So here we still are and I’m really getting comfortable with our new normal or at least I thought I was until I went into Farnham to collect something. Last time I went into town everything was open and I was the only nutta’ going round with plastic gloves, hand sanitizer, Dettol wipes and a scarf round my face. Now everything is closed and it looks sad and lonely, it shook me to the core. Thank goodness I have you guys coming online every day and evening for your PT and classes – I think I would have lost my mind otherwise!
I have just finished our Old Skool Disco class and post party live set and absolutely loved it, fab tunes mixed live by Steve and then the party continued on Facebook live until 9pm with Steve taking requests and me talking rubbish and go go dancing, until I was called in for my supper, so I had to say bye to my friends and take my ball home!
It was such a tonic and just what we needed, many of my friends live alone so it was a lovely opportunity to catch up with music, dance and chat!
I have spoken with a few folks who have let their healthy nutrition and exercise slip and are paying the price for it. Now, of all times, is when you must take better care of your immune system! 70 % of our immunity comes from our Gut (Microbiome). Too much sugar, wheat, alcohol, processed foods (in fact I try not to have any) is really bad for our gut and digestion, increases inflammation, bloating, IBS, imbalances hormones and more. We must eat properly to build strong immune cells and fight off diseases. I can provide you with an extensive list of Gut healthy and immune boosting foods -please reach out to me!
There are three other key elements to creating and maintaining a strong immune system.
1) Optimal exercise, focusing on daily cardio vascular and muscular endurance exercise (don’t go nuts on anaerobic training or heavy strength training as this does suppress the immune system for a while – leave that for after all this is over)
Include postural work to maintain an open and elastic rib cage, neutral pelvis and spine – this will include mobility, flexibility and stability work. Specific breathing exercises (I’ve been including these in our Barre Fitness, Contemporary Stretch and Freestyle Fitness Yoga classes) – as previously mentioned an efficient diaphragm, intercostal muscles, and lungs themselves will give you the best chance should you get this terrible lung virus.
2) Sleep, sleep is where we reboot out mental and physical well-being, rest the system, boost out immune system, balance our hormones repair and recover. 7-8 hours is essential.
3) Stress, without a doubt it is a very stressful time – this constant stress will raise cortisol levels and adrenalin, exhausting our adrenals, slow our metabolism, affect weight (increase fat around the abdomen, suppress happy hormones and melatonin (sleep hormones). It will negatively affect our immune system and lay us open to illness. Mindfulness, exercise and sleep will help reduce the stress hormones
This disease is picking off people with poor immunity, high blood pressure, weakened/inefficient/damaged heart and lungs, diabetes and those who are significantly overweight. That is a large percentage of population. The figures talk about known medical conditions but many folks are ignorant to their poor base level health and immunity, ‘average’ in the UK and America is very poor indeed.
Trying to fight CV19 without addressing the aforementioned is taking it on with your hands tied behind you back!
I don’t want to frighten you, I want to awaken you!
Stay home, stay safe and stay/get fit, eat properly !
All Classes and One to One Sessions (Fitness, Core, Yoga/Pilates, Self-massage and NLP/Life coaching) are online until the social distancing guidelines are lifted.
Please read the guidance outlines below to maximize your online fitness and dance experience with me.
Class schedule for this week. Here are the codes to join the classes, please let me know which classes you will attend so that I can monitor numbers to maintain safety. Remember that once I’m teaching I can’t offer ‘tech’ help although Steve is monitoring the feed and can try and help. If you get stuck on anything tech wise whilst trying to get in to the Zoom ‘meeting room’, you can call or WhatsApp him on 07968 759826.
If you want to book (FOC) a 5-10min Zoom ‘rehearsal’ to help you with the process for your device (s) then let me know and we can schedule it.
DYBO Live & Loud Online for w/c 13 April – Classes are as follows:
TUESDAY
6.30pm HIIT (changes weekly*)
7.15pm Core Power (complimentary when attending HIIT or DF or £3.50*)
7.45pm Dance Fit (new Routine every two weeks*)
WEDNESDAY
6.30pm Step*
7.15pm Barre Fit*
THURSDAY
6.15pm Contemporary Stretch (this week – tennis balls, sock, chi balls and bands*)
7.30pm Dance and Perspiration, Dance with more Fitness (new Routine every two weeks*)
FRIDAY
6.30pm Freestyle Fitness Yoga with Relax, Restore and Reboot*
*All classes evolve and change 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 blue tooth earphones and it worked well.
4. Ensure you have maximum access to your WiFi in the house and as close to the router as is feasible. Take phones off the WiFi system and pop them on to your 4/5G network or place on airplane mode, unless thats what yo 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 bare foot 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 dumbbell/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 out door 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, including the extras, £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.
Healthy Carrot Cake
(thehealthychef.com)
Ingredients
500 g (17 ½ oz) grated carrots
3 organic eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
350g almond meal (Flour)
60 ml (2 fl oz) macadamia nut oil or olive oil, but nut oil is better health wise for cooking
½ cup organic maple syrup or 1/4 cup raw organic honey
1 cup fresh blueberries or chai tea soaked and drained raisins
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
Greek style yoghurt, to serve (I will use Coconut Yogurt)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 160°C / 320°F.
- Combine carrot, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond meal, oil, honey, soaked raisins and baking powder.
- Mix well until combined.
- Pour into a prepared 20 cm baking tin.
- Bake for 1 – 1 ½ hours or until cooked through.
- Cover, if necessary, with foil.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin, then turn out.
- Serve alone or topped with Greek style yoghurt or vanilla frosting.
- Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days – it freezes well too!
So darlings, stay in, stay fit with me and stay safe.
Love ya,
Helen
