The last newsletter of 2020…and what a year its been!

So as we sit here and write this with a reflection back on 2020, it’s been one of the craziest years of our time at Valesco and with some heartfelt lows and some insane highs all we can conclude is…..it’s been one hell of a ride.

If you have been with us from the start or joined in the midst of the madness we thank you for your friendship, love, support and unwavering commitment to making Valesco Fitness Collective truely what it is.

From CrossFit to Collective, Lockdown Challenges to Leanne’s yoga, socially distanced Scale It Up to new Stash, Fundraising to Five thousand burpees (we still flinch when this is mentioned), Online classes to managed Open Gym…we have done it all, done it together and without you we couldn’t have done it at all.

Thank you for being wonderful, thank you for being you and most importantly thank you for being Team Valesco.

Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us xx

An open letter to our members...

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Dear Valesco family,

There has been challenge on challenge on challenge this year and we all know that whatever boat we have been in we have all been on the same turbulent seas and we are still navigating them. There is no getting away from it and the start of 2021 will bring its own challenges but despite all the heartache, difficulties, anxiety and s**t this year has thrown at us there has been something heartwarming, uplifting and hope giving that has stood out this year and it is the sheer amount of love and support that exists in our community. Time after time we have been blown away by just how much you all give to others in times of need.

From the NHS workout to the AMAZING Easter video made for us; from taking part in the nutrition challenges to the coaches Covid 19 videos; from the support of our members in Mental Health Awareness week to taking part in Leila’s mum’s remembrance WOD; from the support we had in changing our name to the INCREDIBLE amount of money raised from our crowdfunding; from the words of encouragement in the FB group to your emails offering us kind words and appreciation AND SO MUCH MORE…your community spirit, your care for your fellow humans, the unwavering support and the sheer volume of love there has been is nothing short of wonderful. Your capacity for looking after each other in times when you face your own difficulties is something to be proud of and to celebrate. We are beyond humbled and grateful for each and every one of you.

We sincerely hope that 2021 is easier for us all but no matter what happens we are here for you in whatever capacity you need us. It is the very least we can do to say thank you for everything you have done for us and your Valesco family in 2020.

With huge love, great appreciation and a HUGE hug,

Ellie, Amy & Leila xxx

EXBAND

We are excited to tell you all about our latest venture which some of you may have seen us plugging….EXBAND has entered the chat. We love resistance bands, we love a pump and we love focusing on getting our bodies into the best shape possible and if you do to you REALLY need to get onboard with EXBAND.

These are 15 minutes fully coached pre recorded sessions that you can do anywhere at any time and are a great supplement to your training here or as a standalone programme.

And with a two week FREE trial and only £7.99 per month after that…what’s not to love??

www.exband.fitness

Pups corner

So is it even Valesco if there isn’t a picture of a Pup or two or three….and this month we wanted to welcome to the clan gorgeous Benji and Eric owned by Emma Clapp and Kerrie-Ann Combs respectively.

Also wanted to say a massive GET WELL soon to poor little Basil who broke his leg this month. Henry says he is well on the medn….just keeps forgetting he has a broken leg and continues to jump on everything.

The Valesco Collective Podcast

This week in our second lockdown podcast, Ellie and James are attempting to answer ten of your questions in ten minutes… and some of them are definitely not 1 minute questions so it doesn’t go well!

We talk about active recovery, early-morning eating, COVID Tier 3, books and podcasts among plenty other things! Hopefully there is something for everyone and if you sent in a question, thank you so much! If you sent in a question that we didn’t get to, we are hoping to repeat this format as it was fun for us and hopefully a bit more bespoke and informative for you guys too – so keep your ears open for your next opportunity and thank you!

As always, we really appreciate your thoughts and feedback and we love being able to provide that little something extra for you all so thank you for listening to us chat! Share far and wide!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Gv6uAp6nVz9Z6yt55roQy?si=FCffb3q0Qaex8KZNQHZapA&fbclid=IwAR0e9et_LPsQWvobpl6oAxqmX8AD-TAcsrxyHFSXD8EGYfqWM_9ra-89IAw

General Notices / Gym Updates

Please remember to book and sign in on WODify when you come into the gym. £5 non refundable fines are in place and it’s your responsibility to remember to sign in.

Festive Period Opening Times

Thursday 24th – 8am until 12pm

Friday 25th – Closed

Saturday 26th – Closed

Sunday 27th – Normal hours

Monday 28th – 8am until 12pm

Tuesday 29th – Normal hours

Wednesday 30th – Normal hours

Thursday 31st – 6am until 7pm

Friday 1st – 8am until 12pm

Saturday 2nd – 8am until 12pm

Sunday 3rd onwards – Normal hours

Parking – we need to make the very most of all the spaces available to us so if you drive in please park sensibly to maximise the space – if you park and there is a car next to you that you DON’T hit when you open your door fully – you’re not parked close enough!

COACHES CORNER

Eating and Training over the Festive Period by Coach Amy

Let’s start this right, I’m a big fan of eating, training and Christmas and I’m sure like a few of us, I struggle to get the balance right at this time of year. So I thought I would share some guidelines that I set myself meaning I can enjoy Christmas and still feel good. I hope it might be of interest to a few of you and if nothing else will make me stick to them.

No 1) Christmas is not two weeks long – I really try to limit the change in my diet and training to the three days that I consider Christmas to be. For me this means I can really enjoy myself during the period without feeling bad about it.

No 2) Eat my veggies – rather than counting calories or tracking my macros over this period, I tend to focus on other things like making sure I have had my (at least) 5 portions of Veg in the day

No 3) Stay Hydrated – and I don’t mean with Mulled Wine, although tempting. I like a drink over Christmas but also try and make sure I get my two litres of water in (also helps ease the Boxing Day hangover – food and drink induced)

No 4) Keep Moving – although post Christmas dinner I am more likely to resemble a sloth than a sprinter I do try and keep my NEAT up. Long walks post or pre lunch, getting up to get drinks for family, playing games…even doing the washing up and throwing some dance moves – this all helps to increase our NEAT which can help to manage the Christmas over indulgence.

No 5) Enjoy it – Christmas is a once a year occurrence and mentally we all need to relax and unwind so whatever your Christmas looks like this year make the most of it….we all deserve it.

If you’re looking for a hearty winter dish to up your 5 per day check out this warming recipe from BBC good food and with only 388 calories per portion it could be a cracking side dish to any meat accompaniment.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/winter-vegetable-pie

Until Next Time, Big Love Team Valesco xxx

Save The Date

The Riot workout submission deadline – 31st January 2021

Scale It Up Triple Threat – 27th June

Scale It Up Safety in Numbers – 3rd September

2021 Valesco Christmas Party – 11th December

Who Wore It Best

Check out this super cute snap for the final WWIB of the year!! Nice work Barb, Leo and Ellie, coordination on point!

Valesco goes ONLINE!

Now, more than ever, is the time to move! So we are taking Valesco online to enable our current community and anyone wanting to join us to do just that. In a fun and inclusive environment, we bring you the very best of our training methodologies and community...ONLINE!

FIND OUT MORE