/92666213498

6.30pm Freestyle Fitness Yoga (Relax, Restore and Reboot)

****** All the above classes change and vary weekly! *****

How to prepare your environment

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. Ventilate your exercise space, have plenty of water and towels to hand, keep your exercise equipment close – if you need anything, let me know.
6. 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.
7. 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.

Lower Carb Brownies

In honour of all Brownies and Thinking Day plus immune system and gut health, here’s a gut boosting and anti-oxidant rich Brownie recipe, it’s not low in cals but is packed with taste!

• 1 cup creamy almond butter
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar’ (can replace with stevia to reduce carbs)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 dark chocolate baking bar ( chopped)

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line and grease a square baking tray (8×8 or 9×9 inch) with parchment paper nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, eggs and egg yolk until smooth and well combined. Gently fold in cocoa powder, coconut flour, salt and baking soda until there are no clumps. Fold in 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the batter. The batter will be thick.
• Pour and spread batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean (some crumbs are okay). Be careful not to over bake!
• Remove and cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Grab parchment paper on the sides and lift the brownies out of the pan to cool completely.

Serve with raspberries and coconut yogurt for dessert, cut smaller to reduce calories and get more portions out of the batch.

Enjoy xxx

Phew that’s it. Enjoy ‘Thinking Day’ and I hope I’ve made you think.

Please keep in touch.

Love ya,

Helen x