Posted on : 03-02-2012 | By : KJ | In : Fitness
We can’t wait to see what Madonna plans to wear this Sunday at the Super Bowl to show off her buff body. Before that O2 MAX will be offering a workout on the beach-with lots of focus on upper body & core. To RSVP email us.
We’ve also got a mini workout challenge you & your friends can do during the commercials. If nothing else Madonna sporting her yoga buffed guns should inspire you a little bit!
Posted on : 01-02-2012 | By : KJ | In : Fitness
As we launch our PromFit website today I am excited to participate on The Accidental Yogist’s show and share why I think Yoga is so important for teens and why O2 MAX incorporates it into our PromFit Program. Here are just some of the reasons we think Yoga is so great!
Listen to our segment live or catch it on podcast later on:
yoga chat with the accidental yogist
livestreamed online at killradio.org
podcast archives at ayogist.podomatic.com
episodes can be downloaded via itunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/
facebook: www.facebook.com/
www.facebook.com/
twitter: @yogachat @ayogist @o2max @promfitness
Wednesday, feb 1st 2012: 1-2:30
Visit us at PromFit
Posted on : 30-12-2011 | By : KJ | In : Blog
I tried to think of all the fitness related people and companies that inspired me in 2011 that I’m excited to be a part of in 2012. I am sure I am leaving some stuff out but here are some of the highlights:
- The “Ed Foundation” raises money for the Santa Monica – Malibu Unified School District to help with programming for Arts, Athletics, and Academics. I met Linda, the Executive Director in 2008 when I approached her about doing a 5K race to help raise funds for the School District. As many things in life, it always takes longer to happen but this past year the SM5000, a race that Generic Events has been producing helped raise about $40K for SMMEF!
- 2012: The SMMEF is growing and I’m excited to be on one of the new committees that has been formed. We are also looking for students that love to:
- plan events (help with events that the Education Foundation will be producing this year)
- take pictures (help us with various projects we need students to capture pictures for)
- produce, edit or write short scripts for a video series (perfect for aspiring film makers)
- be on camera (we need student testimonials and questions/answers on video)
- Email us if interested!
- Its signature K-SWISS “CLASSIC,” the first leather tennis shoe, made its debut at Wimbledon in 1966, and more than 40 years later, is still a style staple both on and off the court. It opened its first retail shop in Santa Monica and as a fitness enthusiast it has been incredible watching K-Swiss captivate the local running community and getting to do events with them. I’m a big fan of K-Swiss sneaks and recommend checking them out!
- 2012: Stop by and meet Joe & Mike. Check out their Monday night runs @ 6:30 PM, they are friendly and open to all levels.
- Mega-Celebrity Fitness Trainer and Aerobic Instructor in Hollywood, CA. Dion is one of the most down to earth, humble, grounded people I have met, not just in fitness but in general. He has an amazing energy and aura to him! I first met Dion in 2009 when Lee Fox, the founder of KooDooZ introduced us and he participated in Tour de Fitness. It’s been a fun journey so far and the fun is only getting started!
- 2012:
- Join Dion Wednesdays @ 930 AM @ Universal City Walk.
- Bristol Farms Health Fair Produced by Dion – January 8 @ 10-6. Some of the best in the city of angels will be offering FREE workouts & goodies , myself included!
The California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) is a non-profit, voluntary membership corporation formed exclusively to promote the organizing and progress of school, community and statewide programs of health, physical education, recreation and dance.- Executive Director Drisha has been doing amazing things with innovative campaigns like the Global Jumping Jack Initiative, where we got to break the Guinness Book World Record of the most number of people doing Jumping Jacks in 24 hours!
- 2012: Drisha added a golf tournament in memory of Jack LaLanne & fundraiser to the annual CAHPERD conference. Check it out this February in Pasadena.
- As O2 MAX launched phase 1 of its college program, MAX U we got to meet and interact w/
hundreds of college students both locally and online with the help of our College Fitness Experts. We presented at CSUN for SMWLA and got meet Kim Henige. I first connected with her when she worked at USC. She’s doing some amazing things with the Kinesiology Club @ CSUN.
- 2012: Students will be able to participate in programs like MAX U’s Fit Coach Program and get some hands on experience with other students!
I started doing some work with Advertise Purple and one of the brands we are working with is called Electric Yoga. It is the inspiration of designer Michelle Bohbot (XOXO, Bisou Bisou) and launches officially on 1.1.12. As a teen I wore some of her clothing and am excited to watch this female entrepreneur “electrify” Los Angeles and the Yoga community with her new line! 
- 2012: You can start by entering to win a bag from the new line!
- An initiative from Bumble Bee Tuna where individuals can log miles with its innovative BeeWell Miles program where individuals can donate .1o of each mile logged to the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization™
- Beewellforlife.com has been an amazing supporter and partner with the launch of MAXU this past fall. It was fun watching our College Fitness Experts and other runners get inspired by logging miles.
- 2012: Create a FREE account on their site, dedicate your training to someone that may have had breast cancer or just dedicate your miles Period!
30 year & 3,000,000 pounds later, Richard Simmons is still going strong. Yes, he is still around and energizing people of all ages! If you have not ever taken one of his classes you have to! Richard connected me to Drisha and it has been an amazing journey ever since. 
- 2012: Yes-he still teaches and you can take one of his classes. It was SO much fun! He told me I was “even cuter than a mermaid in person.” Thank you Richard for inspiring so many over the year.
This past year the fitness industry and the world lost a very special person. Jack LaLanne was the first health club I ever stepped foot into with my mom. Years later it was the first health club I got to join as a high school senior. Years later I entered the fitness industry and always wanted to meet Jack. Sadly I never got to meet him but have been blessed to get to know Elaine, his wife, and his family. Thank you Drisha for making this dream happen. I look forward to 2012 and continuing to be inspired and carry on his legacy and impact.
Got an inspiring fitness related event to share for 2012? Let me know!
Cheers to an amazing 2012!
-KJ
Even if we have our best intentions – many of us are likely to overindulge on Thanksgiving. BUT there are some tactics you can use to minimize the damage that may result! And for all the dessert lovers (myself definitely included) dessert is part of the plan!
Here is the general strategy
- Find out what will be at dinner that you know you can’t (or do not want to) resist
- AMP up the workouts the week before
- Instead of sitting around all morning go get your workout on!
- LOTS of water
- And the morning after – get your workout on AGAIN!
The more calories you can burn before your meal, the better! When we exercise, our bodies require more energy and our metabolism speeds up to supply it. After an intense exercise session the body starts using more fat and less carbohydrates. Several hormones that are released during exercise remain elevated in the blood afterward, increasing metabolism. There is still mixed research on how much you really burn after workouts but the general consensus is that an intense workout will continue to burn more calories than one that doesnt require you to exert much energy.
The day before
- AMP up your workout
- drink lots of water
- eat on the healthier side
Before you head out the door for Thanksgiving dinner:
- Breakfast – You’re going to do an intense workout so make sure you eat something to give you some extra energy. You are doing yourself a disservice by fasting or starving.
- Do an INTENSE workout. If you can finish your workout pretty close to the meal, lots of your calories will essentially be used as “post workout fuel” as I like to refer to it as. You will want to have a small snack afterwards if you worked hard, and that way you won’t show up famished to Thanksgiving dinner.
At the Thanksgiving Meal
Determine your strategy before you even get there. If you’re not sure that there will be at least 1 healthy thing you might want to get some new friends. In all seriousness, offer to bring a salad or some steamed veggies.
- Pre-nibbles – avoid them or chose the raw veggies. Celery is a great bet as it is mostly water and super low in calories.
- Survey your options before you start piling up your plate.
- Fill your plate w veggies first – try to make as many of them steamed or dressing on the side as possible then some white meat turkey- then some extra carbs like stuffing as an after thought
- What is your must have? What do you not get to eat most of the year? Savor it
- It’s all about portions – smaller portions- allow you to sample more things.
- Chew your food slowly – when you take the time to properly chew your food, you will eat slower and less, but still feel full after your meal. Eating slower gives your brain time to register that you are eating, and therefore it is able to send a signal that you are full when you have eaten enough. You usually have to be about 20 minutes into the meal before your brain is able to send this signal.
- Are you going back for seconds or dessert-Are you a sampler? a chocolate person? a fruit person? an equal opportunity person? Personally I LOVE dessert. I’d rather give up any other carb to have dessert and I’d rather try a bite of most than just have one dessert and wonder about the rest. If there is fruit. Grab some fruit.
- MOVE away from the table
- Be helpful – help set the table, clean the dishes, bring food to and from the table
- Post Dinner Walk. Donate your miles to a good cause with beewellforlife!
- Play with the nieces, nephews, cousins, etc.
- The morning after
- WORKOUT: if you did over-indulge do a short run or walk before Breakfast. You’ll burn off some extra calories and put some of the extra carbs to work. Muscles use sugar as fuel, so use it up while you can and give your metabolism a little boost. If you plan to do a long endurance workout or an intense workout however you WILL want to eat something small for breakfast. You are doing yourself a dis-service if you attempt an intense workout without eating anything.
- Lots of water
Bottom line (no pun intended) – the real trick is to learn how to MAXimize your metabolism all the time. It can be one of the most powerful things you can do in the long run. Burning calories here and there is definitely helpful and needed but the more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body will keep burning, even when you are sitting on the couch doing nothing. While there are things you can do to burn off some of that stuffing or pumpkin pie, what you really want to think about is what you are doing leading up to Thanksgiving and what you can do after Thanksgiving. Don’t wait till New Years to Make Your Resolutions either. Start this week!
And truth be told – one meal with a few extra calories won’t completely sabotage your figure. It’s the post Thanksgiving meal, the pre-meal nibbles and going back for seconds that will do more damage. Many of us are not active all day, and this is why you want to do as much as you can to condition your body to burn calories all the time. This can only be done over-time. But in the mean-time you can get started now! Visit www.maxufitness.com or www.o2maxfitness.com for some Thanksgiving week workouts!
Tips from some of our favorite fitness professionals:
- Eat your healthy meals before you go out to dinner or happy hour
- Plan your cardio workout for the next day ahead of time.
- No doggie bags after dinner.
-Dion Jackson, MEGA Celebrity Trainer
KABC’s Lori Corbin-aka- Food Coach shares some of her SEVEN favorites:
- NEVER eat anything unless the food is on a plate and you are sitting down so you can pay attention to it and enjoy it.
- Each bite averages about 25 calories. Think about that when you are grabbing a handful of this and a smidgen of that.
- Having a couple of cups of water before you eat can rehydrate you and help squelch your appetite
- If you ADD fruit and/or vegetable to every eating occasion, you will naturally eat less calorie while gaining more nutrition to your meal.
- If you are going to have something that isn’t so good for you – a cupcake, a big slice of cheesy pizza – ‘SIT AND SAVOR.’ Give yourself permission to enjoy a treat food, but do so with all of your senses. Notice the appearance, the smell, the texture, and of course the taste.
Tips from some of our Facebook Favorites
- Kimmy Ratican digistive enzymes!!
- Libby Bradley, Senior at UCLA and amazing triathlete: “ Small snack before big meal so you don’t overindulge”
- Monica Benyamin ”Put the fork down and step away from the dinner table!”
- Debra Pivko, copy editor at Beachbody: Don’t pile everything on the plate. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach sometimes. Focus on family and conversation rather than stuffing your face. Wait 20 minutes before going back for seconds.
- about an hour ago · Like
- Marc Lebovitz, Water Polo player, Super Buff Swimmer/Entrepreneur: Have one big, great meal. Nobody gets fat off of one meal. It’s the leftover pie, cookies, and gravy that you eat for the next two weeks that’ll get you.
- Susan Staraci , Santa Monica resident and very svelte mom of 2 says “Thanksgiving Dinner is NOT The Last Supper. There will be, more tomorrow’
- Risa Castillo-Jiron Lots of water throughout the day. Can’t over eat if there’s no room left!
- Jennifer Lynn Eat all the veggies (that aren’t soaked in oil or butter) first
- Sylvia RJ Scott, Founder, Girls CEO Connection: Take a walk after dinner with your family or have a game of football before you eat. I have friends who do that every Thanksgiving. It is so much fun, even in the sn
Karen Jashinsky is the founder of O2 MAX-a fitness & media company based in Santa Monica, CA that creates custom fitness programs for busy students integrating personal training, group workouts, fitness passes and online coaching. She takes an entrepreneurial approach to creating fitness solutions for her clients so they can reach their goals and MAXimize their lifestyles. Having recovered a near fatal bicycle accident Karen is a huge advocate of a strong core and integrates yoga and Pilates based moves into most of her strength and fitness training programs. 
Everything you need to know during exam time
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Posted on : 16-11-2011 | By : KJ | In : Events
Everything you need to know to stay fit, strong & healthy while you juggle your school and social life…especially as the holiday temptations and exam stress approach!
Join Karen, the founder of O2 MAX for a series of workshops that will include nutrition, fitness, personalized plans and goal setting. Through her own struggles of being a bad test taker, wanting to go to a top university, working or having internships, and being fitness obsessed, Karen was constantly trying to find out ways to make it all happen. She is excited to share tricks and tips she has learned while helping students get creative with ways to fit workouts and better food choices into their schedules.
RSVP to karen to get more details on locations, dates and times!
This past summer, I had the honor of speaking to a class of high schools students from across the country aspiring to be entrepreneurs at USC. I surveyed the class of approximately 60 students to find out what their goals were. The majority response was “get stronger.” I was curious to see if the class was going to be more male heavy but it was actually pretty equally split between males and females. As an advocate of youth fitness and a firm believer in the benefits of strength training, this response fascinates me. I really believed the majority would say “lose weight.”
Years ago, strength training for kids got a bad wrap. Fear and lack of knowledge mostly drove people to believe that strength training would stunt a kid’s growth. The reasons as to why strength training is beneficial is almost as great as the number of exercises that fall into the category. Not only can strength training protect bone and muscle mass, help develop better body mechanics, increase energy levels and burn calories, but it can also be done without an expensive gym membership or gym equipment 1. As the importance of strength training is becoming more commonly known, O2 MAX surveyed and interviewed students ages 10 to 22 years old to find out the younger generation’s view on this important form of exercise.
The broad range of opinions of what strength training actually is to students is almost as wide as the strength training exercises that exist. When the students were asked to define strength training, answers ranged from weight machines to resistance bands to cardio that involved strengthening specific muscle groups to something done in PE. The majority of students surveyed knew that strength training was important and most had tried it, but the general consensus was that they needed to include it more often into their workout. The Center For Disease Control and Prevention, one of many government organizations that emphasizes exercise as an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle, suggests strength training of all of the major muscle groups be included into the recommended daily activity 2-3 times a week2.
Libby Bradley, a student going into her junior year at UCLA and member of the UCLA Triathlon Club said that she was first introduced to strength training in 10th grade when she took a class titled “Strength and Conditioning for Women” that was offered through her high school’s Physical Education Program. Libby stated, “The fact that it was with all girls made it less intimidating and I think it is something that has helped me stay with strength training until today.” Libby and other girls surveyed agreed that strength training can be intimidating, whether it is because of the boys in the gym along side that or the large number of exercises to choose from. Like the PE class Libby took in high school, a more focused class that taught the basics of strength training and specific exercises to target each muscle group would be greatly beneficial to the majority of students who want to incorporate strength training into their weekly exercise routine.
For the busy high school and college students of today, it is difficult to find time to exercise regularly let alone follow a strength training regimen. Libby said, “My biggest challenge is trying not to stress too much about school and triathlon training. I have gotten much better about organizing my time well and figuring out when I will be doing what each day. I have found
that a calender for these events is very helpful.” And while scheduling is always a difficulty, most students going into college are aware of the necessity of regular exercise. When asked about the dreaded “freshman 15,” recent Santa Monica High School graduate Mardi Jacobson said. “I know that I have to stay on track because I won’t be one of those people who gain weight their first year. I feel that if I stay focused and keep my plan or workout schedule then I will be fine.”
The most important aspect of the students’ opinions on strength training (and fitness in general) was the realization by all surveyed that exercise is an important facet to leading a healthy life along with their desire to incorporate more strength training into their workout regimen in order to stay fit. The willingness and desire is there, and it seems with a little structure and guidance put in place, the younger generation can realize the benefits of strength training.
-Jenni Brown, Miranda H & Karen Jashinsky
1. http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/add-strength-training-to-your-workout.aspx
1. http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/add-strength-training-to-your-workout.aspx
2. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html
Posted on : 13-10-2011 | By : KJ | In : Uncategorized
Help O2 MAX win upcoming social media personality! 
Posted on : 12-10-2011 | By : KJ | In : Uncategorized
24 hours of jumping jacks began at The White House as the world sets out to break the Guinness Book World Record of the most number of people doing Jumping Jacks in 24 hours!
If you are in any of these areas we hope you will join us for one last BIG effort of jumping!
9:45 AM @ LA Fitness Universal City Walk - Celebrity Trainer Dion Jackson will be leading a minute of jumping jacks!
10 AM: Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
11 AM: Equinox Santa Monica : Bryan and Heidi, Jerry Royster is a former Los Angeles Dodger and a very important friend of CAHPERD’s: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Royster. He will be joining Elaine LaLanne, and CAHPERD Leaders Joanie Verderber, James Perry, Dan Latham and Karen Jashinsky as official Judges/Supervisors/Time Keepers of the event.
Share pictures and video of people jumping- (especially looking for fun shots of large groups at schools, businesses, well know landmarks and signs). Photos and videos can be shared with O2 MAX to be included in the final media project. Pictures & videos can be posted directly to Facebook by sending them to arose899moppet@m.facebook.com or directly to info@o2maxfitnss.com
* Content captured will be part of a BIGGER media project that O2 MAX is working on in partnership with the LaLanne Family & CAHPERD demonstrating how social media is being used to connect the world with fitness while sharing the legacy of Jack LaLanne, “the godfather of fitness” to today’s millennial generation.
For info on any of the events visit Facebook for updates!
On October 11th at 3 PM a global initiative to break the Guinness Book of World Records of the most number of jumping jacks in a 24 hour period begins. The #MAXjumpingjackwave begins at the White House and will continue around the world as part of National Kids Health Month.
Several ways that EVERYONE can get involved:
1. Register to be an official jump site and leader at registration@cahperd.org (schools & businesses needed) or visit www.cahperd.org
2. Volunteer from 3-6 on October 11 at a participating Jamba Juice Location. You can wear branded shirts and capture pictures and videos the day of to contribute to the social media part of the campaign. Volunteers receive 30 Free Smoothie Coupons for their favorite program or volunteers and free food and drink while they are volunteering. Everyone will be invited to a special Reception at the 2012 CAHPERD Pasadena Conference where the final media project will be released. For a list of Jamba Juice sites participating visit: http://tinyurl.com/3komvt6.
3. Share pictures and video of people jumping- (especially looking for fun shots of large groups at schools, businesses, well know landmarks and signs). Photos and videos can be shared with O2 MAX to be included in the final media project. Pictures & videos can be posted directly to Facebook by sending them to arose899moppet@m.facebook.com or directly to info@o2maxfitnss.com
* Content captured will be part of a BIGGER media project that O2 MAX is working on in partnership with the LaLanne Family & CAHPERD demonstrating how social media is being used to connect the world with fitness while sharing the legacy of Jack LaLanne, “the godfather of fitness” to today’s millennial generation.
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