Dan Fellows Movement & Massage

24/04/2025

"Hey Dan, what actually are you?" 🤷

Sounds like an odd question but it's one that comes up a lot!

It's a question that gave me a proper headache for probably the first year or so of running my business in Dorchester. 🤯

When I worked as a Personal Trainer in Southampton I had a title, an identity.

But I don't really have that with what I do now.

Sports massage therapist isn't right - a lot of my clients wouldn't consider themselves sporty, in fact I wouldn't consider myself to be sporty. ❌

Soft tissue therapist is what my qualification says but no one knows what that really means and it only covers part of what I do. ❌

Physio or sports therapist - nope, no degree and not allowed to make a formal diagnosis or order things like x-rays and MRIs. ❌

You could say I've got a bit of an identity crisis! 🫥

But it doesn't really matter,
Because the job title is not important,
What's important is what I do.

What do I do? 🤔

"I blend hands-on soft tissue therapy with movement education to support recovery from pain and injury, empowering my clients with confidence and capacity to live healthy, active lives."

Sounds pretty good, right?! I hope so because I've been working on that for bloody ages as part of a little rebrand that I'm planning!

---------------

Anyway, if you need me, I'll be locked away in my room trying to figure out if there is a job title somewhere in that description 😂

05/02/2025

The Underdogs Run Club!!

In April 2025 myself and 14 others are running the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for Underdogs Wellbeing

Underdogs Wellbeing is a Dorchester based organisation that helps individuals suffering with debilitating mental health challenges.

Underdogs have recently opened The Den on Antelope Walk - this is now base of operations, a coffee shop, a fitness space, and soon to be many other things. All profits made at The Den support the work Underdogs do.

Last night when chatting to Paul the founder of Underdogs, I came up with another idea...

The Underdogs Run Club!

A weekly social run starting and finishing at The Den. No more that 5-6km at a pace that is suitable to everyone.

This is not necessarily about running, it's about bringing people together through the power of physical activity in a supportive and friendly environment.

It will be open to anyone, everyone, and their dogs, you just turn up and run for free!!

Afterwards, if you're feeling generous or sociable, stick around and buy a drink, or make a donation by scanning the QR code in The Den.

You don't have to be an experienced or quick runner, this will genuinely be suitable to anyone!!! If 5km is too far, let us know in advanced that you're coming and we'll also add a 2.5km option!!

This is going to be a lot of fun, and a great way to meet more of the incredibly friendly Dorchester community!!!

I am planning to get this up and running (no pun) ASAP, please like this post if you'd like to be kept in the loop!

Also please share it 😁

22/01/2025

I've lost count of the number of friends and clients who've said "I need to work on my flexibility"

Yoga is a fantastic way of doing that!

This workshop will help to understand the basic fundamentals of yoga so that you can start improving your flexibility and mobility!!

Go and get yourself signed up!!

Hello friends,

I’d like to share with you the details of a workshop I’m running on Sunday, 2nd February 2-5pm at Stratton Village Hall.

In this workshop we will explore foundational standing poses. Receive individual guidance and hands on adjustments where appropriate. Learn how to use props effectively to help you find more space.

Standing poses are incredibly useful for building strength and flexibility; if we want to grow in our practice we must ensure our roots are strong and steady.

I have 6 spaces left and would love it if you joined us! This workshop is suitable for beginners or those with some experience who would like to explore the basics in more detail.

Book in via the GymCatch app or at: https://gymcatch.com/app/provider/7121/events/5712104 😁📲💬

Feel free to drop me a message with any queries.

Many thanks,
Jeni 🙏

04/12/2024

A huge % of the conversations that I have with my clients about their pain and injury will include a sentence similar to this...

"I know my stress is making it worse"

And they're right,
Their stress is making their symptoms worse!

On a physiological level stress does worsen pain...

- Our muscles are more tense.
- Our awareness of pain is heightened.
- Our breathing is harder putting more strain on other muscles.
- Our sleep quality is crap reducing our capacity to heal and recover.

Forgetting pain, stress is also a guaranteed way to drive us in to an early grave.

I believe that in the western world we're in a stress pandemic!

Everyone is stressed...

- Stressed about work.
- Stressed about Christmas.
- Stressed about health.
- Stressed about money.
- Stressed about family.
- Stressed about relationships.
- Stressed about letting people down.
- Stressed about keeping up appearances.
- Stressed about politics.
- Stressed about which body part Gregg Wallace is warming up with his socks...

I know you're all starting to think about your new year's resolutions.

Maybe make 2025's goals all about lowering your stress levels!

Here are a few things that may help...

- Learn to say no.

- Stop judging your worth on how big your bank balance is or how shiny your latest toy is.

- Make time to stop and unwind - ideally not with the TV on and not while scrolling the social feeds.

- Ignore the news!

- Stop worrying about things you can't control.

- Eat more fruit and veg, drink less alcohol, and cut down on takeaway food!

- Take up exercise, but do it for enjoyment, not for punishment.

- Try yoga.

- Find your happy place.

- Spend more time with the people that make you smile, and less time with the people that don't.

- Spend more time doing the things that make you smile.

- Spend time in nature.

- Get yourself out of situations that make you feel like s**t! Life is too short for that!

- And my favourite one...

Stop letting other people's opinions shape who you are. Be you, 10000% unashamedly you. Let your personality with all its unique quirkiness shine through! If people don't like you, that's their problem, not yours!

🙌

08/11/2024

I'm taking some time off 😱

I know! Who the hell approved that?!

Well... Me actually as I'm the boss 😂

I'll be closed for Christmas from the 20th until the 2nd

And then in January I only actually have 8 (maybe 10 as I may do a weekend) working days because Natasha and I are going to Wales, The Running Show, and London! 🤩

These pics show the current availability I have for the rest of this month, next month, and January.

These dates are already available to book so if you're someone who likes to come to me regularly, beat the rush and get booked in now!

https://danfellows.setmore.com/danfellows
or send me a message.

😁








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04/11/2024

Pssst 🤫 I've got exciting news 😏

📢 We're going to be releasing some proper details (including some ticket info) about our first ever retreat day...
..THIS WEEK! 🤩

But you've gotta be on the mailing list!

The number of you who've joined the mailing list has far exceeded our expectations, we are so grateful and beyond excited 😃

Because so many people have joined, It's looking likely that you'll need to be on the mailing list to get yourself a ticket!

So if you want a chance to come along, make sure you've joined the mailing list 👇🏼

https://shorturl.at/y2Ztz

31/10/2024

Ghosts 👻
Zombies 🧟‍♀️
Vampires 🧛🏼‍♀️

That's not scary 🤷‍♂️

I'll tell ya what is...

The number of people who turn to Facebook groups for help with their pains and injuries, instead of seeing a qualified professional 😱

Happy Halloween 🎃

29/10/2024

Today's post isn't about me 😱

It is a little bit about running though 🤣

In April 2025, a group of 15 of us are going to be running the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for Underdogs Wellbeing.

Underdogs Wellbeing is a registered CIC run by my friend Paul Mitchell.

Paul offers an invaluable support service for people suffering with debilitating mental wellbeing challenges, particularly PTSD.

The support starts with Paul providing an empathetic ear.

Paul will then help to set goals and create strategies and solutions so that the individual can start to regain control of their own lives.

These solutions range greatly,

from finding the right therapy or medication service, to doing activities such a exercise, art, and music to reconnect with their past passions and hobbies.

In some cases it will simply be going right back to basics and taking the person to do their weekly shop.

Paul's interventions are genuinely life changing, and in a lot of cases, life saving.

But here is the big problem.

Despite most of Paul's referrals coming directly from the NHS.

There is no funding.

Paul has been living off his savings and help from friends and family to enable him to offer this service.

And that's not sustainable.

There are funding solutions out there, but they're difficult to access so will take time to secure.

So to keep the service going we're on a big fundraising mission.

How can you help?

Firstly if you or someone you know runs a business, we're looking for sponsorship for our running vests/shirts.

Each shirt will be sponsored individually, it will be a nice bit of marketing as it will have "sponsored by....." Printed on the shirt itself.

The shirt including the logo costs £18, were asking for businesses to pay for the shirt and then make an additional donation on top.

Please send me a message if you'd like to help in this way!

For individuals it's a bit harder,
We can't set up a Just Giving page because Underdogs is a CIC, not a charity.

There are complicated reasons why it currently makes sense to be a CIC over a charity, reasons that people far cleverer than me could probably explain 🤣

It's still not for profit.

So we are looking at setting up a donation QR code, and maybe something like a Go Fund Me page 🤷‍♂️ more on that to come.

If you're an individual and you'd like to help, again send me a message 😊

We will also be putting on a pub quiz 😁🥳 and a raffle! So keep your eyes peeled for them!