Most workouts focus solely on physical transformations. That is, after all, why we do them, isn’t it? To lose weight. To get fit. To be physically healthy. A new workout in Pearland is blending fitness with martial arts to get women physically, mentally and emotionally fit too. It’s called Katarina’s HIIT and Run; ‘HIIT’ as in high-intensity interval training and ‘Run’ as in self-defense.
“It was supposed to be just a little experimental thing,” says Dr. Katarina Conrad, a black belt who came up with the idea a little more than a year ago.
She was looking for a way to blend martial arts and fitness. When she didn't find a program that existed, she created one.
“Every single push-up, sit-up, lunge, it’s a little bit twisted from our traditional push-ups, sit-ups and lunges,” she points out.
Students do all those exercises we’re used to (with a twist) for three rounds with heart-pumping results. Then they learn why: every action can be used for self-defense.
Tonight, we had a privilege to host Brandi Smith from CBS’ local news KHOU! We loved her! So sweet and quite a fighter!...
Over the course of eight weeks, the women taking HIIT and Run learn how to fight back – whether they’re thrown up against a wall or pinned on the ground.
“It’s not just learning how to protect their bodies, they also learn how to protect their minds and emotions,” Conrad says.
The class has another benefit: community, as women train together and empower each other.
“This is the kind of program I really believe every woman and girl should take,” says Conrad.
Right now, she is only offering HIIT and Run out of her studio in Pearland, but she’s hoping to expand into more Houston neighborhoods. Click here to learn more.
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