Top 10 Fitness Tips from Celebrity Trainer Kira Stokes

Celebrity trainer Kira Stokes isn’t just about getting stronger with your fitness — she’s about getting smarter. As the creator of the signature Stoked Method and founder of the Kira Stokes Fit app, she brings 30 years of experience and science-backed strategies to every workout. We sat down with Kira ahead of her inaugural immersive retreat at Canyon Ranch Lenox, July 17–19, to discuss summer fitness, why movement creates more than just muscle, and more. Here’s her expert (and high-energy) advice for staying strong, motivated, and seriously stoked this season and beyond.

1. Take Your Workout Outside 

“I am such a fan of taking your workouts outside,” shares Kira. With a little creativity, you can use the natural environment as your fitness equipment. A park bench doubles as a step-up platform or a push-up station. A fence helps you perfect your squat form. “The great outdoors is the most amazing gym you've ever had," she adds. And with summer in full swing, now’s the perfect time to give it a go.  

2. Try Something New 

Summer is the season of adventure — and that includes your fitness routine. “Every season, find a new modality or challenge to take on,” Kira recommends. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try rollerblading, boxing, or Pilates. Now’s the time. New movement patterns wake up new muscles, keep you mentally engaged, and might even unlock a new passion. Challenging yourself in new ways can light a spark that keeps your routine exciting. 

3. Do a Full-Body Systems Check 

Feeling stuck in your routine? Time for what Kira calls an “all systems check.” That means looking at your habits and asking: Am I coasting? Am I challenging myself enough? If you’re still lifting the same weights you did six months ago, it’s probably time to level up, she advises. This check-in helps you spot stagnation and make small adjustments — heavier dumbbells, a new class, a longer duration — that add up to big change. 

4. Embrace Progressive Overload 

Progressive overload is the science of building strength by gradually increasing resistance or challenge over time. “You want to be consistently challenged,” Kira says. It’s not about maxing out every time, but making sure your muscles are adapting and growing. Whether that means grabbing the next-heavier resistance band or increasing your reps, Kira encourages her clients to push just a little further than last time.  

5. Do the Work You Avoid 

Let’s be honest — there’s usually one movement or workout you’re resisting. For Kira, that’s a sign. “The things you like to do the least are probably the things you need to do the most,” she says. For instance, the Kira Stokes Fit app includes 350 workouts, so if you’re going to the same 10 every time just because that's what you're comfortable with, you’re not getting the most out of your routine. Avoiding sliders? That’s your cue to use them. And while you don’t need to do your least favorite workout every day, incorporating it regularly will unlock strength and balance you didn’t know you had.  

6. Don’t Let the Clock Psych You Out 

Kira’s workouts are built so intentionally that you might not even notice how much time has passed — and that’s the point. She recently hosted an event where the class ran 90 minutes instead of 60, and no one even realized it, she says. Her advice: stop letting the timestamp on a workout intimidate you. So many people skip a 60-minute session and opt for the 30-minute one just because of what the clock says. But if you trust the process and let yourself get into the rhythm, you can do more than you think. “Give yourself 10 minutes and your body may just fall in love with fitness.” 

7. Build Community Through Fitness  

Movement is a powerful connector. After studying psychology at Boston College with a practicum focused on movement and community, Kira learned people express more through movement. You finish a workout together — especially something challenging — and everyone’s more open and connected. Her digital community thrives on this support, but her upcoming retreat will take it to the next level: four workouts, real-time coaching, and face-to-face encouragement. 

8. Root Every Workout in Gratitude 

For Kira, the most important mindset shift is remembering that movement is a privilege. She often reminds her community, you don’t have to move — you get to. That’s why she opens and closes every class, live or virtual, with a moment of gratitude. Because when your workout is rooted in appreciation for your body, you show up with an entirely different energy. 

9. Add “Yet” to Every Challenge 

Struggling with a new move? Feeling like you’ll never get that full push-up or conquer a new workout style? According to Kira, the answer is simple: add the word yet. “If you say, ‘I can’t do a push-up,’ reframe it to ‘I can’t do a push-up yet,’” she says. “We’re all works in progress.” Instead of skipping a move entirely, modify it. “There's no shame in your modification game,” Kira reminds us. Doing push-ups on your knees? Amazing. You’re building strength. You’re doing the work. The important thing is staying consistent and keeping your mindset open. 

10. Don’t Forget to Have Fun 

Fitness should fuel you — not drain you. "There's no one who puts movement together the way I do in a progressive layering nature that focuses on form and flow of movement that both energizes you and challenges you at the same time,” Kira says. “And never makes you feel defeated.”  

Her classes are high-energy and always rooted in joy. And she’s seen it work. “People often say things like, ‘I finally felt my core for the first time,’ or ‘I’ve been working out for 30 years and this is the first time I actually squatted properly.’ That’s the goal — to help people feel truly connected to their bodies. You should know not just how to move, but why. That’s what creates transformation.” 

Ready to Train with Kira in person?

Join Kira at Canyon Ranch Lenox, July 17–19, for her fitness retreat. This immersive wellness weekend features four signature Stoked Method classes led by Kira herself, plus personalized insights to help you transform your fitness routine and reconnect with your body in new, powerful ways. Whether you're looking to boost your routine, improve your form, or simply reignite your motivation, this retreat is the ultimate way to challenge your body, refresh your mindset, and fall in love with fitness all over again.