Did you get some sunshine and fresh air between the showers?
The girls and I got wet a few times whilst out walking but this was the view on our Sunday morning walk……. bliss!
How is your No Sugar November challenge going?
Here’s my progress sheet – I made it through the weekend sugar free by keeping busy and my eyes on the prize!
If you want to join in go to our website and read last week’s blog! If you are joining in, share your progress with me!
https://dybo.co.uk/a-frightful-week/
Menopause knowledge
October was Menopause Awareness month but because there is so much else going on and it’s a big and important topic I decided to give it plenty of space in our blog so have divided the information across a few blogs and will share it with you over the coming weeks. Part 1 is further down this blog after class news and some info about an event I’m presenting at (for EMDuk, the governing body of group exercise in the UK).
Class News
I’ve been busy, as usual, creating new routines for you this week so check out the details
You have new Choreography at Boogie Fit, Dance Fit, Step, Barre and of course new moves and grooves in all the classes.
Put Saturday 25 November in your diary for EMD UK’s Instructor Revolution 2023!
This one-day online event brings together 20+ speakers from across the fitness sector to help boost your career knowledge.
With three dedicated streams covering topics from Group Exercise, Yoga, and Pilates, you can mix and match the sessions to suit your interests and practices.
Join my session ‘Release Relax and Restore’ (at 3pm) in the group ex stream.
1 event | 3 streams | 20+ speakers
Get your ticket from just £25 today.
Find out more and book your ticket here: https://emduk.org/instructor-revolution-23/
Independance – book now to guarantee your place and discount…
Join us for INDEPENDANCE on Saturday 27 April ‘24
With Helen Carpenter-Waters & guest presenter Nikkie Riozzi
Enjoy four creative and unique masterclasses;
- House is a Feeling – Nikkie
- Soul Motion – Helen
- Fluid Art – Nikkie
- Release – Helen
Location – All Hallows School, Farnham, GU9 9HF
Special Offer
Buy now save £10 – tickets only £29*
Normal price £39
*Offer ends Wed 31 Jan 2024
Please note, tickets are non-transferable or refundable.
Pay via BACS to UK Fitness Academy Ltd.
——————————————————————————————
Meno-thrive: Part One
Written by Helen Carpenter-Waters
Award winning health and fitness professional including specialisms in women’s health (ante-post natal fitness and menopause health, fitness and wellbeing) sports massage therapy, gut health. NLP and life coaching.
At last I’m in fashion! Menopause is the conversation topic of the moment and I’m fully versed in ‘meno’ speak after having experienced it myself and, most importantly, trained and qualified as a Peri-Post menopausal health, fitness and wellness professional!
Menopause is so fashionable that men are getting in on the conversation! The Male Menopause, or andropause/androgen decline, to give it it’s correct title, is when male hormone levels (notably testosterone) decline.
This sometimes, not always, occurs in older/elderly men and is a far slower and more gradual process than the female menopause where cessation of menses occurs rapidly in mid life (from approx. 45 onwards). Rarely younger men have a decline in male hormones which requires investigation and relevant treatment.
So gentlemen whilst this article isn’t directly about you, please read on because if you have women in your life (mothers, aunts, cousins, partners, daughters and colleagues), having the correct information about this completely normal, and often challenging part of a women’s life will arm you with the knowledge you need to support, understand and even assist!
Young women – please read on too, not only will you have the information you need to understand and maybe help the older women in your life, but you can prepare for and take action to assist you have as healthy and less troublesome menopause as possible, and help you to recognise when you are entering that phase of your life. Believe me I was in denial when it happened to me!
So…
I wish that there were more informed and open conversations about Menopause for previous generations rather than women mentally and physically struggling behind closed doors with the associated judgment, negative language and attitudes (which I will not repeat or dwell on here).
My Menopause experience is unique to me and whilst there will be many similarities to other women’s it’s important to look at your unique and entire picture without assumptions.
When it finally dawned on me that I was on the peri menopause journey I assumed that with my healthy life style, I could use nutrition and exercise as the only method of managing my symptoms. The commonly used mantra that ‘I don’t want to take pills or put drugs in my body’ is one often based on misinformation and I hear it said a lot. Whilst a healthy life style has certainly helped, I realised that I might need some HRT when I suffered an avulsion fracture of my finger whilst pulling down my fitness leggings!
That was the final straw as I had tolerated severe sleep deprivation, hot flushes every 15 minutes (day and night) constant muscle and joint pain, brain fog, weight gain and, unsurprisingly, horrendous fatigue with very low mood!
I will add that HRT should not take the place of a healthy life style – HRT does not work miracles and it’s not for everyone! I have chosen body identical HRT ( it’s plant based) and I regard it as a supplement to replace my oestrogen and progesterone.
Today’s 40/50 plus women are running families (kids, partners and often elderly parents), homes, businesses, companies, institutions, even countries whilst dealing with the effects of menopause! Society needs women in their peri menopausal and menopausal years to be healthy, fit and efficient. We live up to another 40-50 years post menopause and quite frankly we deserve to live optimally for all of our lives not just up to the point the children leave home!
What is Peri-Menopause
It is when the ovaries begin to release eggs less frequently (rather than every month) causing a decline/imbalance in female sex hormones. This can start in some women very early, from 43 and under, and on average around 45 years of age. Women can be peri menopausal for up to 10 years. Symptoms include changes in quality, duration, frequency and amount of menstrual flow, mood changes, fatigue, skin, hair, nail changes, hot flushes and sweats, (often starting at night), cold flushes, lowered immunity and allergies, poor sleep plus mood changes, memory/cognitive function changes and brain fog, weight gain, bloating, gastric distress and here’s a couple of fun ones – burning mouth/tongue and itchy skin any where, Yes including down there and there’s more!
The type of menopause symptoms and severity are different for each woman and an individualised approach to managing symptoms is best. Some women claim to have no symptoms at all where as for others they are debilitating! Listening to some one bang on about about how they sailed through menopause certainly adds to the pressure many women feel under at this time.
What’s the Menopause?
Well technically it’s exactly one year after your final period. You will be menopausal for that final minute and then post menopausal for the rest of your life! However the symptoms of menopause do not end at that point and can persist for years beyond. The average age to become post -menopausal is 51-53 years of age. I had a little chuckle when on a recent documentary Naomi Campbell was experiencing hot flushes and announced that she must be going through ‘an early menopause’ she is 53! (I’m not the only one who had menopause denial, even super models have it too!).
Take back your power and thrive!
The list of symptoms can be a real mood killer and somewhat demotivating, even depressing!
But let’s focus on controlling the controllables because there is so much we can do to eliminate or reduce the negative impact of the menopause!
Firstly, acknowledge and accept that it’s happening, like puberty, it’s a transition in to a new life phase.
Secondly, get some education! Knowledge and understanding clarifies what is needed and dispels myths and harmful misinformation.
Then take action! There is never a better time to sort your life out, sort your lifestyle, get the balance right of work rest and play!
And get support, if you are struggling with symptoms, at work or at home – speak with your GP, women’s health expert, line manager, family, partner, friends, Me!
Ways to Meno thrive!
Education and information, learn about menopause. Knowledge is power – don’t dwell on the negatives; focus on the positives and the many solutions available and the many advantages that this life phase can bring!
You can visit your GP or private women’s health specialist and request a triage for your symptoms. Check on your vitals, heart function, blood pressure, respiratory function, body composition etc.
You can talk to me about exercise, nutrition, life style and mind-set!
Part Two next week.
Kale & Walnut Pesto and Squash Pasta (modified from Positive Pause)
This is a great recipe for Gut Health for life (including menopause).
- 1 small butternut squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil (I use coconut oil)
- 2 tsp italian herbs
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 150g kale
- 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 150g walnut halves, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
- 30g bunch of basil leaves
- 50g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve (I use vegan parmesan)
- 100ml extra-virgin olive oil (I prefer coconut oil)
- 100g smoked pancetta, diced I use mushrooms instead
- 300g wholemeal pasta, (I use pea pasta instead, I particularly like Zen B)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to a 190C fan oven. Halve the butternut squash, deseed and chop into bite size chunks (skin on). Place in a roasting tin, pour over 2 tablespoons of oil and season with Italian herbs, sea salt and freshly ground pepper, mix well and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Place the pancetta in a small separate roasting tin and roast until the fat begins to run, then turn in the tin and cook until golden and crisp.
- Meanwhile, toast the walnuts. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and blanch the kale for around 45 seconds. Drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze any excess moisture from the kale and roughly chop.
- Put the garlic cloves in a food processor with 90g walnuts (the rest are for serving), basil leaves, parmesan and chopped kale. Pulse to chop finely, then gradually add the oil whilst it’s still running. Finish with 3 tbsp water, the season to taste (remembering that the pancetta will be salty). The pesto should still retain the same texture.
- When the butternut squash is half cooked (15 minutes) remove and stir well. And return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. The pancetta should be almost ready at this point, drain the fat and place it on a piece of kitchen towel.
- Cook pasta according to instructions, and reserve a mugful of water before draining. Return to the pan with the pesto and a few tablespoons of the cooking water to loosen.
- Once the squash is tender and the pancetta is crispy add (retain a little pancetta for serving) to the pasta and turn well to mix
- Divide between bowls and finish topped with the remaining walnut halves and pancetta, and more grated parmesan to taste.
Enjoy, tell me what you think?
Have an amazing week, I welcome your comments requests and feed back!
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
Wednesday (DYBO Studio)
6.30-7.15pm: Old Skool, Step & Strength – Step, hand weights and band.
7.30-8.30pm: 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
—————————————————————————————————-
Joining us at All Hallows? – 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.
To ensure that is the case I just want to share with you our class protocols to inform and reassure everyone. Not everyone has been out and about much over the past, almost 3 years, and some of us are more anxious than others about getting back to ‘normal’ life and activities since restrictions have been lifted. Please be patient with each other and me – I have the responsibility of keeping you all happy and safe whilst complying with governing body guidelines and providing the best experience possible.
*Denotes for you to do, the rest is just info…
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.
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 – 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 at times 2 x tennis balls and a sock!
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
On the night
*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, enter and be in their personal exercise space between 5 and 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 in 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 cues.
I will be sticking to class times for sanitising and ventilation purposes. Doors and windows will be open for ventilation, unless the weather is very cold, and if it’s hot, fans will be used to blow air forwards out of the windows and open door for maximum and safe ventilation. Our exercise space is much larger than the governing body requirements (more than double in fact) indeed the government have lifted all guidelines, so it will be easy to maintain 2m social distance but please do keep your distance as some of our clients are more vulnerable to infection and wary .
I will maintain social distance, however I will have a visor/mask if I have to come close to provide first aid etc.
After an entire teaching career facing my class participants with my back to the mirrors I have made the change (for now) to face the mirrors, this is for my safety in this strange Covid world, but I assure you that I will still be able to see everything you get up to and will coach, encourage and nag as effectively as usual!!!
*After a wonderful class and virtual hugs, 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, I now have to rebuild my group exercise business after months away from face to face teaching due to the pandemic and more recently these flu and cold bugs.
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.
£7.50 per class.
10 Class Voucher: £65 (to be used within 12 weeks of purchase).
Membership: £50, 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 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
————————————————————————————-
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
Wednesday
6.30pm: Old Skool, Step & Strength – Step, hand weights and band.
7.30pm: Barre Fit – Something to assist balance like a barre, eg. chair, worktop, mantlepiece etc.
Thursday
6.15pm: Contemporary Stretch
7.30pm: Dancespiration
****** 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.
