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Posts in the Weekly Blog category

The Shortest Path To Happiness

by Kathy Smith

Thanksgiving is more than just a cultural tradition. Practicing gratitude can truly elevate our levels of happiness….in fact, studies show that it makes us 25% happier! Gratitude has the strongest link with mental well-being than any other character trait.

Here are some of my favorite gratitude quotes. Take them with you on a walk, or during the gentle stretching routine below.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

- John F. Kennedy

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was,’thank you,’ that would suffice."

- Meister Eckhart

"Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all."

- William Faulkner

Kathy

 

By Collage Video | | exercise, Kathy Smith, tips, Weekly Blog, wellness | 0 comments | Read more

3 Moves To Tone Every Inch

by Kathy Smith

Attention: The holidays are almost here! But don’t sweat it. You still have time to rev up your metabolism if you turn up the volume on your fitness routine today! And that’s why I can’t wait to show you the 3 moves (below) that will tone every inch of your body. So get your light weights ready, and start bumping up your caloric burn and toning from head to toe in order to keep your metabolism intensified 24/7. Let’s get started!

Move 1: Twisting Squat Squat With Rotating Twist

Move 1

How to do it:

Stand with feet hip distance apart, holding light weights in each hand. Push your hips back until your knees are bent to about a 90-degree angle, pulling weights to the chest. As you rise keep the left foot and hip parallel but pivot on the right toe, turning your whole body to the left. As you pivot on the right toe, squeeze the right glute while bringing the weights overhead toward your left side.

Repetitions: 12 with your right toe pivoting and 12 with your left.

Tips:

  • As you squat sit back into your heels and keep your chest up.
  • As you pivot squeeze your glute.
  • As the weights go overhead make sure that you remain in control. Do not let your back arch or round. Keep your core braced.

Move 2: Rolling Plank Rolling Plank

Move 2

How to do it:

Start in a modifi ed push-up position with your forearms and feet on the floor. Have your feet about 12 inches apart. Pull the navel in toward the spine and keep it there as you breathe in and out for about 15 seconds. Roll to your right forearm, turning both your feet onto their sides. With your left arm in the air, squeeze the shoulder blades together, opening your chest. Hold this for 15 seconds. Then roll to the left forearm, lifting your right arm into the air. Squeeze the shoulder blades together again and open the chest. Hold for 15 seconds.

Repetitions: 1 in the plank, 1 on right forearm, 1 on left forearm.

Tips:

  • Keep your abdominal muscles lifted and your navel pulled in toward your spine.
  • Hips should stay lifted when rolling to a side.
  • Pull the shoulder blades together when you lift one arm off the floor.
  • As you do these moves, keep your body stiff and tight in the position.

Move 3: Lunge from 9 to 3 Lung to 9 to 3

How to do it:

Stand with feet together, holding a light weight in each hand. Take a wide step to the right, pressing the weight in your left hand in front of your body at shoulder height. Return to starting position, then lunge to the left, pressing the weight in your right hand in front of your body at shoulder height.

Repetitions: 12 on each side.

Tips:

  • Make sure your stance is wide enough. Your knee should be over the ankle in the lowest part of the lunge.
  • As you drop your hips into the lunge, keep your weight in your heel. Do not let your weight shift into your toes.
  • Keep your chest open and your shoulders back.

Kathy

 

By Collage Video | | exercise, fitness, Kathy Smith, practice, tips, Weekly Blog, wellness | 0 comments | Read more

Bridge with Weights on Hips

by Kathy Smith

How to do it:

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent. Hold a light to medium weight on the crease between the leg and the hips.
  2. Lift your hips off the floor.
  3. Lift your right leg off the floor and then lift and lower the hips 15 times.
  4. Repeat with your left leg off the floor.

Repetitions: 15 on each side.

Tips:

  • In the bridge keep your thighs, hips, and ribs in a straight line.
  • Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in.
  • If the exercise is too difficult, do it with both feet on the floor.

Kathy

 

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

Rear Dip Lunge With Tricep Kickback

by Kathy Smith

How to do it:

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, step your left foot directly behind you, taking a wide stance, and bend your legs, lowering your torso down into a lunge. Be sure and maintain that core stability to prevent injury.

While in lunge position, keep your shoulders over your hips, back knee slightly bent, front knee in alignment with your front toes, shoulders back and down.

Feel your weight in your right (front) heel as you push yourself to standing.

As you return to standing, do a tricep kickback: Reach your arms back behind you and extend, feeling a squeeze in the tricep.

Beginners:

Practice the lunge and tricep kickback movements separately and without weights at first.

Advanced:

When you come to standing, use your core muscles to lift the back leg off the floor and extend it behind you, squeezing the glutes as you perform the tricep kickback

Kathy

 

By Collage Video | | fitness, goals, Healthy, Kathy Smith, tips, Weekly Blog | 0 comments | Read more

3 Reasons Why I Love Stepping

by Kathy Smith

It’s time to say “goodbye” to inner thigh jiggle and say “hello” to the best buns on the block (yours!). When women tell me they’d like to focus on lifting and tightening their assets, I recommend that they break out the step. The lifting and sculpting aspects of a great step workout provide better butt benefits than anything I’ve ever experienced. Today, I’ll show you 3 reasons why stepping ranks at the top of my all-time favorite workouts. 

Pink Kick

1. It’s Time An Incline! When it comes to a toned tush, it’s all about inclines. Anytime you step up onto a platform or move uphill, you engage the glutes and hamstrings – and the higher the step, the greater the engagement of muscles.

2. Aced The Test Of Time If you think step workouts are a thing of the past, think again. There are fitness fads that comes and go, but this one’s here to stay. And for good reason: A 130-pound woman can burn over 260 calories in 30 minutes during a moderate step workout. I still love to do step workouts regularly – because in all my years of running, climbing, weight lifting, pilates, TRX, Crossfit, cycling and more, NOTHING sculpts and tones the glutes and thighs quite like stepping. It targets the lower body from every possible angle – and you just can’t beat that feeling when that music kicks in and you start to recall that classic choreography.

3. Double Duty Stepping is a double-duty workout that burns massive amounts of calories while toning your lower body. Simply by using your own body weight, you create natural resistance while stepping, which means you’ll have a firm, toned backside in record time!

Kathy

 

By Collage Video | | Kathy Smith, practice, tips, Weekly Blog, wellness | 0 comments | Read more

4 Moves For A Total-Body Workout In Less Than 15 Minutes

by Kathy Smith

For flat abs, try:

crunch-on-ball

 

For strong arms, try:

tricep-extension

 

For a toned butt, try:

weighted-bridge

 

For increased flexibility, try:

 

 

 

downdog

Kathy

 

By Collage Video | | Abs, exercise, fitness, goals, Kathy Smith, practice, tips, Weekly Blog, wellness | 0 comments | Read more

The #1 Overlooked Muscle To Help You Look Slim….Instantly!

by Kathy Smith

If there’s one area of the body most of us overlook, it’s the back. Naturally, we focus on toning the muscles we can see — our abs, legs, arms, chest, and shoulders. People don’t go around saying, “Hey! You’ve got a terrific back!” But in reality, no muscle group deserves more attention.

Think of your body as a house. Long before you start decorating, you’ve got to build a strong foundation; otherwise the structure will cave in. The foundation for your body’s strength comes from your abdominal and lower back muscles. If they’re weak, your body isn’t going to hold up. At that point, the decorating — sculpted arms and shoulders, for instance, won’t matter.

You’re especially prone to weakening your back muscles by spending a lot of time sitting at a desk or driving a car. In those poor-posture-prone positions, your back muscles tend to stretch out. If ignored, they’ll eventually lose strength. However, if you strengthen them, you’ll counter-act the tendency to slouch. You’ll stand tall, look slimmer, and project a confident image. Try out the superman exercise below to help strengthen your upper, middle, and lower back.

 Superman

superman

How to do it:

  • Lie face down on the floor. Keep the ribs and pubic bone on the floor, pulling your navel up off the floor.
  • Lift your chest off the floor slightly, keeping your core firmly engaged, and extend the left arm and right leg off the floor.
  • Return to the starting position, and switch sides.

Strengthening your back muscles in order to improve your posture will help you boost your confidence. Standing tall projects to the world that you feel good about yourself, and it will make you look 10 pounds thinner…not to mention a few years younger! As we age, we need to pay more attention to our posture. By making a conscious effort to stand up straight, you fight the effects of gravity on the body. You’ll look firmer, more toned, and younger.

Medically speaking, perfecting your posture makes sense. Years of slouching can weaken your bones and put a strain on your internal organs. But when the spine is properly aligned, you’ll find you’re breathing more deeply, sitting more comfortably, and walking with more vitality.

Here’s a head-to-toe demonstration of perfect posture:

posture

 Make it happen!
Kathy

Kathy

 

Great Skin At Any Age

by Kathy Smith

We all want to age well while not spending a fortune on anti-aging creams. No matter how many types of moisture cream and anti-aging remedies you buy, you might be missing the important and free remedies that can help us age beautifully such as exercise, good eating habits and…SLEEP! Sleep plays a major role in how well we age and how healthy we “look” (think about skin repair and rejuvenation). In fact, a good night’s sleep now appears to be every bit as important to good health as a nutritious diet and regular exercise.

When your regular sleep pattern is less than the recommended amount, it can compromise your immune system, causing symptoms like irritability and depression. We all have a bad night’s sleep from time to time. When you do, take extra care of yourself the next day. Instead of reaching for sugary or fatty snacks, focus on lean proteins, like fish, turkey or eggs that will keep you satisfied until your next meal. Then, take some time that evening to slow down and relax to ensure a better night’s sleep.

Research shows that people who exercise moderately or vigorously for at least 150 minutes a week (approximately 20 minutes a day) had better sleep quality than those who didn't.

Research shows that people who exercise moderately or vigorously for at least 150 minutes a week (approximately 20 minutes a day) had better sleep quality than those who didn't. Ready to stay on top of your exercise while benefiting from a great night of ZZZ’s? Every morning, pop in my Body Boomers Workout.

Make it happen!

Kathy

 

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

Four Tiny Game-Changers For Losing Weight

by Kathy Smith

1. Consider Your Past Habits
You’re sitting on the couch with your friends and family watching television when a bag of salted chips comes your way. You ask yourself, “Should I have one?” You know that each chip is only about 10 calories, and that isn’t much. This is when you need to recall previous times you were in the same situation. Did you eat just one? If you didn't — and you ate half a bag, which is 600 calories, then the best decision today is to pass the bag to someone else.

2. Detach Mood From Food
Sometimes when you've had a really bad/stressful/exhausting/boring day, you arrive home and all you want is to eat a pint of ice cream and a bag of barbecue potato chips. Sound familiar? Sometimes eating is not about hunger. Mood eating is one of the most overwhelming issues for any weight-conscious person. We often turn to comfort foods for reasons other than fuel, and distinguishing the physical need from the emotional need — especially in the heat of the moment — can be one of the hardest things to do. Boredom, loneliness, anger, sadness, anxiety, frustration, and fatigue are all controlling emotions. The key is to strike a balance between knowing what you eat and understanding how you feel.

3. Make Your Home A Healthy Environment
Your environment should support your healthy eating habits. Create a positive energy in your kitchen with how you stock and organize it, just as you create a certain energy in your home with your choice and placement of furniture. Start by doing an inventory of your kitchen, then discard items that don’t fit your healthy lifestyle and may sabotage your weight loss goals.

4. Shop Smart At The Grocery Store
Although your shopping habits may change, the store you shop at doesn’t need to change. Just remember my rule of thumb — stick to the perimeter! Most markets have a similar layout. Meats, produce, and dairy are found around the perimeter, with processed foods in the center (the most concentrated area of junk “goodies” and convenience foods full of unnecessary fats, sugars, carbs, and salt). When you stay on the perimeter, you stick “close to the earth,” buying foods closest to their natural state.

Make it happen!

Kathy

 

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

Wave Goodbye To Arm Fat

THE BEST EXERCISE FOR ELIMINATING ARM JIGGLE

by Kathy Smith

If that headline caught your attention, chances are good you’ve battled with “bat wings,” or upper body flab, or a little extra jiggle in your wave. Well, it’s time to change all that, once and for all. It’s time to embrace your arms.

In a way, our arms are always getting the short end of the stick. Anytime we stand or walk (which most of us have to do throughout the day), we’re working the lower body. So naturally, our legs are a little stronger. Most of us only use our arms when we type at a computer – and we’re not exactly breaking a sweat.


Your arms don’t have to be a point of embarrassment. They can be your calling card (think all the media on Michelle Obama). Here are the three basic steps to waving goodbye to arm fat for good:

1) Start to strong-arm your cardio routine.

First things first: You’ve got to do cardio to lose arm fat. It’s all about choosing the right kind of cardio to do that. We’ve come such a long way in the fitness and wellness industries since the disco days of legwarmers. But early aerobics did get one thing right: It incorporated moves into the entire body. Cardio on a treadmill, stationary bike or outdoor jog is great, but doesn’t involve much work for the arms

To define your arms, start to look for cardio exercises that use the entire body. I’m a big fan of rowing, for example. My friend Josh Crosby created a great indoor rowing workout called Indo-Row, which is an incredibly fun and challenging group exercise class. The best part about doing a full-body workout like that is that you’re not just burning a ton of calories, your targeting multiple muscle groups at the same time, including your arms – which is crucial if you’re concerned with how to lose arm fat.

2) Tone up with the triangle.

This second step is all about toning muscle. Remember, resistance training is a must.

And the best exercise might surprise you.

The NUMBER ONE EXERCISE that will help you tighten and tone your arms, your new best friend, the triangle pushup. A study at the University of Wisconsin showed that this move is the most effective exercise out there when it comes to toning the jiggly areas of the arms. Ready to try it for yourself? See video above to get started.

Also, try a sculpting workout that incorporates multiple muscle groups (once again, integration is a biggie). I love TRX classes, for example, because after a fun-filled hour, you’ve moved your body in so many different planes of directions, and you’ve used your arms for almost all of it.

3) Find your second skin.

As we age (especially in that 40-60 year range), we women become increasingly concerned with our arms – not just the tone, but the quality of the skin itself. Over time, we begin to lose collagen, causing that area to sag and look “creepy.” Sunlight, of course, is a major factor here.

But staving off saggy skin doesn’t have to prevent you from enjoying the great outdoors. Just make sure you come prepared. Hopefully, it goes without saying, but the first step is to always slather on some SPF. But, it’s also important to keep in mind, when it comes to your skin, you are what you wear. So next time you’re exercising outdoors, skip the tank top, and wear something that covers (at least) the upper part of the arms. I like to find a fabric that has SPF protection, like the Solumbra line.

Remember, toning your arms isn’t just about the appearance of sculpted triceps. It’s about giving yourself the strength, the confidence and the freedom to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it. Whatever you’re doing, chances are good that you’d like to live life on your terms. And, strengthening the upper body is just another way to give yourself a helping hand toward reaching that goal.

To tone arms and lose fat, just think of the Three ‘UPS’

  • Cardio- Up the effectiveness with total body work, like the indoor row machine
  • Push Up – the triangle push up has been proven the most effective exercise for toning arm muscle. See my clip of how to do this wonder exercise
  • Cover Up – avoid saggy skin by protecting yourself from the sun

Thanks for reading,

Kathy

 

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

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