Live from Miami: Karena Answers Your Questions on Workout Snacks, Motivation Slumps and Vacation Mode in Your App

We are LIVE from Miami and Karena and Des are fresh off a Walk & Talk with local Tone It Up gals. Today, they’re digging into YOUR community questions: what to do when motivation disappears, why building muscle feels harder after 40, the "lazy but effective" workouts that still count, and how to stay on track while traveling. Plus a huge announcement about where Tone It Up is filming next. Drop your own question at karenadawn.com/message and you could be featured on the pod! [7:06] Motivation Ebbs, Flows & Showing Up Anyway Karena gets honest about founding Tone It Up at 27 out of a passion for fitness, after living through her "decade of darkness" Her go-to fix: show up for just one small step — a 5, 10, or 15-minute workout in the app — and let the feeling of doing it rebuild the motivation. Big takeaway: lacking motivation is normal, especially with hormone shifts throughout the month, and an accountability partner can help. [9:55] Building Muscle After 40 & the Power of Protein Karena explains that muscle loss after 40 is real (hello, sarcopenia) and connects it to perimenopause and menopause and shares that she's building a program specifically on gaining muscle. Her practical advice: prioritize protein throughout the day, and consider creatine and aminos alongside consistent weight lifting. [11:26] Workout Snacks, Travel Routines & Vacation Mode Karena's favorite "workout snacks": squats every bathroom break, dumbbells kept on the kitchen island, and walking phone calls instead of sitting. Des shares how walkable cities like New York and Montreal turn exploring into built-in movement The app's Vacation Mode program (7 days, no weights required) is built to keep a light routine going without sacrificing the fun of a trip. [16:34] Big News: Filming in Saint Vincent After years of requests for beach workouts, Tone It Up is headed to Saint Vincent in the Caribbean to film, plus a surprise beyond the workouts themselves. Karena and Des close with an open invitation: DM your ideas for future guests and topics, including more lighthearted, pop-culture conversations. Let's Connect: Karena Dawn — @karenadawn on IG (https://www.instagram.com/karenadawn/) THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-silence/id1607181597) Join the #1 Fitness App for Women: Tone It Up App (https://my.toneitup.com/pages/tone-it-up-app) Tone It Up YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@toneitup/featured) Tone It Up Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/toneitup/?hl=en)