Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Each month, we feature one of our amazing Weekly Workout Club members here in our wellness and lifestyle area.
If you’re a member, you’ll know that its really important to Jo that we are all in this together and supporting one another on our fitness journeys. This is the reason why Jo always refers to the club as the ‘Weekly Workout Family’
We thought it was time for members to get to know each other a little more and to share some stories and experiences.
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Our December spotlight features Shelley Hedges. Over to you Shelley …
Hi, I’m Shelley Hedges, I am just 60 years young.
I am married to my absolute soulmate and really good cook Charlie and we live in our lovely home and beautiful surroundings in Buckinghamshire.
I am blessed with two fantastic boys Matt 28 and Jon 24, they both live away from home now but are loving and kind and make me laugh all of the time! I am also a work mum to about ten youngsters, they tell me their triumphs and troubles, and we have great working relations too, it makes me feel a little special.
I joined the organisation that I work for back in 1989 and spent 21 years in technical support, I later trained to become a fitted kitchen and bathroom advisor and have worked there ever since.
I love my job, helping people to make those all important choices on both the aesthetics as well as the functionality in these two areas of a home. I’m quite a creative person and really enjoy it when I hit the right buttons for a client putting a mood board together.
I first joined the weekly workout club in May 2020, I was going great guns until a trapped nerve put me out of action for a while, then I lost my motivation until Jo introduced the Menopause Metamorphosis programme, I have not looked back since.
I have had a problem with my sacroiliac joint for the past fifteen years, it has now become arthritic and some days it is painful and very stiff. I have done various Pilates classes over the years and know that it is such a good form of exercise for backs and joints and flexibility. I also have a hiatus hernia so I have to exercise on an empty stomach, so I just get up an Jo!
Jo is an amazing teacher, she is so personable and she really understands how the skeleton works along with all of the muscle groups and the exercises in both cause and effect.
Jo mixes things up so that you never know what to expect before each class, if you follow any of the programmes you will get a full body workout!
Jo has a happy disposition and never fails to uplift you and make you laugh, don’t be fooled, this is her way of getting a little extra abs work in!😉😉
At first I thought Jo must have a secret camera in my house and could see my form with her constant reminders of “shoulders away from the ears, belly button to spine” etc but these reminders are so necessary, especially when we are exercising from home.
I am part way through the menopause metamorphosis programme for the second time, I do that and then a class from countdown to Christmas [our current monthly programme], my shape is beginning to change on the outside but my word on the inside the changes are quite miraculous!
I am getting stronger by the day, everyday tasks are becoming easier, I bend down, stretch and move so much more easily and I never want this to stop, so no change of career for you Jo!
I will never stop exercising now, I have enjoyed every class that I have done and a better teacher you will not find!
Blimey, what a question? I love them all!
I am post menopausal and have to take meds (for Barrett’s Oesophagus) that affect my liver and bones. I don’t drink alcohol anymore and want some exercises to help with bone density, Jo has many classes for this along with overall mobility and strength.
If you have never done Pilates exercise before there is an educational tab ‘Let’s get started’ that will help you to understand the basic principles along with breathing and positioning, you can then do other classes once you feel you’ve got the gist of it. The other thing that I like about Jo’s classes is that she gives you choices depending on your ability, it’s is not a one size fits all and she is very clever to realise and include this within her classes and programmes. I am starting to challenge myself a little more now and am surprised at what I can do!
[You need to be a member and logged in to view those workout pages!]
My husband Charlie cooks an epic Sunday roast and I just devour every morsel of them!
I am quite interested in healthy eating (apart from Sunday roasts 😂😂) but find it a bit of a minefield, I am really interested in gut micro biome and how to maximise my own gut flora.
I love 70’s music and often put my headphones on to listen to smooth and heart 70’s I get a real wiggle on whilst doing the housework, I also like some classical too.
Travel featured quite regularly in our lives before Covid-19, we’ve been to some amazing places all over the world but we have amazing places in the UK too, the West coast of Scotland and the outer Hebrides are breathtakingly beautiful!
Cross stitch embroidery is something that I enjoy too, I’ve done some really nice designs over the years.
I am also getting into massaging my face each evening with facial oils and a Gua Sha Quartz Crystal stone, it’s very relaxing and promotes good circulation and lymphatic drainage. (anything that helps with the lines apart from needles and a knife)
My favourites on the TV recently were James Herriot, Our Yorkshire farm and the Yorkshire vet, last night we watched the final episode of Miriam and Alan – Lost in Scotland, it was quite an education and Miriam is so funny!
Soon I’ll be bringing out the favourite films: Nativity, Elf, Bridget Jones, The Holiday, Love Actually and Miracle on 34th Street, if there is time I would always choose Pretty Woman, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Sound of Music too!
I had got out of the pleasure of reading but started again after reading a review from Helen of Best Book Forward (all reviews are here). My aim now is to read one book per month at least.
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Thank you so much to Shelley for her wonderful spotlight article. We’ll feature another member next month and if you’d like to be featured – drop us a line!
There are so many benefits of a strong core – yet so often people focus on the wrong things! I get asked all the time about abdominals, how to get a flat tummy or how to get a six pack 😳
Firstly it is important to know that EVERYONE has abs. If you didn’t – we would collapse …!
For the majority of us (including me) they don’t make themselves known to the world, as we have a layer of fat covering them.
In order to see the ‘six pack,’ we have to achieve a low body fat percentage.
This is a screenshot taken from one of Jo’s workout classes – Triathlon
Some people are lucky and their six pack can naturally be seen, as they have a genetically lower body fat percentage in that area.
We need to be aware that we all have a genetic predisposition to lay down fat in different parts of our bodies. Trying to “spot reduce” a particular area does not work!
Spot reduction is an outdated concept. There was a theory that if you focused exercise on specific parts of the body – fat will reduce in those areas.
As an example – it was thought that if you do a programme of continuous ab exercises – you’ll eventually get flat abs. There is simply no evidence to support this as being true.
I’m vehement in my answer that you should focus on working your core to make everyday life easier.
It will help to support your spine and to aid good posture. This is far more important than trying to achieve ‘Social media perfection’ and showing off a perfect tummy and set of abs!
I always say it – but yet again – it’s what’s on the inside that truly matters!!
This is a screenshot taken from one of Jo’s workout classes – Butterfly Stretch
We are constantly bombarded with people showing their abs, but for the majority of us this is unrealistic.
Having a six pack to show off would mean restricting our diet SO much in order to achieve a very dangerous body fat ratio. Personally, this is something I don’t want to do.
Instead, for me it’s about being consistent, healthy and balanced!
Having a strong core does not equate to having a visible six pack.
I have a strong core, but I have never and will never have a visible six pack – yet still, people assume having a six pack equates to having a strong centre.
I wanted to write this article to help you to be realistic in your expectations and to never expect quick fixes.
Be realistic with your goals … be consistent … be healthy…. and beyond all else – enjoy life!
Much love,
xx
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Every now and then I aim to showcase a business I really love and believe in – it’s great to champion the smaller business.
So I wanted to introduce a fabulous lady called Annie Reed and her retail business – Sansom Reed
Over to Annie…
xx
Hello, and a really warm welcome from me, Annie, founder of Sansom Reed, where we hope to totally inspire you to live your happiest and most effortless style.
We seek comfort in all we sell, be it for temperature, fabric feel, or moveability. Our aim is for you to smile inside, and out, when you wear pieces you buy from us.
We are really proud to have been invited to be a named brand by Jo, which has come about from a very lucky happenchance when Annie spotted Jo on instagram, messaged her, and 30 years after leaving the same school, we re-connected.
As well as getting along on bus journeys back in the 80s, and a shared humour for all that passed in their teen school days, Jo has many of the values I hold dear to the approach of life and healthy regimes.
Jo has been a supporter and wearer of Sansom Reed and we love how she gets the essence of what we offer: the enhanced feeling of inner happiness when discovering what you feel best in.
LOOK OUT FOR SPECIAL JO AND ANNIE OFFERS WHICH SANSOM REED WILL FEATURE FROM TIME TO TIME.
Sansom Reed is a multi brand boutique, we source from all over the world for wardrobe, homewares and lifestyle. Our Danish brands are amongst our most popular, as they give new looks, with classic cuts and flatter the silhouette.
We love to help you add texture … this season faux fur is big! Colour is back, and while we stock a wide selection of delicious neutrals, we will always have colour in our collection.
Our selections are constantly evolving, many lines are limited edition, and every day there is something new online. We show in detail through our “Lives”on instagram, for you to assess clearly. We are here to help with sizing, styling and increasing ideas of ways to wear. We try to have a customer service that is as in real life as possible.
We are looking forward to assisting you.
We wish every success and happy times to all undertaking programmes with Jo.
*Lollys Laundry *Dea Kudibal *American Vintage *Coster Copenhagen *Sofie Schnoor *Scotch & Soda *Mads Norgaard *Vanessa Wu *Beck Sondergaard *Woden *Caroline Svedbom *Ahdorned Bags *Rain Kiss *Maruti *Chalk *Powellcraft *Levete Room *Summum Woman *Jayley *Conditions Apply *Bl-nk
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove
Please either login or refresh your page to view if you are already part of my Workout Family.
If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.
It's time to get motivated! #letsmove