Get Better Today Podcast

06/10/2021

Well well well… we have reached day 5/5 of the mini video instructions! 😨

Although this one is a bit different because in this video you will learn how to use each of the movements discussed in previous posts and in the videos and create a WOD ( workout of the day)!

Your workout should incorporate each of your movements or a combination of a couple different ones.

The GOAL for you when you create your workout is to have high intensity and/ or build some strength. As shown in the video this can be done by creating amrap’s (As Many Reps As Possible), using rounds, or sets. This way you are challenging yourself more than you would if you were to just take a walk outside.

Try it out and let us know what your workout was, we would love to hear about your successes!! 🤗💪🏼

The full video can be found on CrossFitGBT’s YouTube channel! 📲

05/10/2021

Happy Monday everyone!! 🤩☀️🍃🤗

Today is day 4/5 of the mini instruction videos on body weight movements. 🥳

It’s time to learn to love BURPEES! 🥰

Burpees are a love hate relationship. They are absolutely fundamental and important for functional movement but they are a lot of work mostly because you are not just focused on one muscle group or part of your body but your ENTIRE body. We say push ups and sit ups use full range of motion, but burpees truly use FULL range of motion, working every muscle and joint in your body! Burpees not only make us stronger but they get us up off the ground. Burpees are also great as they incorporate strength and cardio by increasing your heart rate. So skip that run or bike and work in some burpees to your next workout! 💪🏼

Tips for “perfect” burpee mechanics: 👇🏼

• Feet need to be shoulder width apart or even a bit wider than shoulder width. This allows you to get your feet up and under your body as well as keeping your feet flat for stability.
• Your hands will go on the ground in between your feet, jump BACK, drop to the ground (thighs and chest on the floor), jump UP to your hands, then jump up again with your hands up, standing tall.

For those of you who cannot complete a burpee with proper mechanics due to injury, joint issues, body weight, cannot perform the jumping motion see the following modifications below!

- Step UP burpees. If you cannot correctly and safely jump up to your hands and get your feet underneath your body, but can still jump back you will step UP to your hands.
- Step BACK burpees. If jumping back is still too hard on you, step BACK and UP your burpee to ensure you are being mechanically sound. You will still do the “push up” part of the burpee, just not jump.
- If you are not strong enough in your shoulders and arms where you cannot perform the “push up” part of the burpee you will step back and step up, keeping your arms straight. No dropping to the ground.
- Elevate yourself to a surface like a bar or counter top.

As always head over to CrossFitGBT’s YouTube page to watch the full video on burpees!! 📲

Stay tuned for tomorrow as we will put all of these movements together! 🤗

05/10/2021

Happy Monday everyone! 🤩☀️🍃

03/10/2021

Sunday funday anyone?! 😜🤩🤗

Okay maybe it’s not fun, but maybe it’s relaxing and you got your 8 hours of sleep, you have the house cleaned up and ready for the week while listening to previous podcast episodes, laundry is done, made a nice breakfast or planning dinner for tonight, all of the above!

OR…we were moving and grooving! 🕺🏼💃🏼 Maybe you went for a run, a long walk, worked out, bike ride, or just incorporated some sort of movement into your day!

Well whatever your Sunday turns out to be, take note of our movement topic of the day! Which is no other than the best of the best… SIT-UPS!! Because as you know, if you cannot SIT UP, you cannot GET UP.

Sit ups are the MOST important body weight movement out of all the ones we will cover. It is pertinent that we keep our core strong and maintain it because as we age we rely on our core to keep our body standing up straight and upright with good posture!!

Just like squats and push ups, sit ups are also a full range of motion movement that requires multiple muscles and body parts working together. A proper sit up should target not only your core, but your hips, lower back and glutes as well.

A proper and mechanically sound sit up should have the following:
• Straight legs, feet about shoulder width apart.
• Full extension as you lay down and sit up.
• Shoulders should be in FRONT of your hips, sitting ALL the way up.

* see YouTube video for full demonstration!!

Modifications to a sit up are:
• Slightly bending your knees to allow your hips to aide in sitting up more than your core.
• Have a friend or family member step on the ends of your feet. This allows you to have a base and something to push off of.
• If you do not have someone, try to use weights, a couch, chair, something to hook your toes under to create that same “base”.

However, do not rely on these modifications as our goal is for you to become strong enough to do sit ups consistently without the added help!

The biggest problem to avoid is tucking your knees into your chest. This is not using proper mechanics and actually limits you from being full range of motion!

Have a great rest of your weekend! 🤗

02/10/2021

Saturday is here and came fast! 😟🤯 Hopefully there is some movement worked into your schedule today or tomorrow! 💪🏼

Today’s topic is PUSH UPS. Gotta love them.. or maybe not so much. BUT whatever the answer to that may be we have some tips on how to use proper mechanics and maintaining full range of motion!

Although the push up may seem simple to do, there are many aspects challenging your upper body strength, shoulder flexibility, wrist flexibility, and core strength!

What to focus on 👇🏼

• Hands should be under your shoulders and your elbows should track back behind your body and NOT out to the sides.
• Your body should be in a PLANK position, with a strong core and neutral head.
• Your chest will touch the ground, or countertop, couch, bar, whatever you are using.
• Stay close to your midline aka middle of your body to ensure you are using the proper muscles to create a proper pushing motion.
• If you CANNOT do a full range of motion push up from the ground and maintain mechanics, elevate yourself to a height that allows you to do so. Elevating yourself takes some body weight off of the push up allowing yourself to do a push up with correct form.

All of the above are key to being successful and safe when performing a push up!!

For the video with full demonstration and instruction head over to CrossFitGBT’s YouTube page! 🤗🤗

01/10/2021

There’s some things that just don’t translate well to a recorded podcast… and teaching the key body weight movements is one of them! 💪

This week, Karla has curated a selection of easy, but critical movements that should be a regular part of your routine.

We’ll be sharing more about each movement over the next several days, but you can head over to the CrossFit GBT YouTube page now and learn the basics! Karla even included a brief lesson on how to plan a home workout:

https://youtube.com/c/AbsoluteathletesGB2D

15/09/2021

Ok - be honest...

Are you still getting 1% better when it comes to movement?

If you want the REAL benefits: better sleep, less anxiety, more strength, flexibility, mobility and accomplishment, you need resistance training and an elevated heart rate!

Today, Karla Bennett and Kelly Coker Kim dig in deeper when it comes to getting movement.

What movement have you done this week? Put on your headphones and listen to this during your workout!

11/09/2021

This week on the podcast we had the privilege of chatting with my favorite chef (spoiler alert….he’s my son-in-law) about the real scoop on eating out. Turns out you CAN eat out and have fun and eat delicious food and still maintain good health. We did just that tonight.

10/09/2021

Hello hello hello! 👋🏼🌞

I fear we have TOTALLY skipped over hump day, aka Wednesday, aka podcast episode 2 was released that day and went straight to the weekend!! But hey no better time to talk about navigating eating out before the weekend where let’s be honest… when most of us eat out! 😋

This week we had the pleasure of hosting special guest and executive chef Bill Cawthon! 👏🏼

We get into the nitty gritty of temptation when eating out and how to make the best choices that leave you satisfied and feeling good when you leave the table. Because who wants a stomach ache, bloating, and massive regret after they eat out?! Surely not me! 😟

Luckily we have Bill to give us all the insight & tips on how to enjoy a meal out and what goes on behind closed doors in the kitchen! 😏👨🏼‍🍳

Tune in to Spotify, apple podcasts or www.getbettettodaypodcast.com to catch up on our latest episode! 🎙

Comment below what your biggest struggle is when eating out? We look forward to hearing your answers! 🤗

08/09/2021

Milkshakes🍨 & Muffins 🍮 & French Fries 🍟 ... OH MY!

Ever struggled to ENJOY eating out and making choices that leave you feeling good once you get up from the table?

Or, ever feel the need to avoid restaurants all together because it may put you in a situation where you feel out of control over how the food might be prepared?

Chef Bill shares a few tips for how to enjoy a meal out, and a peek behind the curtain at what's actually happening in the kitchen!

Episode 2 is LIVE NOW! Comment below on YOUR biggest struggle when it comes to eating out... 👇

06/09/2021

We talk about our 5 “whys” on the podcast often. It’s what to look at when you’re faced with difficult wellness choices. This little nugget is one of mine. I want to be able to keep up with her and enjoy her. If only she would sleep past 7 like her brother…..What are yours? Have you thought about it?

01/09/2021

Karla and Kelly are going live tomorrow. What are your burning questions? Let’s talk…..

01/09/2021

🎙SEASON 2 IS LIVE🎙

Karla and Kelly are BACK and we’re kicking off Season 2 having a frank discussion about the hot button phrase “clean eating” what does it really mean, and how does it look on your plate? Plus get a taste of what’s to come on Season 2.

Listen NOW on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or at getbettertodaypodcast.com!

https://www.getbettertodaypodcast.com/episodes/episode-11

Karla and Kelly are BACK and we’re kicking off Season 2 having a frank discussion about the hot button phrase “clean eating” what does it really mean, and how does it look on your plate? Plus get a taste of what’s to come on Season 2.

08/07/2021

Truth 💯

06/07/2021

Remember my friend and Life Coach, Jill Farmer from Episode 6? Well….this is how she serves up sugary, slushy and delicious drinks at her lake house! Gotta work for it! Also, if you missed that episode, load it up and learn how to form other healthy habits. Cheers 🥂

08/06/2021

Karla's delicious breakfast casserole recipe. Check out our story for a video view if you didn't see it yesterday.

Egg Mixture:
12 Eggs (preferably free range, organic)
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk ( you can use regular milk if you would like)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper

Saute:
1 lb Sausage (I use organic chicken sausage)
2 cloves garlic
Then I use whatever veggies I have in the fridge:
For example I typically use:
1 large sweet potato ( I saute this separately with some paprika as it takes longer to cook)
1 red pepper, 1/2 container of mushrooms, 1/2 large onion

Other veggies I sometimes use are:
Brussel Sprouts, broccoli, butternut squash

Directions:
Brown the sausage with the garlic, onions, and all the veggies except for sweet potatoes or butternut squash. I use about a tbsp of avocado oil to saute everything with. I saute those separately with a bit of paprika.

While all that is cooking I whisk together the eggs, almond milk, salt and pepper.

Spread the sausage and veggie mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and then pour the egg mixture over top.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

I cut into 6 equal pieces so that I know for breakfast I get 2 eggs, some sausage and lots of veggies with each serving.

Let us know what you think and what twist you added to it!

06/06/2021

When you find a 12’ long table for your new patio that you haven’t built yet but you gotta have it, you rent a Uhaul and get it loaded and then hurry to the baseball game to entertain employees from the bank and have to park in the outer limits of the parking lot because you have a U-Haul but you’re not daunted because you workout and eat better and can walk with no problem but then a golf cart guy offers a ride and you feel like you should decline and be awesome and get some good steps in but you don’t want to hurt his feelings. Go Royals.

06/06/2021

06/06/2021

Went to see the amazing Leanne Morgan in KC tonight. We all ordered snacks (“They” ordered deep fried Oreos and a giant gluten filled pretzel) and I chose a vegetable. When my French fries never appeared I began looking around to see if Karla Bennett was in the back saying “DO NOT take those out, she KNOWS that doesn’t work!!!” 🤨.

05/06/2021

Love wins. Every. Single. Time. ❤️🌈 ❤️

20/05/2021

Cherry season is here!!! It’s ALMOST as good as a cupcake and still a fruit. Kelly eats them by the pound, Karla by the stem. Vive la difference’. Get ‘ya some. 🍒

17/05/2021

What a ride! The first season of our podcast has been full of growth, learning, trying new things and all working together to get just 1% better. And you know what we discovered?

1% Better is Life-Changing!

If you’ve been on the journey with us… or maybe following along but haven’t quite decided to dive in, this episode is for you. We’re going to hit the highlights of season one plus share a few new tips for nutrition that we know you’re going to love.

Plus, we talk about the WHY this 1% Better matters for all of us as we move forward out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Don’t miss it!

https://www.getbettertodaypodcast.com/

11/05/2021

🚦Slow your scroll! 🚦

Have you been enjoying the podcast? We’d LOVE to hear from you!

We’re going to be wrapping up Season 1 next week, can you believe it?

We’re also getting geared up to record BRAND NEW content for season 2, and we want your ideas, questions & feedback!

Share below your favorite episode of season 1, any major changes you’ve implemented since your started listening AND one topic you’d love for us to cover next season:

04/05/2021

Karla stages an intervention to help Kelly see the reality of what she's doing to her body when it comes to sugar. They cover every day items you may have NO idea how much sugar they contain. Plus... no one can stop laughing this entire video 🤣

28/04/2021

These are a few of Kelly’s favorite things. What are a few of yours? Tomorrow we are coming to you LIVE with how much sugar you didn’t know you were eating and some options that are surprisingly delicious and not loaded with it.

Send me your favorite sweets and snacks and we will include them. If you’re shy, send in a DM.

27/04/2021

🧁 Episode 8 is up on all your favorite podcast platforms! 🧁

We all know cupcakes aren’t doing us any favors when it comes to our health but even if we’re avoiding the obvious offenders, sugar finds its way to practically everything made outside of nature. If you’ve got a sweet tooth - which we all know Kelly does! - this episode will help you identify some ways to start making better choices, and the reality of what those beautifully designed cakes are doing to our bodies.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-better-today/id1555983556 =18e54962-bbc7-40d6-a06a-a354a0456ef6

23/04/2021

Laying awake staring at the ceiling and ordering jeggings in every color from QVC? Want it to stop? Tune in to Episode 7 and get help developing a sleep routine to get you to those zzz’s 😴

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-better-today/id1555983556

Everyone looks forward to waking up rested without a fight with the alarm clock so… why does good sleep evade us?

22/04/2021

WHY CAN'T I SLEEP CHECK LIST:
1. Inconsistent or lack thereof a sleep routine-this is a big one people!
2. Late day caffeine.
3. No daily exercise
4. Blue light exposure before bed. Turn your TVs , computers and phones off and keep them off
5. Lack of daytime sunlight
6. Alcohol late in the evening
7. Eating before bed or in the middle of the night

Our episode this week talks about all of this. If you haven't listened, take a moment today and tune in. Your body will thank you for it. https://www.getbettertodaypodcast.com/episodes/episode-7

Everyone looks forward to waking up rested without a fight with the alarm clock so… why does good sleep evade us?

19/04/2021

Everyone looks forward to waking up rested without a fight with the alarm clock so… why does good sleep evade us? And what’s the solution to getting there?

Your body does it’s best healing work when you’re in deep, uninterrupted sleep. If you’ve struggled to catch a consistent 6-8 hours every night, then don’t miss this weeks episode of the podcast!

Karla and Kelly dig into tips and insights to set you up for a successful journey to dreamland 😴

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bsG7POn5Wi4uKNQz6leQF?si=5RGegbuyT0Klf-V77oW_5w

19/04/2021

This past week on the podcast we talked about the excuses we tell ourselves on why we can't find time for those "healthy habits." The top 2 excuses people tell me as to why they can't make it to the gym or can't eat a healthy diet is "don't have time" and "I can't afford it." While both valid excuses, here are a few facts for you to consider when making your choices.

- average age of a hip replacement patient: 70
- average age of a knee replacement patient: 61
- average age of a heart attack patient: 65
- average age of a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis: 56

- most common reason people are no longer able to care for themselves: muscle atrophy (loss of muscle mass)
- the age we begin losing muscle mass if we are not actively working to maintain or grow it: 30!!

If the only investment you are making in your future is financial...more than likely...you are saving for a retirement that you won't even be able to enjoy. You are just as responsible for the body you end up with at retirement as you are the bank account. As I have said many times on the podcast and in my gym; the choices we make today will affect how we get to live our life tomorrow. The choice is yours.

18/04/2021

Practicing gratitude on this beautiful spring morning in St. Louis. Yep, turns out that gratitude propels us forward in our journey to develop new healthy living habits. Thanks Jill Farmer

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-better-today/id1555983556?i=1000516793427

15/04/2021

If you’ve ever been curious about what it would be like to have a life coach, this week’s episode is packed full of wisdom from one of the very best! Jill Farmer...

Jill has been featured everywhere from Inc. to Fitness Magazine, and served on The Washington Post’s Timehacker team of time management experts.

Jill travels the U.S. bringing her acclaimed time and stress management programs to top companies and organizations like Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Purina, Edward Jones, Graybar Electric, the American Academy of Cardiology, Ivy League universities, and more.

She was an Emmy Award-winning TV journalist who is now a master certified time and stress management coach. Jill combines engaging storytelling with evidence-based methods, supported by the latest research on stress, burnout, and productivity.

Jill is the author of There’s Not Enough Time…and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves which debuted as a bestseller on Amazon. Jill has been featured everywhere from Inc. to Fitness Magazine, and served on The Washington Post’s Timehacker team of time management experts.

And most important to me, Jill is a great friend.

“I notice that people stay stuck because they're afraid of disappointment. If we can expand our capacity by 10%, even, to handle disappointment or discomfort, we really give ourselves the potential to make life a lot richer.” - Jill Farmer.

12/04/2021

Ever pushed the snooze button instead of getting out of bed for that early morning walk? How about reaching for the box of cereal instead of taking the time to make those vegetables that will probably go bad in your fridge?

We’ve ALL done it. Even Karla 🤯 (maybe...?)

If we let excuses stand between us and our wellness goals, we’ll never reach them. But, getting past them is easier said than done, so we’ve brought in an expert!

Jill Farmer, author of the book “There’s Not Enough Time… And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves," joins us on the podcast today to share all kinds of insightful tips on how to move past those excuses, and begin living the life that you desire. Jill is wise and delightful, and we had an absolute blast recording it.

Drop us a line below and share the BIGGEST EXCUSE that gets in YOUR way, and let us know if you’ll be listening this week!

10/04/2021

This past Wednesday it was World Health Day. On March 1 we released our first podcast: Getting Started: Why 1% Better Matters, and began our journey together on improving our health a little bit everyday. Since then we have talked about hydration, nutrition, movement, and finding your why. In honor of World Health Day we would love to hear what new healthy habits you have added into your day and how you have got 1% better. What's working for you, what's hard but you are determined to work your way through it. Sharing with others helps all of and fosters the community we are trying to grow. We are all stronger together.

Join us this coming Monday where we talk to our guest, master certified life coach, Jill Farmer, on the obstacles and excuses that get in the way of our best intentions.

06/04/2021

Last week on the podcast we talked about your “whys.” Hopefully you have listened and spent some time really trying to identify what your “whys” are. They are unique to you and impactful to know on your health journey.

From my experience as a coach and athlete and someone who is passionate about health and wellness, I have learned that your whys are not stagnant, they are evolving as you evolve. My whys have changed dramatically over the years. What was important to me in my 20’s is definitely not my driving force in my 50’s. I have learned to respect my body and all that it does or doesn’t do for me. And now that I am in my 50’s, with the knowledge that I have, I am 100% aware that my choices today decide how I get to live my tomorrow. I no longer take my health/ body for granted, ever. It usually gives me strong signals when I am doing something wrong.

One of my whys is that I am able to live an active lifestyle despite having pretty severe arthritis in both knees. I have been told numerous times that it is impressive that I can do what I do with the damaged knees that I have. I have learned that the stronger my muscles, tendons and ligaments are supporting my knees, the healthier and more able I am. Sitting on a couch does not help me at all. It makes it worse. Extra weight on my knees doesn’t help me at all. It makes it worse. So one of my whys that keeps me striving for lean body mass and working hard in the gym on a regular basis is the health of my knees.

What is your why? I would like to hear from you and see a photo of you with one of your why’s?

05/04/2021

It’s spring break! While we’re not knocking back shots or ripping off bikinis, we are taking a short hiatus from the podcast. 😜

We’ll be back next week with a brand new episode featuring my personal guru and life coach, Jill Farmer Coaching. She’s about to smash all your excuses. Get ready!

05/04/2021

Wondering what to do with your leftover Easter candy? Share it or wear it.....

Happy Easter!

XOXO
Karla and Kelly 🐰

01/04/2021

This week on the podcast we talk about "your whys." It's such an important part of your journey yet can be so hard to identify. As we discuss, it's usually not what is laying on the surface and seems so obvious. Most people that come to my gym or talk to me about nutrition tell me their goal is to lose weight and/ or to get healthy. That is so broad and can mean a bunch of different things. My first question to them is "why" and we go from there. Initially they have a hard time figuring out their why. It's hard to do. It's something you have to spend some time thinking about and talking through but the results speak for themselves.

In order to be successful on your journey, you need to know where you are going. Those that have clarity have a much better chance at long term success. They know where they are going and why they are going there.

I encourage you to find time this week to figure out your why(s). The podcast,https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-better-today/id1555983556?i=1000514849588, will give you some ideas on how to go about doing that. Talk it through with someone close to you or even talk it through with yourself. I always get much more insight when I actually talk something through, even if it's with just myself.

29/03/2021

Things get REAL today on the podcast. We've talked a lot about small, simple changes you can make to improve your lives... but there is one thing that makes the BIGGEST difference on your journey to health.

It's your why. If you've ever avoided facing that reality (trust us, we all have here!) this episode will walk you step-by-step of how to get there.

Make sure you stick around until the end, where Kelly faces her own fears and speaks them out loud. Don't miss it!

https://www.getbettertodaypodcast.com/episodes/episode-5