Age Is Just a Number
…JUST A NUMBER
As the birthdays keep coming, some people have a tendency to let the number of candles on the cake determine their activity level. But the “I’m too old” defense won’t work on Smith, who snowshoes in the winter, hikes in the summer, takes yoga twice a week and lifts “pretty heavy.” (That means 15-pound dumbbells for biceps curls and 35-pound ones for dead lifts.) During her stay in D.C., she took a kettlebell class at Results Gym on Capitol Hill, ran around the National Mall and hoofed it whenever possible.
It’s a lifestyle that’s certainly helped the way she fills out a pair of stretchy pants, but more important to Smith these days, it protects her health. “Before, it was butts and thighs and looking good in a bathing suit,” she says. “Now the stakes are higher. It’s your heart and bones.”
The urgency of this need for the baby boomer generation has reinvigorated her passion for exercise instruction. “Sometimes I feel like this is just the beginning of my career,” says Smith, who follows the scientific research and stays on top of every emerging trend in the field. (Her new obsession: TRX suspension training.)
She’s made the transition from videotapes to DVDs and MP3 audio workouts, and has taught everything from Latin dance to cardio kickboxing and Pilates. So no matter how fitness continues to evolve, Smith sees a role for herself as a motivator, particularly for folks who think they have to slow down with time.
“When a 40-year-old says, ‘I have a shoulder problem, so I can’t lift weights anymore,’ that’s when you have to figure out what’s wrong with your shoulder. Once excuses start, you get weaker,” Smith explains. “Age isn’t bad. What’s not good is decay.”
What matters is doing something starting now. Or get ready to do nothing later.
Muscling Up
“Ageless With Kathy Smith: Staying Strong” tackles the whole body with four 15-minute segments (arms, legs, glutes and core) — plus a 12-minute bonus stretch. Although it’s geared toward beginners — and offers detailed cues for posture, form and modifications — it’s a cinch to up the difficulty level by using heavier weights and performing more advanced variations (such as the kangaroo, which is a bouncing lunge). As Smith explains, her goal is to overload muscles by performing lots of reps and multiple sets, so you’ll feel the burn in no time at all.
Strength Training Keeps You Young!
STRONG WOMEN STAY YOUNG!
✅ Staying Strong – Four 15-minute workouts that ensure you get a full-body workout. Expect a variety of functional strength-based moves teamed with challenging bodyweight moves to train your arms, abs, and assets.
✅ Lift Weights To Lose Weight -Tone your entire body and boost your metabolism to help you burn calories all day long. This workout includes a 20-min upper-body strengthener, 20-min lower-body tightener, and 10-min core routine for abs and back.
✅ Lift Weights To Lose Weight 2 – This 50-Min workout includes the best of weight training with a Pilates twist! Uses hand weights and rotational balance movements to sculpt your arms and build poise, posture, and a strong, lean core.
✅ 30-Day Calendar – Take the guesswork out of strength training! This day-by-day calendar shows you exactly what workout to do each day.
