With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

Move of the Week: Single-Sided Squat!

I visited one of my favorite new spots, Circuit Works in Brentwood, for this week’s move. Here I am with the owner Raphael, whose favorite butt exercise takes the traditional squat and gives it a little extra leg. Do try this at home….

With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

What an honor….

There are some days you wish would never end…I experienced one of those last weekend when I was thrilled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 30th Anniversary for the Samata Yoga Center.

It was wonderful to spend some time with my friend Larry Payne, internationally renowned yoga instructor (who wrote Yoga For Dummies, Yoga RX, and more). He’s done so much to bring the benefits of yoga to the masses, inspiring millions with his programs and teacher trainings. It’s a humbling experience to be honored by one of your heroes.

With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

…. –>

With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

Chris

A few years back I got a letter from a woman in Massachusetts. Her story was familiar: After having three children, she naturally put on some extra weight. Before long, that “extra” gave way to even more weight. Her eating habits suffered, she shunned exercise, and she used that classic excuse of not having enough time. But soon she discovered that her energy levels were completely zapped, and when it came to the three sons that she’d chosen as her priority, she no longer had the vitality to keep up with them.

After deciding to “give this exercise thing another try,” Chris started doing my “Great Buns & Thighs” workout during her boys’ naptime. She found that the exercise motivated her to keep coming back for more, so she added more videos to her collection. The results she began to see A year later, she found herself “addicted” to working out.

Chris lost 95 pounds over the course of a year and 3 months. As she puts it: “Not only do I have energy to take care of my growing children, but I WANT to run and move with them. And I’m now an inspiration to them.”

Chris’ decision to take charge of her life is an inspiration to me, too. –>

With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

Gluten

Wheat. Rye. Barley. Don’t these sound like wholesome ingredients to you - three staples to any healthy, high-fiber diet? For people with celiac disease, or gluten allergies, that’s not the case. For those people, a little gluten can do a lot of harm - its negative gastrointestinal effects have been linked to multiple diseases, from diabetes to thyroid disease.

Perhaps you’ve noticed the recent “gluten-free craze” filling the aisles at your local supermarket. –>

With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

Shake

You’ve heard it before: you should eat every three to four hours to keep you metabolism revved and your blood sugar levels in check. But who’s got time to cook a full meal or put together an elaborate healthy snack four to five times daily? I’m not a fan of pricey “diet food” bars or powders. Instead, invest in one high-quality protein powder, and use it as a regular substitute for one of those snacks. I whip up a protein shake at least once a day to satisfy my hunger while avoiding that “overly full” feeling, whether it’s for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. My favorite recipe? Mix a scoop of Rainbow Light’s Vanilla Protein Energizer with some soy milk, frozen blueberries, and a small squirt of flaxseed oil. Blend, pour, and enjoy. It’s a tasty, energizing snack with no fuss, no muss, packed with protein and fiber, and it’s cost-effective, too. And here’s the best part: It also comes in chocolate! –>

With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

Double

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I was in St. Louis this last weekend for a family reunion. We tried to get out for a run, but when it’s 90 degrees and 100% humidity it sort of zaps your energy. At one point I actually thought I might pass out.

This is when treadmills can be your best friend. I headed to the Stayfit Gym at the Hyatt and did one of my favorite treadmill workouts, which was given to me by Ellen Abbott of the Boston Athletic Club called Double Trouble:

Imagine 2 hills. You start on the first hill at a steady state for 5 minutes. Take the incline level up to 3%, then 6%, 9%, 12%, and, if your treadmill allows it, 15%. The key is to keep your speed even as you elevate. Do 2 minutes at each incline….and then come down the other side of the “hill” (12%, then 9%, 6%, and 3%, for 2 minutes each). Give yourself a couple minutes to recover, and then climb that hill again.

Pick a walking speed you can maintain throughout the workout, and as the months go by, keep increasing your speed. Or, if you really want to crank things up….try running it.
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With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

Name

Here I am with Leah Britt, a certified personal trainer and nutritionist at Silver Mountain Sports Club in Park City.

Ready for a great challenge for your core muscles? Grab a stability ball and give this Move of the Week a try!

(What do we call this one anyway? Knee Ball Cruncher? Core Ball Kick? Kick Ball Change?) –>

With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

Prepare For Take-Off!

It’s been such a thrill to be part of the launch of NextFit’s new Keychain Trainer. And this summer, I’m joining forces with the NextFit team for a worldwide tour to Get America Moving! We’re kicking things off this Saturday in Salt Lake City with our first “test group” - a brave and lucky bunch of folks who have committed to a 12-week weight loss program in which I’ll help them every step of the way, with diet, exercise, motivation, and of course, using this cool and revolutionary gadget known as the Keychain Trainer.

For those of you who won’t be able to join us this weekend, here’s a little “nugget” of wisdom that I’ll share with the group on Saturday - and you heard it here first. It’s about consistency. It’s one of the oldest rules in the fitness book: To get results, consistency is key. But as we all know, “sticking with it” is easier said than done. So what’s the secret to staying consistent, so that you can stay on-track to success?

1) Do the things you enjoy doing, and
2) Do them with the people you enjoy.

It’s no coincidence that both of those points contain the word “enjoy.” Fun and fitness shouldn’t be mutually exclusive - they should mix and mingle, so that you can enjoy a consistent, healthy lifestyle for years to come!

With over 16 million workout videos sold since 1980, Kathy Smith has become a household name in fitness. A mother of two, Kathy also serves on the board of the USC School of Gerontology, the Women's Sports Foundation and is a recipient of the IDEA Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA Health & Fitness, the world's largest professional fitness organization.

Michelle

Our First Lady, Michelle Obama, has been everywhere in the media lately (including the cover of Oprah’s O Magazine), with topics ranging from the family dog to her fitness routine.

Fitness Magazine asked me to help design a workout to help you sculpt sexy arms like hers . . . Check it out! –>

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