Setbacks can make you stronger – thoughts from Jo

I was chatting in class the other day and a few people were shocked as to what I told them as I had never before mentioned what I am going to say now…

So – why am I telling you this?

When I was 12 I had to regularly go to Great Ormond Street Hospital due to a disease called Scheuermann’s disease that affects the vertebrae of the spine . They were going to operate but it was more exploratory to see what could be done or I had to wear a back brace for months..

Why am I telling you this??

I did the exercises to combat the pain and many a school break time was spent hanging from the gym wall bars to try to stretch my spine …

Why am I telling you this?

I knew I wanted to be a PE teacher from an early age but a doctor told me in no uncertain terms he had grave concerns about me pursuing my dream of teaching because of my back and to think of something else!!!

SO …I’m telling you this because..

It’s easy to take the path of least resistance… It would have been easy for me not to pursue my dream of teaching … It didn’t put me off. Quite the opposite in fact. It spurred me on towards that dream and I did become that PE & Fitness teacher 30 years ago.

Setbacks CAN make you stronger 🤛🏼👊💥

The 2 big setbacks I have had in my life have definitely made me a more empathetic and understanding teacher with a sense of humour!!! .. Thank goodness for the humour!!!
When I teach I always try to teach in a way that resonates with everyone and for everyone’s abilities, but more than anything teach in a way that makes people enjoy what they are doing so that they want to come back for more…

“Every setback brings a comeback!”🤛🏼💥

So I just wanted to say…

Life is not perfect and nor are we … but “our perfect” is unique to us and that should be celebrated.

Do you want to join the Workout Family and workout with me? Find out more about the Club here.

Jo ❤️

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March #9 Low impact cardio core #3

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March #8 Lower body burn

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Book review of the month – Driving Forwards by Sophie Morgan

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Hi! I’m Helen Gambarota and I am delighted to be back with Jo’s Weekly Workout Family to share my love of books with you.

I am a total book nerd and an avid reader and a compulsive book buyer, although I do need to slow down on the book buying as there are piles of books all around the house. I started reviewing books on Instagram as @BestBookFoward almost 5 years ago and I love chatting about books and sharing my passion for reading.

Each month I bring you my recommendation of a must-read book. I read a variety of genres so it could be anything from fiction, non-fiction, romance, historical fiction or a thriller and I really hope that you’ll enjoy each of them as much as I do.

If you’d like more book inspiration you can find my reviews on my Instagram account which is @BestBookForward, on Facebook or on my website bestbookforward.org

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I am so hoping that I can convince you to pick up my March book choice because I really do think this a book that everyone should read. It is Driving Forwards by Sophie Morgan.

You may know Sophie from TV, she’s a regular host on ITV’s Loose Women, but reading her book really shows just how remarkable she is.

Sophie starts her book by talking about the car crash she had when she was just 18 years old which left her with life changing injuries. I will say that that the beginning of the book is quite a difficult read as what she went through was just unimaginable. She talks about the effect her crash had on her and her family and friends.

When you stop and think about what happened, it hits very hard when you realise that this could happen to anyone of us. When I think of myself as an 18 year old driver I can see how it could have just have easily been me.

Throughout the book Sophie talks about how she has strived to come to terms with her injuries and the impact on her life, her body and her relationships. When Sophie shares her experiences I found myself stopping and challenging myself to really think about my own perceptions about disability. I have to say I learned a lot from this book, I truly believe that books can bring us together as learn about other people’s life experience and I think Sophie sharing her story the way she has is so important as I feel we all really need to learn from it.

Driving Forwards is available in paperback now.

I have included the link to my Bookshop.org account.

Buying from Bookshop.org helps to support local bookshops with a donation from each sale going directly to independent bookshops (and an even smaller percentage to me!) You’ll also be able to find my favourite reads of the year so far here.

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Small business spotlight – Their Nibs

I came across Their Nibs from a client and Instagram recently and my husband, Oscar, bought me a pair of their gorgeous pyjamas for Christmas.

I’m a person that wears baggies in the day for my work and likes to get baggier at home 🙂 and so I’d really like to spotlight this online business to my members this month – as I know they also like to get baggy at home …

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Their Nibs, a British sleepwear brand synonymous with bespoke hand painted prints and high quality fabrics have recently announced a campaign with charity partners Coram.

Coram is an organisation close to the hearts of Their Nibs as founder and co-owner Fiona Bell adopted her daughter with the assistance and support of the charity.

Since the adoption they have developed a partnership and continued communications, with Fiona and her husband speaking at events for prospective adoptive parents and a continuous donation from Their Nibs from sales of Children’s PJS over the years.

This Spring Their Nibs will be donating 30% of all sales from the Mardi Gras and Gazelle designs for men, women and children.

Fiona Bell, founder of Their Nibs says

“Coram is a charity close to my heart as 4 years ago I adopted my daughter, and with their guidance and expertise I was walked through the process and supported at every turn …

I’m so happy to be able to give something back in terms of donations from the sales of our 2 prints, pink Mardi Gras and the green Gazelle.”

The talented in-house designer of Their Nibs, Sia Smith whose inspiration comes from nature, wildlife and her vivid wondrous imagination has chosen these two special designs that will be loved by families and hopefully generate great funds for Coram.

These funds will enable the charity to run mindfulness courses for adoptive parents, aimed at supporting their wellbeing and resilience and strengthening their relationships.

Available to buy from www.theirnibs.com and  if you would like further information about Coram please visit https://www.coram.org.uk

xx

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Classical play pt2

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It's time to get motivated! #letsmove

Classical play pt1

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The content you are trying to access is for the Jo Tuffrey Workout Family

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.

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It's time to get motivated! #letsmove

Just Move #7

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It's time to get motivated! #letsmove

Static stretch

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The content you are trying to access is for the Jo Tuffrey Workout Family

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If you would like to become a member sign up, I would love to have you join the club.

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It's time to get motivated! #letsmove

“Plunging into the Mystery of Love – Live” – a guided meditation with Amanda

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It’s time to bring you our regular meditation, courtesy of Amanda Penalver.

Amanda is a meditation expert and founder of True Rest®. Her work is devoted to challenging, inspiring & motivating her clients to live a more growth-full, rich & deeply fulfilling life.

Amanda offers True Rest classes & guided meditations to uplift, restore, replenish & re-energise you to live on purpose, fully awake, fully embodied & deeply connected.

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“Plunging into the Mystery of Love – Live” –  meditation

This deeply restful, Yoga Nidra-style meditation is here to relax and restore your body, or to help you fall asleep. Paying attention is the most basic and profound expression of love. So give yourself your precious attention and take a plunge into the mystery of love.

Please note: This track was recorded live and may contain background noises.

Find out more about Amanda’s brilliant work at mandypenalver.com

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