Happy New Year – I hope that you have had your fill of festive food, drink and frivolity, and that you are well rested, restored and ready to get back to it!
I most definitely am (too much cheese, Gromit!!!) and I have missed my DYBO classes, although I thoroughly enjoyed seeing some of my one to one clients in the twixtmas period – sadly not in my beautiful studio but either on Zoom or outside, making the most of the fresh air and my outdoor gym kit. We’ve become very good at alternative training modalities, probably because I have had so many years of training and experience to fall back upon when I have to be inventive! As a long toothed fit pro, I understand how the body works, what it needs, when it needs it and how to adapt to the individual to ensure that they can achieve effective fitness development with the minimum amount of, or completely without, equipment.
I hope to welcome you all back to our onlne classes this week. I think we will be operating this way for quite some time to come but I am very happy to have the technology to look after our fitness family. I am concerned that the cold weather and dark days will become a barrier for many people getting outside for outdoor activities and thus the health of our nation (both physical and psychological) will be badly affected. So our online classes are key to maintaining our physical health, weight management and psychological and social wellbeing.
Often at this time of year folks decide to take a leap in to fitness training, going headlong into it without the necessary foundation laying or gradually building up to increased or new activity. Many people overdo exercise intensity, impact, duration, frequency and over-train in one modality or intensity. Injury rates will rise in this situation especially when venturing into unsupervised workouts be it with celebrities, well meaning friends, with ‘influencers’ or instructors who are not creating balanced sessions or being clear about who they are aimed at and how they should be executed.
Throughout this pandemic I have taken special care to create online workouts and classes that accommodate the difficult situation we are in such as the environment our participants are training in, considering the flooring eg. concrete, carpet, wood flooring, tiles etc., none of which provide the sprung flooring we enjoy at All Hallows.
The space we have to move in, the the temperature, ventilation, the amount of stress we are all under, pushing too hard etc all adds extra stress to an already stressed system, negatively affecting our hormonal and immune systems.
I am aware and accommodate our clients who are sitting for hours at home, desks, kitchen tables etc, this, plus insufficient fidgeting and movement throughout the day, will cause us to tighten and stiffen – affecting our posture and ease of movement, resulting in us being more likely to injure ourselves if we get our exercise protocols wrong.
The content of the class reflects our current needs (which go far beyond calorie burning and aesthetics, but are included). My aim is to support you from top to toe, as I always do and especially now. I’m using all the training, qualifications and experience I have accumulated over these years to achieve this.
Creating greater fitness, safely
Fitness is for life so take a long term approach. Aim to build fitness gradually, start with the foundations of posture, alignment and stability then gradually add impact, intensity and load. Try to get outside for daylight walks – even 20 minutes will have beneficial effects, particularly when taken in the middle of the day. Avoid sitting for long periods, get up and move at least every hour. You can set an alarm on your computer, watch, phone or ask Siri to remind you!
Standing desks are excellent and there are some reasonably priced table top ones.
Drink lots of water throughout the day. Have a bottle or two, totalling 2 litres and aim to finish it by the end of the day.
Undertake some exercise/movement every day, mixing the type of intensity and intention of the exercise to accommodate all components of good health and fitness – cardio work (both high and moderate intensity), muscular strength and endurance training, posture mobility, flexibility and stability work plus some relaxation and meditation activity to help calm the mind and reduce stress hormone levels.
DYBO provide a full range of classes to facilitate this and to provide something for everyone. The content of our classes accommodates *almost everyone’s needs and preferences and we instruct fully, offering advice on how participants can maintain the correct technique and intensity (ensuring safety and effectiveness) and of course because we can see you too, we can remind you to work a bit harder if you need a bit of encouragement!
*(one to one is available for those who need something specific)
Our aim is to help you be as healthy and fit as possible – reach out to me if you want any advice or guidance.
Remember good Health and Fitness affects every thing about us!
New Choreography and Content
Daisy and I have prepared New Year music and content for you and we are very excited to share it with you. You will need resistance bands and a chair for Daisy’s Total Tone class, bands and hand weights for Core Power, a Step for Step class, a chair or stable counter top and a band for Barre, the usual for Contemporary Stretch and Fitness Yoga. For the rest of the classes you just need to create a space to move, appropriate footwear and some ventilation for when you get your sweat on!
You can help us by spreading the word and recruiting new and lapsed participants, It’s really important that together we can build our sustainable online fitness community. So talking about our services on social media, at work and with friends really helps.
Gut Purify Group
I am so looking forward to kick starting my new year with my bi-annual Gut Cleanse!
If you want to join me and the other Gut Purify participants, get in touch a.s.a.p.
Optimal Gut Health affects…
- Weight management, optimal fat levels and reduces bloating and fluid retention, mental clarity, memory and improved concentration.
- Optimal immune system and resistance to major and minor disease and illness, digestive function and comfort, (prevents IBS, Colitis Diverticulitis etc.)
- Skin clarity, brightness and tone.
- Optimal vitamin, mineral, nutrient creation and production, ensuring good energy levels and cellular health and repair.
- And so much more.
DYBO Live & Online – This week’s Classes are as follows:
Monday
6.30pm Boogie Fit (Beginners/Returners)
7.30pm Total Tone (All)
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, you have THREE options!
£6.50 per class. Paid in advance please.
10 Class Voucher £55
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.
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.
Attending any DYBO class will assume agreement with above terms and disclaimer.
Left-over Brussels…Yum!
I made a similar version of this as a side dish for our Christmas dinner, and it was a hit with our non-brussels loving diners (mine was with maple syrup and seasoning only, if you want the recipe).
Ingredients
Maple Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
- 1 pound Brussel Sprouts, sliced in half
- 1 small Red Onion, sliced into wedges
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
For Serving
- 2 cups cooked Farro (Quinoa is a great alternative)
- 1 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh Lemon juice, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ⅓ cup toasted Pecans
- ⅓ cup dried Cranberries
- Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Roast the Brussel Sprouts: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the Brussel Sprouts and onion wedges onto the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Toss to coat and roast until tender and browned around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, the lemon juice, Dijon Mustard, and pinches of salt and pepper. Add the Farro and toss. Add the sprouts, along with the pecans and cranberries. Toss and season to taste with more salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve
Have a fab week, remember to reach out if you need anything!
Helen x
