We owe a lot to the health and fitness program that is Keep it Cleaner (KIC), for helping us to stay fit and healthy, and all from the comfort and safety of our homes.
Now, in news equally as exciting and delightful, the platform, co-founded by best friends Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw, has announced a relaunch of its app.
Changes to the KIC regime include new fitness trainers, healthy recipes and meal plans, updated app features, and perhaps most excitingly, a new digital workout studio called the ‘KIC House’.
Michelle Battersby, KIC CMO and The Latch columnist, confirmed the update has been months in the making. “We are so excited to finally announce the relaunch of Keep It Cleaner and our new and improved app.
“Steph, Laura, the team and myself have been working on this transformation for some time now, and we can’t wait to showcase the changes. We are so lucky to have a community that is highly engaged and we have built the changes based on conversations with them and what they wanted to see from the KIC program.
“The new workout bank includes Steph and Laura as part of the team as well as a suite of
inspiring new trainers and specialists who all do masterclass workouts with our members.”
New members on the team include boxing trainer Ellice Whichello, HIIT trainer Brooke Jowett, and Survivor All Stars contestant, Brit Cutts, who joins the line-up as a strength trainer. Pilates instructor Christina Traychevska is also set to join, while Cecily Chung brings a specialised approach to yoga.
Co-founder Steph Claire Smith says: “The KIC community can work out any way they
like with our new personalised options including an interval timer, music to link up to Spotify or Apple Music and they can choose whether or not they want to join the trainer in the workout, or just follow the steps.
“The new trainers will undertake masterclass sessions on their own, as well as taking myself and Laura through our paces as we sweat it out with the community. Their sessions bring fresh motivation to the program so we can’t wait for everyone to try them out and utilise them to transform their fitness journey.”
Fitness programs aside, the re-launch brings delicious new recipes including a vegan meal plan which will sit alongside current lean or strong pescatarian, vegetarian and
regular meal plans.
Co-founder Laura Henshaw adds: “All recipes in the meal plans will have a refresh with KIC’s new trainer and nutritionist Ellice Whichello revitalising the meal plans within the KIC app.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to ensure KIC combines at-home fitness workouts and access to healthy recipes — keeping the favourites we know our users love and adding some amazing new additions based on what the community has asked for, like our brand-new Vegan Meal Plan!”
Additional extras in the update include guided meditations designed to keep mental health at the forefront as Australians navigate challenging times. To access the new updates, you’ll simply need to download or update your KIC app today.
Like us, the Keep it Cleaner team have been doing their best to keep fit and healthy, both psychically and mentally during the pandemic. In celebration of the KIC re-launch, the team have shared with us their very best tips for keeping well — whatever that means to them — while staying home.
Steph Claire Smith, Co-Founder
During these uncertain times, it’s so important to keep your body moving and make sure you’re getting fresh air. Whether it’s walking your dog or going for a run, make it your priority to get out at some point.
I walk my dog Ari every morning and try to also complete a KIC workout at home most days — sometimes I’ll do something quite high intensity like a HIIT or Boxing class, and other days I’ll take it slow and opt for a Pilates or Yoga session on the KIC app.
I try to be kind and listen to my body — and know that each day is totally different, and that’s OK. Staying motivated every day is hard, so if you are feeling sluggish and unmotivated, know you’re not alone! Often after a workout or some time out of the house I feel so much better! Go easy and remind yourself what your goals are and what makes you feel good. We are all taking this day by day, so know you aren’t alone.
Laura Henshaw, Co-Founder
Keeping your body moving and eating healthy is important, but it’s so important to make your mind a priority too. The KIC Wellness Hub has over 40 meditations to choose from that cover a number of categories including stress, anxiety, body love and motivation. If you are new to meditating there are guided sessions there too to ease you into it.
In these more uncertain times, it can be hard to feel positive the whole time. I find staying connected to a strong community and having a great support network can make such a difference to my mood. When I’m feeling down, I always jump into the KIC Facebook community and read all the positive comments to make me feel better, or jump on a call with my friends and family. Everyone is different so try and tune into what works for you!
Michelle Battersby, CMO
During these unprecedented times, for me, keeping to a routine is so important. I find making calendar notes of my day ahead and reading my emails first thing in the morning helps me stick to a routine. Once your day is set and you’ve answered any urgent emails, get some fresh air and use the KIC run tracker to go for a run or walk and listen to a podcast — the new KIC app links to your Spotify which I am obsessed with!
I love taking Leia to the park for a run-around; I always come back feeling fresh and ready to get stuck into the rest of my day. Make sure you are kind to yourself and know when you need to slow down. Our world has been turned upside down so it’s okay to take some time out for yourself. Stay connected with your friends and family. Have your morning coffee on Zoom with your friends or work colleagues, and take your full lunch break, even sitting outside for different scenery. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
Christina Traychevska, Pilates Trainer
My biggest philosophy is kindness and meaningful connection. Be kind to yourself and those around you. Kindness is something the KIC team pride themselves on, it’s an inspiration to see that reflected in how inclusive and supportive the KIC community is.
Being connected to like-minded people who lift each other up reminds you that you aren’t alone and we are all in this together.
Cecily Chun, Yoga Trainer
I am strict with my morning ritual because it sets me up for the day ahead and makes me feel relaxed and refreshed. These time can be stressful, so make sure you are keeping your body and mind calm through moving, breathing, meditating, journaling your thoughts and drinking plenty of tea — and water.
Yoga has become such an integral part of my life and I’m so excited to share my passion with the KIC community. Yoga is a constant process of self-study, self-reflection and self-inquiry and there is no better time to work on yourself than now.
Britt Cuts, Strength Trainer
I recently went through a really tricky break-up and started journaling my daily experiences as a way to motivate me each day. I write down each night what motivated me every day, what I enjoyed, what I didn’t enjoy and use this as a platform as a reset for the following day.
This is something that, for me, helps me grow each day to be a better person. I’ve put this into practice this year with everything that has been going on. It started as a way to heal but has been life-changing for me.
Brooke Jowett, HIIT Trainer
Every morning I try to do a HIIT workout because I know how good I’ll feel for the rest of the day afterwards. The latest season of Survivor has taught me that it’s a mindset — your mind is so very powerful.
Sometimes you think you physically can’t push through something, but if you can control your mind and talk yourself through it, often your physical self will just follow through with what needs to get done!
Ellice Whichello, Boxing Trainer and Nutritionist
I make sure I set a clear goal for each day and start with simple tasks such as waking up early, doing some jump rope or adding more healthy ingredients into my meals. Once you conquer a goal, set yourself a new challenge.
Motivation in these unprecedented times definitely has its peaks and troughs. My biggest piece of advice is to explore and genuinely feel your emotions. Know that it’s okay to feel unmotivated or not so strong some days, and know you aren’t alone in feeling that way.