Ki Pendleton

Kicking it with Ki

- 10 Steps To a New You In 2021

WWritten by Mia Nicole e’ve all been there: It’s the morning of December 31st and before eating breakfast, you walk in the bathroom, close your eyes and gingerly step on the scale. Then as you look down at the painfully, honest numbers, you say to yourself, “I will do better starting in January!” Now that 2021 is here, (and we hope and pray it is better than 2020) it’s truly an opportunity to make those necessary lifestyle changes to become a new you. But how can you do it? We asked Personal Fitness Trainer and dancer, Kiana “Ki” Pendleton, CEO and Founder of KP Fitness, to share some ways that help her.

When Ki was a young girl, watching her grandfather lift weights, was something that really intrigued her. “I used to watch my grandfather all the time as he lifted weights, and I wanted to do it too.” Ki says with a smile. “So he began to teach me how to lift and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with weight lifting.” A fan of the arts, as she grew up, Ki wanted to be a dancer. Not only was it a way for her to express herself, but she was exceptional at it and is self-taught. One advantage was that it was a phenomenal way to keep in shape. “I did ballet, tap, jazz – all kinds of dance.” However, she found one specific kind of dance that was the catalyst for her becoming a fitness instructor. “I learned to pole dance.” Ki states with a shrug. “I became so good at it, that women asked me to teach classes and help other women use this method to strengthen their bodies. When I saw women excited about what they were learning as well as lose weight, I decided that I wanted to do this forever and became a Certified Personal Trainer through W.I.T.S Academy (World Instructor Training Academy). That is how my company KP Fitness was born.” A young Millennial herself, in addition to working with adults, Ki also enjoys working with the Gen Z. “I have a few clients that are teenagers,” she says. “And they are really concerned about being healthy and fit, to the point that they have reached out to me for my services. I just love what I do!” And she is good at it!

Instead of making resolutions that you can’t keep, Ki suggests making goals. So let’s kick it into gear with Ki and start the New Year off right with her “10 Steps to a New You in 2021.”

To a New You in 202110 Steps

1. Mentally prepare yourself for the New Year - 2. Create ‘Smart Goals’ - Goals help you Twenty-twenty has been a know where you are going year like no other. Reflect and and how long it takes to think about what you did well get there. You want to crethroughout the year and see ate goals that are specific, if there is anything that you measurable, attainable, rewant to improve on. alistic, and time-bound. 3. Get Plenty of Sleep It is very hard to function if you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep. That leads to sleep deprivation and that is not good for you. Your body needs an average of 7.5 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep can result in your metabolism not functioning properly. Two hormones that are key in this 4. Have a Workout Buddy - Having someone to process are Ghrelin and Leptin. Michael Breus, Ph.D. – The Sleep Doctor, says, “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”work out with help to motivate you and keep you accountable. Find someone who is serious and has similar goals. However, even if they quit, don’t you! Find a new buddy! 6. Schedule Your Workouts - Create a schedule for the time and day that you want to work out. Choose your exercise clothing the night before; that way, if there are any obstacles such as oversleeping – you will be ready to go. 5. Drink More Water - Simply put: Water is essential to being 7. Find exercises that interest you If you don’t have a gym membership, don’t worry – you don’t have to! Try exercises at home, such healthy. as dancing, Pilates, or yoga. Gets that heart pumping!

8. Schedule Your Workouts - Create a schedule for the time and day that you want to work out. Choose your exercise clothing the night before; that way, if there are any obstacles such as oversleeping – you will be ready to go.

9. Never Give Up - January 1st is when everyone begins to work off their holiday weight; and after March is the biggest time when people fall off.

10. Meal Prep – Preparing your meals ahead of time takes the guesswork out of what to eat throughout the week. It also saves time.

“Water is essential to being healthy”

Follow Ki on Instagram @kpfittness_

Do you believe?

Views From Yosemite

There is a quote by Albert Einstein that reads - “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”. I believe that when you listen to the silence of nature, smell every scent of the tree bark, and look up into Written by Amina Touray the sky, you will reconnect with your purpose and find the answers you’ve been searching for that the noise from the outside world is distracting you with. Yosemite National Park is a place I have wanted to visit ever since my days back in college. My photographer teacher, Dave, use to show us Ansel Adams’s renowned Yosemite photos and tell us that every photographer should go there one day. That “one day” didn’t reach me until nine years later. During the chaos, nature, and prayers have been my escape. When I looked up at the mountains I felt embraced by a force that told me everything will be okay.

During one of our hikes, we found a creek that we decided to cross. Jumping from rock to rock was challenging, but exciting! A lot of times when I’m outdoors, I feel like a big child, experimenting with the “what ifs”. Although I almost slipped and got my foot wet I couldn’t help