Kristin Dowell
Kristin is a group fitness instructor and personal trainer with certifications from ACE and AFAA, is qualified to coach over a dozen specialty programs, and is the creator of 3 exercise DVDs. From creating physical training programs for fire academies, to teaching preschool dance, (and just about everything in between) she feels at home in many facets of the industry.
Website: http://programfit.com
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Posts by Kristin:
Bodies in Motion, hosted by Gilad Janklowicz, currently holds the title of the longest running fitness show on television. Launched in 1983, it was the first of its kind to be picked up by ESPN where it had a home from 1985-1996. It later migrated to other cable channels but the gorgeous array of Hawaiian Read More
Read MoreJay Leno sometimes referenced it in his monologue. Ellen Degeneres joked about it, and it was even a topic in the comic strip Cathy. The Buns of Steel pop culture references had to be a video marketer’s dream! And this series had quite an evolution… The original Buns of Steel workout was the brainchild of the self-proclaimed Read More
Read MoreA popular teen afterschool activity from 1992 to 1997 was tuning into MTV’s The Grind, where a studio (or later, rooftop) full of dancers shook what their mamas gave ’em to the hottest tracks around. It was only natural that MTV capitalize on this loyal audience and the popularity of its host Eric Nies, to spin off a series Read More
Read MoreIn 1989 the group exercise world was introduced to Step Reebok, and in 1992 Gin Miller brought her wildly popular concept to the home market via Step Reebok, The Video. The Reebok/Miller partnership went on to release 6 more related workouts until the series ended in 1995. Does this bring back memories?: The original workout has been remastered Read More
Read MoreSouth Carolina’s The FIRM Studio first brought its unique style of “aerobics with weights” combination to the masses in 1986 with its first home workout video Body Sculpting Basics. Led by Susan Harris, this first video opened the door to 2 decades (and counting) of The FIRM workouts – led by alternating instructors – and created Read More
Read MoreThe ESPN Fitness Pros were part of the “ESPN Fitness Break;” a series of 30-minute exercise shows offered from 11am -1pm weekdays during the early to mid 90’s. Can you name the co-hosts in the below photo, including any missing members? (Answer at bottom of page.) A typical show’s intro can be seen Read More
Read MoreImmediately after the release of the first video in 1998, the Tae Bo craze was ON like Billy Blanks’ one-on-one motivational pep talks to the camera! Infomercials were aplenty and health clubs worldwide were peppering their schedules with kickboxing classes as fast as a neck roll in a Tae Bo warm-up. According to their website Read More
Read MoreRichard Simmons brought the party with his Sweatin to the Oldies series from 1988-1992. With themes such as “a high school prom,” “an amusement park,” and “a diner,” these low impact dance workouts featured live bands, and for the first time in history, included a cast of exercisers who were not already in tip-top shape. He Read More
Read MoreLong before he brought juicers to infomercials, Jack Lalanne brought exercise to living room televisions. Beginning in 1951, his show went national in 1959 (he was 45 years old) and lasted until 1985. Refusing to slow down, he continued a presence in the fitness industry while adding to his personal resumé of physical feats – such as towing 70 boats full Read More
Read MoreJoanie Greggains brought personality, perk and perfect hair to the early morning airwaves via her long running show Morning Stretch. Not only did she bring energy to the television, her high-and-low-impact-of-it-all graced many record players and VCRs throughout the 80’s and 90’s: Want to see if you still got it? Find her retro workouts here. Return to Read More
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