Burpees are one of my favorite exercises because they work so much of the body. It’s a combination of a jump squat and push-up. You get core, legs, shoulders, back, chest and arms all in one go.

It definitely gets your heart rate up and blood pumping!

We got the whole thing on video, and I just got around to editing it, so I thought I’d post it here for your amusement and (hopefully) motivation.

We did 10 at a time, then switched off giving the other person a break in between each set. After 50 I felt my wrists and elbows talk to me, so to lessen the impact I did other exercises, mostly variations of push-ups.

I’ve never done so many push-ups in one workout! I’m pretty sure I did something like 140. Casey did at least 101 burpees, and editing the video I noticed we lost count a couple times and ended up doing 2 sets more than we needed to, so it was probably 121 burpees for Casey.

It’s fun to challenge yourself. You realize you’re capable of much more than you thought.

You might want to give this a try at home – even if you only do 50 or 30. Maybe you feel inspired to just pump out 10 or 20 right now.

If you want serious motivation and lots of different exercises (not just burpees, I promise) plus the balancing influence of yoga, check out my Yoga Fitness Boot Camp for Women.

Guys (and Ladies), stay tuned for a co-ed Fun Fitness Boot Camp that I’m helping my buddy Raven put together. It will be 7-8am at the TCC in the Gymnastics Centre.

No, we don't always dress up in silly costumes for Boot camp... Just one day per camp session. And I tell you what, we have a LOT of fun! (even on the days when we're not wearing tutus.)

Who knew fitness could be this fun?! An incredible community of women are finding out just how much you can actually enjoy getting in shape with the Yoga Fitness Boot Camp.

We wake up in the early Kamloops morning, watch the sun rise over the mountains, and find the perfect balance of intense fitness exercises and centering yoga. It is transformational, and this program is changing women’s lives.

“I want you to know how good I feel and how much respect I have for you as a teacher – you make welcoming room for individuals of varying ages, sizes and abilities while still challenging your students to go to their edge.” – Constance

As a yoga instructor, this program is challenging and so much fun to teach. I call on all of my skills to bring the sacred into a very physical workout, make sure it is safe and that there are different options for women of varying fitness levels, and somehow find the edge where everyone is working as hard as they can while still having a blast!

We even had a costume day this past Friday. It was smiles and laughter all around. Really, how can you not have a good time when your instructor is wearing a blue wig and the person across from you has on a ridiculous hat?

Why all the fun? Because it works. When you’re in a fun loving community, you want to come to class. You naturally encourage each other, and it’s not such a struggle to give everything you’ve got, because the light hearted feel helps carry you through.

When you’re in the feeling of joy, things flow more naturally, and your heart lights up every part of you with delight. That’s good yoga, no matter how long you’re holding forearm plank for, or how many lunges you’ve done. When you align with the Spirit, whose nature is pure goodness, everything else is simply more available to you.

It’s really amazing to hear comments like “I didn’t think I could do 10 more seconds, but then I did and I realized my capacity is so much more than I thought!”

What an honour it is to lead this program, and to be a part of this community of women. Kamloops has some very special ladies, and a great group of them are in this Boot Camp.

Would you like to be part of it? Head on over to the Yoga Fitness Kamloops Boot Camp page for more info and registration.

All Photos by Natalie Anfield / Kamloops Photography

Thirty women came out in full force, ready to greet the morning as the empowered Goddesses they are. One creative soul who didn’t have weights picked up a couple of good sized rocks and used those. There was laughter and encouragement. And everyone worked so hard! It was a truly excellent start to a very special program.

Here’s what one participant said came to mind as I was singing to everyone at the very end as they lay in shavasana:

“Katrina breathes the sacred into a ROCKIN’ workout!”

And all I have to say is that I am grateful and honored to be able to share this gift. I can’t wait to see how it grows and blooms into the transformational power it is becoming. Yeah yoga boot camp!

To find out more about this amazing program, check out the Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp page.

Sure, back then I ran track for a year, and I include some running in my quiver of fitness activities, but I wouldn’t call myself a ‘runner’ per se.

In the New Orleans boot camp I took, running a timed mile was part of how we could measure our progress. At the beginning of the camp I ran it in 7 minutes, 23 seconds. Not bad, but I knew I could’ve started sprinting earlier and cut a fair bit of time down.

When I did the mile again, I surprised myself considerably by coming in at 6 minutes, 33 seconds.

Both days my energy had been low, and the mile was run after working out for a good 40 minutes or so. It wasn’t like I was bursting out of the starting point all engines go.

But I had two things going for me on the second run. 1.) There was a woman in front of me who set a great pace and I was determined to follow her, and 2.) I prayed.

The whole run I was chanting to myself “Om Namah Shivaya”. I tapped into the limitless power within and asked it to get me through. This was motivated by the fact that I was having a really hard time already that morning with low energy. “Om Namah Shivaya”. I bowed to the source of goodness and asked “can I get some help here?”

It was tough, but I kept going and found I had the strength to keep pace just behind the woman at the start. Toward the end I fell back a bit and one other girl passed me. I spoke a word of encouragement to her as she did.

At the stop sign where we turned for the last stretch, I powered up and gave everything I had. I was a sprinter in track, so I tapped into those reserves and raced ahead to the finish.

“6:33″ said the man with the timer.

“Holy sh*t,” said I.

I didn’t think I’d done it that fast! I walked away, marveling at the joint effort of individual and universal, supporting myself with hands on knees and breathing hard. Once again I was shown that my capacity is so much greater than I realize when I tap into the boundless source of nature.

Moral of the story: When it gets hard, look to those who blaze the path for you, and connect to a bigger energy for support.

If you live in Kamloops and want to dance on the edge of expansion, playing in the ever growing capacity of You, join my upcoming Yoga Fitness Kamloops Boot Camp and delight in how strong you really are!

Get your blood moving, strengthen your muscles, and then lengthen them out – all the while using your awareness to make it more than just exercise. Connect to your true CORE.

This is a short segment from a full length EPIC workout.

Obviously this isn’t real time, so here’s the full workout sequence so you can refer to it. Watch the video to be sure of form (and for motivation if you’re entertained by watching me sweat!)

Center in. Take a breath and remember WHY you’re doing this. What do you want to look like? What do you want to feel like?

Warm up:

• Jog in Place (20 Sec)
• Heels to butt (30 Sec)
• Jumping Jacks (20 Reps)

Core Workout:

• Crunches (20 Reps)
• Bicycle Crunches (20 Reps)
• High Knees (30 Sec)
• Burpees (10 Reps)
• Hold Plank with Variations (60 Sec)
• One leg up
• Jumping jack legs
• Downward Dog
• Lunge Pulses (20 pulses) Hold Lunge (20 Sec)
• Lunge Pulses and Hold Other side
• Burpees with Jumping Jack Legs
• Reverse Crunches (20 Reps)
• Hold Legs 6 Inches Above Ground (20 Sec)
• Flutter Kick Legs 6 Inches Above Ground (20 Reps)
• One Leg Up / Switch (20 Reps)
• Back Extensions – Opposite Leg/Arm, then both (10 Reps of cycle)
• Dragonfly Lift (Back extension)
• Downward Dog
• Forearm Plank Hold (60 Sec)
• Forearm Plank One Leg Up (10 Sec each leg)
• Forearm Plank Wide Legs (10 Sec)
• Downward Dog

REPEAT if you want a longer workout

Take your shoes off

Yoga Cool Down:

• Child’s Pose
• Downward Dog
• Straight Leg Lunge and Crescent Lunge (Both Sides)
• Plank to Cobra
• Downward Dog
• Standing Forward Bend
• Lie on back, one leg up – clasp hands behind thigh and push thighs BACK
• Twist
• RELAX (Savasana) – stay here at least one full minute, preferably longer.
• Roll to side to come up.

Take a moment to re-center before you transition into the rest of your day.

Find out more about the Yoga Fitness Kamloops Boot Camp

This is not just your standard fitness class. It’s not all physical. It’s about empowering yourself on every level!

The Boot Camp is all about Epic Workouts.

What makes them epic? Well, first of all, these workouts bring intention and awareness into exercise as I remind you to VISUALIZE your body in perfect health and perfect shape.

When you’re ultra challenged, you’ll call on your courage and find that you are POWERFUL, and capable of so much more than you realize.

And after breathing and moving and building lean muscle, you’ll expand into the freedom and bliss of a yoga practice. Your muscles will LOVE the lengthening after the workout, and your entire being will become more balanced.

All of this in the fresh air and limitless promise of the early morning.

So, are you in? Registration is open, and space is limited, so go get your spot now: Register for Kamloops Boot Camp

BONUS: If you register for 5 days per week, you get one free yoga class with me each week!

Now, I have a treat for you.

I’ve made a video with three important steps to staying motivated for fitness. AND it includes a fun story.

Go get your free video here: Kamloops Yoga Boot Camp

All you have to do is follow the link, enter your email and I’ll send you the video PLUS a short, powerful yoga fitness workout.

So go get your Free Fitness Motivation Video and Workout. Hope to see you at camp!

There was a great response to the free draw of one week of boot camp – thanks so much if you participated.

The winner of the draw is Sandi Ceccon!

Congratulations, Sandi! We’ll see you at camp.

Boot Camp Registration is up and OPEN. There are limited spots available, so be sure to register in order to secure your place.

Yoga and Fitness in the Beauty of the Kamloops Morning

If you’ve ever been up to Let’s Move Studio early in the morning, you know the sight is spectacular. You get a sweeping view of the valley, and the morning light comes in all its colors.

Being outside to welcome the morning with fresh air and exercise is by far my favorite way to wake up.

I won’t pretend it’s always easy to get out of bed, but I’m always glad I did, because you feel SO ALIVE! It’s fully worth the effort it takes to get going in the early hours.

In addition to the feeling of accomplishment and vitality you get from participating in a boot camp like this, one of the biggest benefits is the sheer energy and strength you gain. When you dedicate yourself to working out in a way that is efficient and challenging, your body changes. You become more toned and lean. And your strength increases every day!

All that strength and energy also helps your yoga practice. Because your body is more capable of accessing the alignment and full expression of the pose when your muscles are conditioned.

And it’s FUN to discover some of the more playful and challenging poses of yoga!

In the yoga portion of the boot camp, we’ll focus on foundational yoga postures that balance strength with opening key areas of the body that we work out in the fitness portion. For example, if you’re doing lunges and squats in your workout, you want to balance that with stretching the quads, hamstrings, and hip flexors.

With the fitness and yoga aspects to the boot camp, your body can develop definition and power in a way that avoids the tight, restricted feeling that can come with a lot of exercise programs.

To find out more about the boot camp, please visit the Kamloops Fitness Boot Camp page.

Hope to see you there!

One of the things that can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy your sport, and how well you play it, is knowing how to align, strengthen, and stretch your body in the most optimal way. You might already be stretching as part of your fitness routine (which is awesome), however there are ways to get more benefits out of lengthening your muscles.

And there are some tips you can learn to avoid injury as well.

What am I talking about? Yoga.

Now, let’s clear up some misconceptions right off the bat.

1. You do not have to be flexible to do yoga. If your hands don’t come remotely near your toes when you do a forward bend, don’t worry about it. You’ll still get enormous benefit from it, and you will gain flexibility as you go along.
2. Yoga is not some wussy thing for girls. Believe it or not, a lot of ‘real guys’ (and super strong women) do yoga. Like football and soccer players, and big shot business execs for that matter. Chances are high that you’ll be surprised at how challenging it is, and how great you feel after class.
3. You will not look like an idiot. Any more than everyone else who went through their first classes at some point, anyway. And no one will look at you and think “what do they think they’re doing here?” Because they, at some time, were brand new beginners too. If they even notice you, they’ll be silently encouraging you for being courageous enough to show up for class.

Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s talk about why you want to do yoga in the first place.

Why Yoga is Great for Sports and Fitness, and How to Find a Class in Kamloops

Here are some of the super excellent benefits of doing a style of yoga that concentrates on optimal alignment and finding balance between strength and flexibility:

• Increases circulation and your ability to BREATHE, which helps you run faster and play harder
• Increases endurance and stamina
• Increases range of motion
• Helps you avoid injury by lengthening the muscles that get tight from playing and working out
• Supports overall health in myriad ways (including balancing hormones – hello adrenaline junkies – and supporting internal organs)
• Creates a balance between strength and flexibility, which gives you more power and agility

The type of yoga you do matters, as does the teacher and their style of teaching. Here are some things to consider when you look for a yoga class and teacher.

There is a huge range when it comes to the skills and training of yoga instructors. Some have studied for years under the world’s most masterful teachers, while others took a weekend course – and then there’s everything in between.

Though it is ultimately your responsibility to listen to your body and make sure you aren’t putting yourself in pain, having a professional teacher who can show you how to get the most out of yoga is crucial to your enjoyment and results.

What to look for in a yoga teacher and class:

• Find someone you like – you should feel comfortable with the teacher and trust them because of who they are, how they treat you, and how they teach.
• Try different classes (unless you find one you really like right off the bat) – look for classes where you feel challenged and have fun.
• Make sure the teacher instructs alignment that feels good in your body.

Interview yoga teachers before you go to their class (if you can). Ask them:

• What kind of yoga style the teach, and what you can expect from their class.
• How much training they’ve had and what their focus is.
• Do they practice with the class or do they walk around so they can see the students. (Hint: You’ll get more personal instruction from teachers who walk around and they will generally be able to help you more with alignment or if you’re confused.)

I highly recommend Anusara® yoga instructors, as they are among the most skilled yoga teachers in the world. Yes, I’m slightly biased, as I am an Anusara-Inspired™ yoga teacher, however I say this from experience from taking all kinds of classes with teachers around North America. Though there are quality teachers within all of the styles, I’ve found Anusara yoga instructors the most consistent as far as competency and skill are concerned.

Having a quality teacher to guide you when you do yoga makes all the difference in the world. It can be the deciding factor on whether you learn how to avoid injury and improve your sports game, or take risks that increase your chances of injury (which obviously isn’t good for you or your team).

And, of course, the pure enjoyment you get from a yoga class that is masterfully instructed is worth the time it takes to find the class and teacher who are right for you.

Bottom line: when you learn optimal alignment and find the balance between strength and flexibility that yoga can bring, you can play harder and have more fun in whatever sport you love.

Find out more about Anusara-Inspired yoga in Kamloops.

And if you’re a woman and want to take your fitness to the next level, check out my Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp for Women.

(Even if you aren’t getting up for a fitness boot camp, you might find some great ideas for your morning routine in this article.)

The last two mornings it’s been incredibly hard to wake up at 4:35am for boot camp. A rather commanding voice inside my body has tried to persuade me to just get back into bed, but I know I just have to get myself going and I’ll be okay.

Truly, I’m not always thrilled to wake up for my New Orleans boot camp, but I am DEFINITELY always glad I did!

Those first 15 minutes are the hardest, and I’m super grateful I have a morning routine that guides me out the door.

Here are some things I do that might help you get going on the mornings where you really just want to stay in bed:

1. I set out my clothes ahead of time AND I put my alarm clock (cell phone) right on top of the pile. That way when the alarm goes off, I actually am already at my clothes when I turn it off. All I have to do is get dressed, and falling back into bed is a lot less likely.

2. I remind myself why I’m doing this: Because I feel so much stronger and healthier, and I can see the results in the mirror. Because it makes me feel so ALIVE, like I’m really living each day to the fullest, when I begin my day with such an intense workout. Making it meaningful in this way really helps.

3. Right away I hydrate, drinking probably half a litre or more of pure water. Not coffee. This gives my body a jump start and also allows the water to go through me before I get to camp. After I get that first big drink down, I sip water through the rest of the morning. If I’m not hydrated, my body refuses to work nearly as well. This morning I actually drank a bit of coconut water on my way to the park, and the electrolytes and potassium in that seemed to give me even more of a boost.

4. The last few mornings I’ve started putting Rosemary essential oil on my feet. Both the oil and the mini foot massage I give myself while applying it help my body to wake up. Rosemary is good for so many things – you can check out this article for more about the Healing Powers of Rosemary.

5. I do a short yoga practice before I leave home. It ranges anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how much time I have, and I consider this an essential part of my morning. It gets my circulation going – my body moving and breathing in a gentle way, and then I’m more prepared to go full out when I get to boot camp. I stretch all the major muscle groups, especially my hamstrings, quads and hip flexors, shoulders, chest, and back – all in alignment and with my breath. For an example of a mini yoga practice, check out this Short Yoga Practice Video.

6. I have all my stuff ready to go – water bottle already filled, apple washed and packed for after my workout, and my weights, towel, and mat in my pack ready to go. All I have to do is put on my shoes, grab my gear and walk out the door.

7. Once I’m in the car, I turn up the music. I listen to something that gets me going, even something I want to sing or dance to.

By the time I arrive at boot camp I’m awake.

Maybe not as awake as I’ll be in 5 minutes when my body temperature rises because I’m already working hard, but I’m definitely not thinking about bed any more.

It’s funny, the last two mornings have been super thick with fog, and it’s felt like New Orleans didn’t want to wake up either. But there I am in the early morning, sweating and working as hard as I can.

And then the birds start chirping and flying overhead. The trees are all wise looking in the fog. The sky gets lighter in its shades of blue. And today, there was even a sliver of the crescent moon glowing above the Crescent City.

When you’re surrounded with that kind of beauty, pushing your edge and getting stronger all the while, you get to a point where you thank yourself for getting out of bed. Because it is SO worth it!

Check out this article to read about the upcoming Yoga Fitness Boot Camp in Kamloops, BC.

• Do you have any tips to help me wake up more easily? Please leave a comment below and share!

It’s my second week of New Orleans Boot Camp, and I still love it. It’s so hard, yet I feel myself get noticeably stronger every day.

I end up a bit tired, sure, and sometimes my yoga practice requires more effort because I’ve already worked so hard first thing in the morning, but how amazing it is to feel this physically satisfied!

Yesterday we worked legs and core. A lot. Jonas had us doing squats and lunges and crunches and every variation of exercises you can think of. One of the things I like the most about this program is that I never know what’s coming – it changes every day.

Well, I guess there is one thing that seems to repeat, which is holding plank on the forearms at the very end of the class, when I’m good and tired. Each time we did this in the last week I’d drop down to my knees for a second to recompose myself, then come back up.

Yesterday I took a 2 second rest in plank and Jonas busted me. I totally loved how he did it; he tapped my heel lightly, and then very quietly, so that I knew he was talking right to me, Jonas said “Up.” So simple, yet very effective. He’s really good at what he does.

Today Jonas had us running an obstacle course. After we worked legs, arms/chest, and core at our mats, he set us up running laps, then going to various stations. At each station we did things like 20 jumping jacks, or jump squats, or lunges from one set of cones to another, or high knees through ladders on the ground. With running in between each exercise.

I have affectionately named today’s workout “The Suffering”, yet it was such an excellent day of boot camp. As tired as I was, I found I always had more to give, and pushed myself to stay with the two girls at the front, even as Jonas had us pick up the pace at the end.

I’m sore today, for the first time. My legs are really talking to me, but it’s so great to feel this strong. My capacity is expanding and it’s so fulfilling.

And get this – today, for the first time, I stayed up in plank the whole time! And if I can do that, then surely I must be able to hold warrior or handstand, or any other yoga pose for that matter, just a little bit longer.

Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to waking up tomorrow and sweating as the sun rises.

If you want to get in on my Yoga version of a boot camp when I start it in Kamloops, BC this Spring, check out: Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp.