When you miss a class..

Remember that if you miss a workout, you can always burn calories in different ways throughout the day by adding extra exercises to your daily routine:

- adding squats while loading and unloading laundry, showering, cooking in front of the stove etc.

- while waiting in line: tighten your abs and do 12 side crunches each side (it will look like you're stretching your back while in line)

- carrying grocery bags? you can always add some bicep curls (lift bags by behind elbows, palms towards face) or lateral flies (shopping bag on each side, lift arms straight out to the side)

- parking away from said store, or doctor's office and walking further rather than parking close and walking only a little bit

- going to the 2nd or 3rd floor? Let's take the stairs! Better yet, jog up the stairs! (I like to have a race with myself - call me crazy! Ready set go!)

- I like to do calf raises while brushing my teeth sometimes, or even in the shower - assuming you take those.

- Watching TV? Why not stretch those legs out while watching the tube? 

- Grabbing a tennis ball under a side table or something low to the ground? My husband does a push-up on his way up from retrieving such small items. Why not do 5 while you're down there?!

-Waiting at a stop sign or red light in your car? Let's tighten down low and get some kegels in! That way when you do some tuck jumps, you won't feel like having to use the bathroom like sometimes do! 

- Baking something in the oven? Hold that squat low for 10 seconds before retrieving that turkey/baked sweet potatoe fries/whatever..

- Washing dishes? Might be awkward but come into a plie squat while in front of the sink..

- Have a baby? There's an exercise in itself! Lay on your back and do some arm work with your cutie.

- Are you next to a wall, waiting for the printer at work? Do some wall push-ups while waiting.

All these things don't have to be big, or even that many, but each little thing adds up in your day. So remember, it might look like you're a crazy person, but it's better than missing a workout entirely.

Burn calories! Just stand up!

Recent survey shows the average person is on their butts for 12 hours a day - either at work, on the computer, or watching TV/relaxing at home. Add that to the 6-8 hours we spend sleeping. That's a whopping 18-20 hours either on our butts or laying down.

Did you know that just by standing, a person's heart rate is 10 beats faster than a person sitting. That measures out to about 0.7 calories per minute. That's between 40-50 calories per hour, depending on how active one is standing. If you stand 3 hours a day for 5 days, you've burned anywhere from 600-750 calories. Added up over a year, that's 30,000 extra calories burnt which is about 8 pounds of fat. Just from standing. 

We can't all stand up at work, but small adjustments will increase this amount. If you have a desk job, maybe walking over to your co-worker's cube instead of emailing them? Standing while talking on the phone.

We've had research done on this subject since that 1950's. So why, are we only now making this a priority? Did you know that some elementary schools are actually taking out sitting desks and replacing them with desks where children are able to stand? It stimulates better blood flow and better focus. Better focus means better learning.

This could be you at work! Better blood flow means better focus to your work which means more efficiency at the workplace!

Even if you're not a fitness buff, or just trying out Kaia, keep this in mind for at home. Something as simple as standing could help you shed some pounds as compared to being sitting.

Here is a list of standing activities (waiting in line, getting dressed) and a calorie calculator for these activies for 30 minutes.

How you can avoid sitting a bunch. What the cool video with fun music.

You can also read up on standing student desks here.

Be present

Be present. A piece of advice I heard but never understood. In a world full of technological advances, it's funny that we lose the ability to be present and in the moment. Our digital age dictates that we have information at the touch of our fingertips. We can connect to each other globally with just our smart phones. But does that hinder or retard our ability to connect face to face?

I see it all the time. Just go to any restaurant or eat-in place. People could be having lunch with a friend they haven't seen in a while, maybe even having a heart-to-heart, but some people choose to be stare into their phones throughout their meals. Yes, you can talk and Facebook at the same time, but are you really present in the conversation? As compared to when you aren't staring at a screen?

Be in the moment. In all things in life. In all instances where you can connect with someone.

Be here and now.


That goes for dinner at the dinner table, and for our work outs. When you are working out, be working out. Don't let your mind wander to your grocery lists. Listen, that list will still be after your one hour workout. Be present in body and in mind. That time you were spending thinking about that outfit for your holiday party, you could have easily transitioned into your next exercise and done one, maybe two more sets. That adds up in your hour. Be in the now. I used to hate hearing that in yoga back in college. I didn't get it back then. I always thought, What the heck am I doing?! I am in the now, I wouldn't be physically here if I wasn't in the now. But your body can be in one place and your mind another. You might have heard me in Kaia Flow say this before but please leave everything at the door. I'm not saying, never talk to your neighbor during our workouts, but I am saying, focus your attention to the matter in front of you. If you're at work, be at work. If you're having lunch with a friend, spend that time with your friend (not on Facebook or Twitter). If you're in your workout, be there in your workout, focused, and ready to work it out! Your body will appreciate it in the end and you'll decrease your chances for injury if your paying attention.