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Best Fall Reads

Hey my fellow bookworms, it’s time to talk about the top 5 books to read this fall! 

As we start getting into sweater weather, I am always down to grab a blanky and snuggle on my couch with an epic story.  (Although let’s be real, I’m literally always down to read over most other activities!)  To get you prepared, here are some of the best books I’ve read recently. Get your Amazon cart or library card ready!

Bring Your Baggage and Don’t Pack Light by Helen Ellis

This is my favorite book I’ve read lately.  I finished it in one sitting (it’s a shorty) and I laughed out loud like a damn lunatic until tears were streaming down my face.  Like, I need to belong to her Grown-Ass Lady Gang, as she calls it.  I love her.  This book is made of up brief little essays on the goings-on of a 40-something lady who grew up in the South and has made her life in NYC.  She’s raunchy.  She’s blunt.  She’s southern as
hell, bless her heart.  It’s just… everything.  You must read this book!  (I’ve also heard the audiobook is awesome because you get it in her sassy southern twang.)

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

Have you ever played that conversational game where you decide which 5 people, living or dead, you’d like to have dinner with?  This book examines one woman’s situation where that actually comes true.  On Sabrina’s 30th birthday, she finds herself sitting at a table with her bestie, an old college professor, Audrey Hepburn, an ex-boyfriend, and her estranged father.  The story alternately looks back at what led her here and chronicles
the unexpected conversations that occur during this unusual dinner.  I won’t give away any surprises or revelations, but suffice it to say that it kept me guessing and intrigued until the very end.  And I don’t mind telling you I cried for roughly the last 5-10 pages.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

This book came highly recommended by a bookworm buddy of mine and I picked it up despite not necessarily considering myself a huge fan of the light-hearted mystery genre.  Consider me a convert, at least as far as this book is concerned!  The setting is an old folks home in England, and the characters are elderly but still sharp, residents with a bit of a morbid streak and a lot of time on their hands.  They get together each Thursday to look over cold case files and see if they can crack something the cops have missed.  Things start getting nutty when a local real estate developer with an interest in their retirement home is found murdered.  I wanted every single one of these awesome characters to be my grandparent.  The twists and turns were unexpected and adept, and there were lots of chuckles along the way.  This was a fun read with characters that had real depth and surprising motivations.

Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian

You know a few different versions of King Arthur’s tale, right?  The Knights of the Round Table, The Sword, and the Stone, etc.  Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Morgaine, and Merlin have become widely known characters in the many retellings of this classic story.  Maybe you’ve even read The Mists of Avalon (if you haven’t, I STRONGLY recommend it) which tells the story from the women’s points of view.  Half Sick of Shadows goes a step even further.  It’s told from Elaine’s perspective; a character I didn’t even remember from any other version of the story I knew.  And the women in this version are… different from any other adaptation I’ve encountered.  They are fully realized women with their own strong motivations and desires, compared to older tales where the female characters serve as two-dimensional chess pieces the men move around at will in order to accomplish their own goals.  This book puts an unconventional spin on a tale that’s one of our oldest cultural stories.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

I’m going to do something I haven’t done here before, and recommend a book I haven’t yet read.  But this is so fresh, so contemporary, so reflective of our current circumstances, that I can’t miss this opportunity to introduce you to it.  A couple in Ireland have just barely begun dating when Covid-19 reaches Dublin.  The lockdown requirements will force them to remain apart, so they decide to quarantine together instead.  Now one of them is dead.  This is the next book on my to-read list!!!  I can’t wait to dive in, and I hope it lives up to the intrigue!

I love to hear what you’re reading, and what you think of my suggestions.  Send me a message on FB or IG to let me know your thoughts.  @capowthetrainer on both platforms.  Happy reading, and happy Fall, my bookish buddies!

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7 Day Reset

We’ve incorporated inspiration and motivation to help you rock all 7 days. In the next 7 days you will make shifts in your mind and body that will boost your metabolism, improve sleep and increase energy.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

This is a self paced reset, so you can start when you are ready but we recommend to continue with the reset each day once you begin to see the maximum results.

All it takes is 7 DAYS. What are you waiting for?

Kaia Tri is a ten-week triathlon training program with workouts three times a week, which is an optional extra during our spring and summer CORE sessions. We swim, bike, and run, with some cross-training classes too. By being able to set a personal pace, our triathlon training program is suited to beginners tackling their first race and intermediate athletes looking to improve their finish time.

Our mock triathlons run several times to familiarize women with the course route. We finish the season with a Triathlon Training Camp which includes paddle boarding and power workouts. The next day is our exhilarating and fun Triathlon race day for all Kaia Tri women to enjoy working out in a beautiful location. Friends are welcome too!

SANDBAG

Kaia Sandbag combines traditional fitness with unconventional training methods. With sandbags, the weight shifts and moves in an unpredictable fashion. This piece of equipment is integrated into our conditioning & strength building workouts to simultaneously develop strength, power, endurance, mobility, and balance – with an additional emphasis on developing overall core strength and stability.

New to sandbag training? No problem! Beginners are always welcome.

TRX SUSPENSION 

TRX® Suspension Training® body-weight exercise simultaneously develops strength, power, endurance, mobility, durability, balance, flexibility, and core stability. Whether you’re younger or older, out of shape or a pro athlete, injured or at the top of your game, TRX Suspension Training meets you where you are and takes you where you want to go. TRX Suspension Training leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to enable hundreds of exercises that can be instantly scaled for any user to reach any fitness or training goal. The easily-scalable nature of TRX Suspension Training makes it a practical solution wherever you are on the fitness continuum.

Need a little extra boost to keep your body guessing? Our TRX/Cardio class is an excellent complement to any Kaia FIT session. TRX workouts, which can be used by anyone at any level, builds true functional strength and improves flexibility, balance and core stability all at once. Mixed with cardio, the classes give every member the perfect balance of challenge and success.

*TRX classes not available in all areas. Please contact us your local studio.

CROSS-TRAINING

Our trademark Kaia Cross-Training™ classes are a unique mix of cardio, functional movement, and both weighted and non-weighted exercises.

Cross-Training benefits:

Each day brings a new workout. We have an elite group of advanced coaches who infuse each workout with their own flair and focus, meaning you’re never going to repeat a workout, avoid burn-out, and fitness plateaus.

Keeping the body guessing is key to sculpting lean muscle mass. We also have a 3-part modification foundation: Balance (non-impact); Strength (mid-impact) and Kaia (high impact). Each exercise has its own progression so that everyone can feel successful.

As a part of our program, we also offer nutritional guidance to help you make healthy food choices and keep your fitness on track.

What are you waiting for? Join us today!

BARRE

Our barre-based class is a unique combination of postures inspired by ballet, yoga, Pilates and Kaia. Using the barre as a prop to balance, you’ll complete a series of isometric holds combined with high reps of small range movements to elongate and tone your major muscle groups.

In addition to the barre, classes incorporate pilates balls, yoga blocks, and/or resistance bands for increased endurance, challenge and focus. Following each set of holds, you’ll rest and recovery with a short series of stretches and poses to increase flexibility prior to advancing.
Kaia Barre is a low-impact class that perfectly complements our program offerings. Meet us at the barre and try your first class for free!

Participating locations may vary. See the schedule page for more details.

DANCE 

Our dance fitness class is rooted in traditional dance. We use those foundational moves and offer a class that is easy enough for beginners yet challenging enough for the more seasoned dancer. The simplicity of the routines allows you to keep moving with ease. Although this is a workout, it feels more like a dance party with your girlfriends.

RUNNING 

Improve your speed, skill, endurance, stamina, and strength with our Kaia running program. The program works on developing running skills that can increase speed, endurance, and overall fitness. The program is designed for you to run at your pace and and help you see improvements every step of the way.

The Kaia training is a simple, progressive program designed for women of all ages and all fitness levels. Whether you are a walker, jogger, or runner, you will be able to join this program and move at your own pace. Research has shown that even 20 to 30 minutes of running (two to three times per week) is enough to help you lose or maintain weight and improve many other important health markers, i.e. your cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin response.

Don’t be intimidated by the Kaia Run program name, each class will have walkers, joggers and runners. Keep in mind that the first mile is the hardest mile you will ever run. Once you get off the starting block, things only get easier. All you have to do is be patient and disciplined in your training, and that is where Kaia

POWER YOGA

Kaia Yoga combines mind and body with a power yoga and core-strengthening weekly workout with Pilates-style techniques. We focus on balance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness through stretching, strength training and dynamic movement to improve overall fitness levels.

By creating long, lean muscles, Yoga promotes improved coordination, greater flexibility and a fuller range of motion, with a strong body that’s less prone to injury. Yoga keeps the mind centered and reduces stress through positive thoughts and a sense of mindfulness, which also inspires mental strength and confidence.

Yin Yoga, or restorative yoga, is a quiet contemplative practice. It targets the deepest tissues of the body, our connective tissues – ligaments, joints, bones, and the deep fascia networks of the body. Poses are held for 1 minute or more and transitions between poses are gentle and slow. This class is an excellent compliment to our other classes, provides dedicated stretching, and is known to reduce stress and anxiety.

6-WEEK BRIK BOOTCAMP

Our BRIK Bootcamp sessions are offered three times a year and are designed to help you reach your health and fitness potential, and you’re welcome to start anytime!

Our BRIK Bootcamps are six weeks long and feature classes daily.* This programming fits in seamlessly with our regularly scheduled classes, and it’s as easy as 1-2-3:

  1. Register for BRIK Bootcamp HERE (included for Platinum & Gold Memberships)
  2. Book your classes through our branded app and Show Up
  3. Let our expert coaches do the rest!

These sessions offer great results in weight and body fat loss and an increase in strength and cardiovascular endurance. Our nutritional support will boost energy, help you de-bloat, increase sleep quality, and enhance your overall glow.

BRIK Bootcamp includes:

In between BRIK Bootcamp, we offer a variety of classes to meet you at your level! We also have nutrition and fitness challenges, in addition to fun opportunities to spice up your routine. What are you waiting for? Join us today!

CYCLE

Cardio based, calorie torching workout with certified spin instructors. It’s a party on a bike!

Try a Week Free

WHAT IS KAIA FIT?