It’s been almost a year since I published my four-part information article on Menopause, which is still ‘the’ hot topic presently and with 18th October being World Menopause Day, it’s a good time to revisit the subject.
Having taken the practical exam (i.e. gone through it personally) and indeed the theory, holding a qualification in Menopause and Women’s Health Coaching, I’m well positioned to support and guide women as they enter the Peri and Menopausal phases of life. I’m also happy to talk to the men/women in the lives of peri-post menopausal women in order to help them understand how best support their ladies (mums, sisters, partners etc).
There is a lot of ‘Meno-cashing’ going on in the media, health, fitness and beauty world and I’m not going to add to it! Much of the information out there is confusing, contradictory and exploitative and it infuriates me. Menopause isn’t the same for every woman, and whilst some claim to sail through with no issues, others have the most horrendous time feeling mentally and or physically awful, so a ‘one size fits all’ will often fail many women!
In all my work, my training, experience and education informs the advice I give to each individual – taking into consideration all elements and stages of their life and their current health/fitness and wellbeing status, as opposed to the current trend of packaging generic advice and products and selling at a high price to everyone. My approach to Peri-Post Menopausal clients is no exception to this philosophy, so if you want some honest information and guidance without agenda, then book in an appointment to discuss your needs.
Whilst acknowledging that it can and often is a really challenging time for women and those who love them, I want to remind you that for almost, all of us there are actions that can be taken to mitigate much of the symptoms and consequences of menopause! It is wise to take action prior to the life stage or at least as we enter it, as we are likely to live another 40/50+ years as a post-menopausal (menses free) women! I want to be as productive, healthy and happy as is possible, living life to the max and having a fab time – how about you?!
Here are the links to the four articles published on our website last year:
Meno-thrive: Part 1 – 5 November 2023
Menopause Health & Wellbeing: Part 2 – 12 November 2023
Menopause Health & Wellbeing: Part 3 – 19 November 2023
Meno-thrive: Part 4 – 26 November 2023
With Autumn upon us it can be easy to focus on the nasty weather and short hours of daylight (I’ve done it myself in the past) which of course doesn’t change the fact that it’s Autumn, but focusing on the negative does affect our mood and positive actions, which results in us sitting on the sofa and moving less – now that does make us feel bad as our muscles and joints stiffen, we lose strength, energy and our motivation and mood worsens and we get fatter.
Ignore the TV ads that hypnotically suggest to your unconscious that lazing about is a good thing to do, whilst they capture you on the sofa to sell you trash TV and unhealthy food!
Get up off your derriere and plan to have some fun being active, meet up with mates to go for a walk, come join your DYBO pals at class, book ahead to inspire you to get up and out!!
This month I’ve planned some Halloween themed dance fitness classes for you – no I’m not a Satan worshipper, it’s all about having fun whilst entertaining your inner child, keeping fit and healthy! Your (well behaved) kids can join in too (free of charge), if you feel the content is appropriate for them and that you can still have a fab time yourself!
We start Halloween proceedings with our ‘Devilishly Delightful Dirty Line Dancing’ class this Monday at Boogie Fit, with costumes encouraged on the 28thOctober!
Next week we will ‘Fall In Love With A Monster’ at Tuesdays ‘Dance Fit, Fab & Fangtastic’ class
And get chills in our Vampire inspired Dancespiration’ class on Thursday!
The rest of this week looks like this…
Crispy Roasted Butternut Squash, Cranberry and Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh cranberries
1-2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup if you prefer) – often works more easily if warmed a little
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the chopped butternut squash with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper until well coated. Spread the squash evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.
While the squash is roasting, mix the fresh cranberries with honey/maple syrup and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Take squash out of the oven and mix with the cranberry mix, return to the oven and roast for another 5-7 minutes, until the cranberries begin to soften.
Transfer the roasted squash and cranberries to a serving dish. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese and pumpkin.
Drizzle with a bit more honey if desired. Serve warm on its own, over green salad or as a side dish.
Yum.
Wishing you a fabulous week!
Love,
Helen x
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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, e.g. slip off your outdoor shoes, place 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 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.
Attending any DYBO class will assume agreement with above terms and disclaimer.
