When you need an extra boost for your workout or to stay focused at the office, it can be hard to find a sustained energy source made from only the best ingredients without any artificial preservatives or flavors. I recently came across CELSIUS Fitness Drinks, and I’m obsessed! Different from other energy drinks, CELSIUS uses energizing ingredients like green tea extract, guarana seed extract and vitamin B and is clinically proven to boost your metabolism and help burn body fat when combined with exercise. Also, it doesn’t cause the jitters! Ketanga partnered with CELSIUS on a recent retreat to the Hudson Valley where we offered guests a boost during the morning movement workouts. I wasn’t a bit surprised with the amazing feedback, even from those who do not drink energy beverages regularly! So CELSIUS had to be my #1 for this list of ways to stay energized as the seasons change. And for fall in particular, try the Sparkling Fuji Apple Pear for a seasonal and delicious flavor! Learn more at CELSIUS.com!

Sleep! It's that strange thing we don't want to do when we're out having fun in the evening but that we want more than anything else when that alarm goes off in the morning. Getting a good night's sleep is integral in being energized during the day, particularly as the seasons are changing and the darkness comes so much earlier in the day. In order to get that good, restful sleep that will energize you in the morning, keep these three things in mind:

1. ​​Maintain a consistent sleep schedule—that means set a bedtime and not just a wake-up time! Set an evening alarm to prepare you an hour before bed so you can do what you need to do to make it under the covers by your designated time.
2. Screens off! I know you've heard this one before, but have you really tried it? I like to read before bed and lately I have been reading on my phone, so that's kind of cheating... BUT it is a lot more restful than watching TV before I drift into sleep.
3. If there is something on your mind that prevents you from falling asleep such as a list of things you need to do the next day, simply write it down on a piece of paper before you go to bed. This simple technique will allow you to free your mind of the hounding thought without fear that you'll forget it in the morning since it is down on paper!

Movement is sooo important when it comes to energizing yourself, especially on those chilly, dark or rainy days when you just want to stay home. On our fitness retreats, we always like to kick off the day with some morning movement as it really sets the tone for the rest of the day whether we are headed out for adventure or staying in to relax. As the seasons change, some of my top tips to stay moving are: 

• Start your day with movement, even if it's not your actual workout! Do walking lunges to the bathroom or stroll around the block while your coffee is brewing. Once the initial shock of waking up is over, you'll find it much easier to make these little routines into healthy habits.
• Find an accountability buddy who you can sign up for virtual fitness classes with. You'll see each other (if it's on a video platform like Zoom) and you'll feel more inclined to keep the date and not cancel when someone else is involved.
• On those days when you're just feeling lazy and want to Netflix and chill, give yourself a break. While you would ideally do some physical activity each day, sometimes your mind and body need a day off, and that is ok. But before you get snuggled, do me a favor and do one workout move, let's say hold a plank for one minute. Not too bad, right? So now, roll over and do 30 crunches. Guess what, you're exercising! Once you get started (which is usually the hardest part), you'll be more motivated and energized to keep going, even if you end up doing just five minutes of core on the floor!

We all know how important it is to drink water and how crappy and unenergized we can feel when we are dehydrated. I am one of the lucky people who actually likes water (my aunt hates it, how is that even a thing?!), but I still often find myself going hours between sips. I've upped my intake by making a game of it using some clever water bottles (available on Amazon). Using marks on the bottle, I challenge myself to drink about an inch (10oz) of water every 2 hours. When I look at it that way, it's so easy to achieve my goal of 64oz per day, and I often find myself getting ahead and refilling the whole bottle. Next goal: one gallon per day!

These energy balls couldn't be easier to make, and they are really truly delicious! I make them in bulk and freeze until I'm ready to use them. They are versatile and tasty; I've had them as breakfast, a snack and even as a boost before a workout! I made up this recipe, so I hope you like it! Here's how you make them:

Ingredients:

• 2 scoops (about half a cup) of protein powder (I like to use chocolate or vanilla whey)
• 1.5 cups of oats
• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons (raw) honey
• 3-4 tablespoons of almond milk
• Handful of toppings like chocolate chips, chopped almonds, coconut flakes, raisins, or chia seeds (optional)

Instructions:

• Pour protein powder, oats, peanut butter and honey into a bowl and mix until well-combined.
• Add in the almond milk about a tablespoon at a time and keep mixing until you have the right consistency: sticky enough and not too liquidy to hold a ball shape. 
• Mix in the toppings of your choice!
• Roll into ping pong ball-sized balls. Pop into the fridge or freezer to harden a bit and enjoy!

The Pumpkin Twist is a great move to target all of your core muscles! Sit on the ground holding your pumpkin at your chest and lean slightly back until you feel your abs engage. Lift your legs into table top (forming a V shape with your body) and balance your butt. Slowly start to rotate your core, twisting from side to side allowing your hands / the pumpkin to follow and try and keep your legs still in the air. Feel free to rest your feet on the ground if it hurts your lower back or hip flexors. Do 3 sets of 8-12 reps per side, depending on the weight of your pumpkin.

Start in a high plank position with a pumpkin on on the ground outside your left rib cage. While keeping your core tight, reach your right hand under your torso to grab the pumpkin and gently drag or carry it to your right side. Put your right hand down, re-engage the core, and repeat on the left side. Try not to dip you chips and keep a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. To make it more challenging, have someone place another pumpkin on your back and don't let it fall off while you perform the exercise! Aim for 3 sets of 8 pulls per side.

This is a great exercise to work on core stabilization and balance! Sit down in a similar position as you did for the Pumpkin Twist above. This time, instead of holding your pumpkin, put it on the floor in front of you, approximately where your ankles would be if your legs were out in front of you. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, lift your legs and slowly raise them up and over the pumpkin, side to side. If your back feels this too much, you can lay down and do the same movement with your hands underneath your butt. Do 3 sets of 10 reps per side.

This Taco Tuesday, try something a little different! We recently partnered up with Supernola on a Ketanga Fitness Retreat to fuel our guests with clean, healthy snacks between their workouts and activities. And then we came across an amazing recipe to turn our already-favorite snacking clusters into the perfect treat for breakfast, snack or even dessert. These apple pie tacos are extremely simple to make and they will check the boxes for sweet, seasonal and nutritious!

Ingredients:

• 2 large granny smith apples, peeled and dice approximately ¼”
• ¼ cup sugar of choice (coconut, cane, brown)
• ⅓ tsp cinnamon (ceylon) + a dash
• Dash of salt & nutmeg
• 3 tsp butter/ghee/coconut oil (aka fat)
• Squeeze of 1/2 lemon juice
• Water (if needed)
• 6 tortillas of choice
• 2 packs of Honey Sweet Goji Supernola (Get 35% off when you use this link to purchase any flavor of Supernola!)

Instructions:

1. Dice up the apples and add them to a pan with the sugar, spices, lemon juice, and cinnamon. 
2. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes while stirring, adding water if necessary.
3. Gently stir in the fat of choice after 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat to thicken as it cools.
5. Heat a pan on medium-high heat.
6. Add a small amount of fat and a dash of cinnamon.
7. Gently toast the tortilla on both sides.
8. Fill your taco with the apple filling and top with Honey Sweet Goji and honey if desired!

This snack couldn't be easier, and it's almost cheating to call it a recipe. Earlier in the year (pre-pandemic), one of the Ketanga Coaches, Britney Byfield, came over for dinner, and she showed me her super simple secret (not so secret) recipe. Sweet potato as dessert? YUP! It's delicious hot, tasty cold, and perfect for anytime snacking!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 sweet potatoes
• Olive or avocado oil
• Cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash and pat dry 2-3 sweet potatoes (2-3). Slice into thin 1/2 inch strips like French fries.
3. Drizzle olive (or avocado) oil on the potatoes and mix so they are all evenly and lightly coated.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon all over the potato sticks and mix once again so they are all coated.
5. Place sticks on a foil or parchment paper-lined baking sheet (try to lay them out so they don't touch one another) and put in the oven for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway. Taste and keep baking if necessary until the sticks are tender to your liking. Enjoy!

One snack that always brings me back to childhood (with memories of sticky cheeks and sugar-covered teeth) is the candied apple. It's fruit, so it's healthy, right? A few years ago, I made DIY candy apple skewers for a party that allowed guests to dip apple slices into the healthier-than-pure-sugar coating of their choice (honey, almond butter or caramel--maybe not quite as healthy!) and then do a final dip into the preferred topping of crushed nuts, coconut shavings, finely diced strawberries, or mini chocolate chips. Crowd pleaser!! Now, I have found a Delish recipe to 'adultify' this recipe even more—with booze! 

Ingredients:

• Apples (any kind you prefer!) sliced
• Wooden dowels / skewers 
• Coatings of your choice: honey, almond butter, caramel
• Toppings of your choice: crushed nuts, chocolate chips, shaved coconut
• Optional: vodka or liquor of your choice!

Instructions:

1. Slice your favorite type of apple and put each piece on a stick/skewer in a mason jar. 
2. Optional step for 'adult' option: Add vodka or your liquor of choice, and soak the apple slices for about an hour in the fridge.
3. Pat the apple slices dry to make it easier to dip.
4. Prepare bowls for the coatings and toppings of your choice, dip into one and then the other. Enjoy!

When you want something sweet, this is the perfect snack to have on hand that will not only satisfy your craving, it will also give you over seven grams of protein with no added sugar! Plus, they are great to pop in the freezer so you can make one batch in advance to enjoy over the week(s). I've tried a few different recipes, and this one from Eat the Gains is my favorite for its flavor and simplicity.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vanilla-flavored (or plain) protein powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1.5 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats to a blender or food processor and process until a flour forms (about 20 seconds).
3. Add 1 can of pumpkin puree, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup of your favorite vanilla-flavored protein powder.
4. Mix in 1.5 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and blend again until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips.
5. Distribute into 12 silicon muffin liners (or regular muffin liners that are greased).
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 25 minutes will be a little more moist while 30 minutes won't be as moist.

Let us know if you try one of these recipes in the comments below! And don't forget, you can stock up on delicious Supernola flavors with a 35% discount by clicking here.

Start by finding balance on one leg. Continue by sitting the support leg hip back, and driving the elevated heel back for a single leg deadlift. From there, return to standing (keep leg elevated OR tap your foot to the ground for balance). Then, step that leg out to a lateral lunge, making sure the knee follows the toe. Push off the foot and quad and return to standing. Repeat 5-8 repetitions and then switch sides. Do 2-3 sets. 

​Starting with feet hips-width apart, complete two quick shuffle steps, then drop into a lunge on the third shuffle. Repeat and lunge on the other side. That is 1 rep. When lowering into lunge, think about the angle of the knees— you want two 90-degree angles. Keep your weight over the lead quad for control. Complete 5-8 repetitions for 2-3 sets.

Did you try this workout? Let us know how it went in the comments below! And be sure to check out the Hudson Valley Adventure Retreat October 2-4, where you can work out with Coach Kate and other Ketanga Coaches!

Ketanga: We have all heard that warmups are important, but are they really?
Kate: ​Yes! The number one reason why I recommend warmups is for longevity. Priming the body for movement, if done correctly, reduces the risk of injury.

I've taken your class and I'm sweating by the end of the warmup— so is it really a warmup?
They are! In addition to injury prevention, my favorite mobility exercises do what any effective warm up should do: gradually raise body temperature and increase blood flow to muscles. 

What do YOU love about mobility and why do you make it a point to include in your own workouts?
I love that so many issues can be addressed in a warmup and set me up for a successful training session. I center my warmup around what I am going to be training and my own specific imbalances or muscles that need extra activation. Then I'm raising my heart rate, doing the work to maintain proper movement patterns, and getting mentally ready for my training session. 

What is a tip to keep in mind when planning a warmup for an at-home workout?
If you look at warmups like a chore or like a hurdle before you even start working out, you're less likely to do them and more likely to get injured. Make the warm up PART of your workout. A dynamic warm up should raise your heart rate, prime all of the joints and muscles for movement (or at least the ones you'll be working on), and reinforce correct movement patterns. See my videos below for some of these exercises :)

Exercise 1: Squat-Walkout-Pushup-Superman Compound Movement

1. Take a narrow stance with feet just hip-width apart.
2. Start the movement with 2 air squats, then walk out to plank position.
3. Once in plank, brace the abdomen and lower the body down with a slow negative pushup. Chest, belly button, and hips will hit the floor at the same time.
4. From here, reach arms out front and move into a super man, squeezing the back and glutes, lifting the arms and legs off of the ground.
5. Place palms on the ground next to the rib cage, press back up into plank and walk the hands into the feet and stand.
6. Complete 5 repetitions.

Exercise 2: Standing I T Y W

1. In a narrow stance with feet just hip-width apart, fold your body by sitting hips back and keeping a straight back.
2. I: Start with arms back by your sides so you're in an "I" shape from head to fingers. Squeeze scapulas together to lift your arms up and back 5 times in a controlled pulsing motion.
3. T: Move arms out into a T shape, thumbs facing up, squeeze scapulas together 5 times.
4. Y: Repeat 5x with arms in a Y shape over head.
5. W: Starting in the same Y position, pull elbows down to the rib cage to make a W shape. Try to touch the elbows to the ribs and squeeze lats down and back.

Pair this mobility warm-up with Coach Kate's at-home strength workout and learn more about the Hudson Valley Adventure Weekend!