Fit Forever with Kathy!

IN A FITNESS RUT? COME ALIVE WITH THIS [10 MIN] PACE TRAINING ROUTINE

by Kathy Smith

If you feel like you’re in a fitness rut, or you’re getting bored from doing the same ol’ workout routine each week, it’s time to throw your stale workouts out the window!

Pump up your progress with rut-busting tempo training. You’ll pace yourself through an interval burst, followed by active recovery. When it comes to exercise, slow and steady DOESN’T win the race. Instead, think SHORT WORKOUTS, BIG RESULTS! Here’s what happens to your body when you incorporate tempo training into your routine…

• Your belly will get flatter, faster
• You’ll slash your risk of diabetes
• Your heart will get healthier and stronger
• Your body will get more defined and you’ll have more strength
• Your bone density will increase

But the real WOW factor behind tempo training is its ability to reverse the declining ability of our cells to create energy. A recent study conducted by Mayo Clinic found that in a group of older volunteers, pace training boosted the ability of the mitochondria within cells to generate energy by 69%.

This is important, because as you age, your mitochondrial activity declines, which can diminish the size and ability of your muscles to burn excess blood sugar… putting you at risk for diabetes. But, this study found that after three months of interval training, participants experienced the mitochondria functions found in young people.

Ready to beat boredom, save time and up the ante? Check out this [10-MINUTE] Tempo Training routine!

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.

5-Min Belly Dancing Video

by Kathy Smith

 

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.

By Collage Video | | fitness, Kathy Smith, love your body, Weekly Blog, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

Release A Stiff Neck In 2 Minutes

by Kathy Smith

screen-shot-2016-10-03-at-4-20-04-pm

Standing Neck Release

Time: Thirty seconds on each side.

1. Stand with your feet hip distance apart.

2. Interlace your fingers behind your back.

3. Draw both interlaced hands to your right hip, keeping your shoulders down away from your ears and drawing your elbows toward each other.

4. Lower your right ear toward your right shoulder, keeping your left shoulder down away from the ear. Feel the release of the muscles on the side of your neck as your cervical spine opens and releases.

5. Continue for thirty seconds; switch sides and repeat.

Shoulder Dance Roll

Reps: Ten in each direction, inhaling through your nose, exhaling through your mouth.

1. Make complete circles with both shoulders simultaneously.

2. Enjoy the sensation of your shoulders opening and moving in a fluid, sensual way.

 

Neck Massage

Reps: 10-30 seconds on each side.

  1. Standing or seated upright, tilt your right ear to your right shoulder and draw your right arm up and around your head. Allow the weight of the arm to gently stretch your neck and create a release.
  2. Breath smoothly and steadily.
  3. If you find an area that feels tight, stuck, or painful, slow down and draw your awareness to that area. What do you feel there? What is the texture of the sensation? Saturate the area with your entire awareness and feel into it.
  4. If the sore spot is on the left side of your neck, place your left hand on the area. If it’s on the right side, use your right hand. If you cannot reach the area, use a tennis ball and lean against a wall.
  5. Using firm pressure, use your fingers to press into the spot. It may feel uncomfortable, but should not feel like a sharp pain.
  6. While continuing to apply pressure, turn your head in the opposite direction of the kink. Then, tilt your neck as if your chin was trying to touch your armpit.
  7. Afterward, stretch your arms to the ceiling.

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.

By Collage Video | | goals, Healthy, Kathy Smith, practice, Weekly Blog, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

Peel Years Off Your Neck!

by Kathy Smith

Giraffe closeup portrait with blue sky as background

What ages you faster than any part of your body? Surprisingly, it’s not your face. It’s your neck. Often left out of sunscreen application and the victim of additional reflected sun, your neck’s wrinkles and slack skin often look years older than the face you protected with SPF and a wide-brimmed hat.

Your skin is the first thing people see when they look at you. It’s considered the largest organ in the human body — right up there with the intestines, lungs, and liver. It serves many purposes, including acting as our first defense against germs and the environment, and converting sunlight to vitamin D. The layer of fat under the skin’s surface helps ensure that the important fluids inside our bodies stay inside our bodies.

The ironic thing about skin is that when people are young, their biggest concern about their skin may be how to get a tan. But as we get older, our top skin priority becomes firming the muscles in the face and preventing wrinkles.

The epidermis – top layer of skin – on your neck is very delicate with only a thin layer of fat under it. A thinner fat layer means fewer oil glands so your neck also doesn’t get as much natural moisture as your face. And it often doesn’t get its share of topical moisturizers. On top of all this, “tech neck,” which you might be susceptible to if you are frequently looking down at mobile devices, helps set deep lines in your neck.

Although you may rarely hear about exercising your neck, those delicate muscles need movement just like the rest of your body and I’m going to show them to you in today’s video.

One way to naturally firm your neck muscles is with a technique called neck yoga. These simple exercises can help reduce wrinkling, and make your neck look younger.

 


Let’s start by stretching your neck.

This stretch involves bending the head forward and downward, toward the floor. It is important that your posture is straight and correct. In a normal range of motion, your chin should be able to touch your chest, without opening your jaw.

And now, let’s do a Lateral Flexion…which means “to the side.”

1. Tilting the head, moving your ears toward your shoulders, is the basis of this stretch. Be sure to keep your shoulders flat and do not lift them during this stretch. Normally, your head, while looking forward, should be at a rough 45-degree angle from your shoulders.

Now that the neck is stretched, let’s start working those muscles with three exercises.

1. Begin by placing one or both hands on your forehead.

2. Push your head against your hand(s) while providing resistance with your hand(s) so your head does not move beyond its original position.. You should feel your neck muscles working. Hold for 10 seconds

3. Place your right hand against the right side of your head and push your head to the right, maintaining that same resistance so your head doesn’t move from its original position. Hold for 10 seconds.

4. Repeat with the left hand on the left side of your head, pushing to the left. Hold for 10 seconds.

5. Finally, clasp your hands behind your head, and push your head backward against your hands to create pressure, and again hold for about ten seconds.

Now for the second exercise, stand with your back straight and shoulders relaxed.

1. Open you mouth in an “O” and cover your teeth with your lips.

2. Gently tilt your head back about 45 degrees. You should not feel any pain.

3. Now open and close your mouth 10 times. Take a break and repeat.

The third exercise involves your kissing muscles.

1. Tilt your head back, looking at the ceiling.

2. Now start kissing the ceiling, being sure to really purse and push your lips toward the ceiling. Complete two cycles of 10 kisses each.

Oh, don’t those simple exercises make your neck feel tighter already? Do them twice a day and you’ll start seeing results! Here’s to your health.

Kathy

By Collage Video | | fitness, goals, Healthy, Motivation, tips, Weekly Blog, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

The 3 F’s Of Fitness

by Kathy Smith

Exercise can be categorized as 3 F’s:

Fun – dancing, hoola-hooping, or playing a sport.
Formal – specific cardio and strength training routines.
Functional – everyday activities like walking, carrying groceries, climbing stairs, etc.

In the weight loss world, every little step counts, and you don’t have to be at the gym to increase your calorie burn.

FUN

When it comes to the FUN stuff, spring is a perfect time to explore new types of movement.  My daughter Kate called me from San Francisco to announce her new passion:  Ultimate Frisbee!  While running has always been her competitive sport of choice, she was looking for something new, and decided on a whim to join a friend for a huge Ultimate Frisbee competition in the park. Since she’s a pretty hardcore athlete, she wasn’t expecting much of a challenge, but she was amazed that, after an hour of playing, she got what she dubbed “the workout of a lifetime.”  If you’re in a rut, you’ll be amazed at the results when you try a new type of movement.

So this spring, jump into your own game of Ultimate Frisbee, head to the tennis courts with a friend, or consider adding a few new new dance moves to your weekly routine. 

FORMAL

While this might not seem as enjoyable (or even practical) as the other stuff, make no mistake: jazzing up your regimen can transform your workouts from a tired chore to a ton of fun.  So call up a friend and start a buddy system to meet for workouts – you’ll exchange tips, ideas, and keep each other motivated.  Jump into a new kettlebell or bootcamp class you’ve never tried.  Make an awesome workout play list on your phone that inspires you to push it to the next level.  Or try working with a personal trainer: many gyms offer one complimentary session, and it’s a great way to learn new techniques and jumpstart your routine.  And, of course, you don’t have to  leave  the comfort of your home.

Remember, having the right tools on hand is the key to success! Your at-home fitness space can be the corner of a room, filled with kettlebells, a step, and a stretching strap

FUNCTIONAL

Maybe you’ve never before thought of housecleaning as an exercise, but the next time you dread it just shift your mind-set.  Fact is, if you clean vigorously—dusting with a passion, vacuuming with diligence, washing floors enthusiastically—you’ll burn about 60 calories every 15 minutes.

This is a great example of functional exercise, meaning you’d have to do these activities anyway but now you get to think of them as helpful to your health.  Other examples include gardening, parking a little further away from work, or walking to do your errands.

I recommend mixing up formal, functional and fun exercising.  It keeps things interesting, and helps work a variety of muscle groups.  But even if you’re getting little or no exercise, and you’re just not thrilled by the idea of a four-mile jog, it’s easy to find something that burns calories and moves your limbs. Here are 15 ways from Harvard Health Beat to burn 150 calories in fun, functional and formal ways!

When fitness is your goal, at some point you’ll need to mix in fun and functional activities with the formal.  The fun and functional don’t usually give you enough of a cardiovascular workout by themselves.  But they’ll keep your interest level high and help you on days when formal exercise isn’t an option.  They may even lead you into whole new fitness horizons.

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.

By Collage Video | | exercise, fitness, goals, Healthy, Kathy Smith, Motivation, practice, tips, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

Blast Belly Fat in 10 Mins a Day

by Kathy Smith

Nobody has time to spend hours at a gym, but a recent study shows that people who completed a 7-minute bodyweight circuit daily experienced significant changed in their body. After only six weeks, their body fat dropped an average of 2.1%, and lost approximately four pounds of fat mass….without changing their diet.  Resistance exercises can help boost lean body mass and help burn fat.

Want to try it for yourself? Check out this 10-minute resistance training workout designed for toning up, and shedding fat!

It’s important to realize that although incorporating bodyweight exercises is an excellent start, you’ll receive even better results when  provide your body with healthy nutrients and eat a sensible, sustainable diet. If you’re on a mission to lose weight, I recommend replacing at least one meal a day with one of these slimdown shake recipes. 

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.

Blueberry Banana Ginger Shake

Ingredients:
1 cup kale or spinach
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 serving vanilla or chocolate protein powder
1/2 frozen banana
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together, and enjoy!

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.

By Collage Video | | Kathy Smith, Recipe, Weekly Blog | 0 comments | Read more

New Science: How Yoga Boosts Your Immune System

by Kathy Smith

After age 40, a strong immune system is more important than ever before. And new research is showing that practicing yoga 1-2 times a week can help.

The study showed that women fit in a regular yoga routine had “significantly lower blood levels of the inflammatory protein interleukin-6” than the non-yogis did. And, if you have lower levels of inflammatory cells, you’re less subject to the inflammation that damages the immune system.

Here’s why this is critical…

After age 40, your immune system steadily begins to decline, because the number of T lymphocytes drops by tenfold. (T lymphocytes are the white blood cells that help your body fight viruses and bacteria.)

Then once you reach 50, your production of new T lymphocytes is minuscule, making you more susceptible to unfamiliar bugs.

Today, I’ll guide you through an 8-min yoga video. This variety of continuous poses will flow from downward dog to chair pose to forward fold…all while boosting your immune system :)

Buy entire workout here!!!

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.
By Collage Video | | exercise, fitness, Healthy, Kathy Smith, Motivation, practice, tips, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

3 Afternoon Techniques To Spark Your Energy

by Kathy Smith

What I find during the holidays is that with everything going on, it’s easy to go full-steam ahead in the morning, and then quickly feel your energy slipping, and get lazy after lunchtime. You know how it goes…your mind starts wandering, your brain gets foggy, and you find yourself begging for a nap.

One of my favorite ways to spark my energy is to head into the snowy outdoors with my family! The pic above is me and my oldest daughter Kate Grace and I enjoying one of our favorite activities….butt sledding! We hike up a mountain, and then sled all the way down!

If you’re feeling sluggish in the afternoon, don’t worry…it’s pretty natural. Lona Sandon, RD, MEd, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center says, “There seems to be a natural rhythm or set clock in our bodies, so many people tend to feel a little sleepy around 2 or 3 in the afternoon.”

But don’t let your circadian rhythms be an excuse! Your habits throughout the day can also cause you to feel a crash in energy.

So if you’re in need of an energy spark, here are my 3 top techniques for full-body energizing…

  • Squeeze Time

    Lie down flat on your back, with your palms turned upward. Beginning on the left side, inhale and contract and tense your foot.  Squeeze and hold for 5 seconds and then exhale and release.  Repeat on the right foot and follow that pattern all the way up your body (from foot to calf to thigh, etc).  Inhaling, squeezing, exhaling and releasing – and go all the way from toe to head!

  • Full-Body Explosion 

    Then, do a full-body squeeze: Tense all your muscles at once, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet, and hold it for about 5 seconds.  Release, take a few breaths, repeat the “full-body squeeze” two or three more times and head out the door.  Trust me – after this little rejuvenating exercise, you’ll be ready to go!

  • See Things Upside Down

Lie on your back with your legs straight up the wall. If possible, have your sitbones touching the wall. Soften your belly and relax your inner groin. Then, take long, deep breaths, and hold for one minute, focusing on stillness and letting go.  This pose is the queen of yoga poses when it comes to  rejuvenating.

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.

By Collage Video | | Kathy Smith, mindfulness, Motivation, Weekly Blog | 0 comments | Read more

Avocado Strawberry Mint Slim Shake

by Kathy Smith

 

1 C unsweetened almond milk
1/4 C mint leaves 1/4 Avocado
1/4 frozen strawberry
1 Tbsp freshly ground flax seed

Kathy Smith, New York Times bestselling author, has stood at the forefront of the fitness and health industries for over 30 years. The numbers speak for themselves: Kathy has sold more than 20 million exercise DVDs - landing her in the Video Hall of Fame - and $500 million in Kathy Smith products. With her revolutionary approach to fitness, Smith has touched millions of people, inspiring them to move, live, and love.

By Collage Video | | 0 comments | Read more
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