Fitness Me In Workout Series #16

Cardio Cooking


For some reason, this cold weather has me craving roasted root vegetables. Fortunately, they’re nice and healthy – and Daphne Miller, M.D., author of nutrition book “The Jungle Effect” has a great recipe utilizing these veggies. To get even more benefit, work in a workout as you prepare it!

Baked Cod with Thyme-Lemon Butter Sauce and Root Vegetables

6 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 rutabagas, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
¼ t salt
3 T butter
1 t grated lemon peel
Juice of one large lemon (1/4 cup)
2 T chopped fresh thyme
1 ½ to 2 pounds cod or sole, cut into four fillets
Thyme sprigs for garnish

Instructions
1. Shake your groove thing as you assemble and prep the ingredients.
2. Put the chopped carrots and rutabagas in a steamer basket with plenty of water below basket. Cover and steam for 15-20 minutes until tender. Salt and set aside in a bowl. As you get these going, squat and extend your left leg to the side. Return left leg to center and come up, squeezing your tush. Repeat on right side. Do 12 times on each side.
3. Preheat oven to 450. Make the sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and thyme. Meanwhile do as many butt pulses as you can. HOW TO DO THEM: Squat about ¼ way down, then come up and squeeze your butt.
4. Place fish fillets in baking dish. Drizzle each fillet with about 1 T of thyme-lemon-butter sauce. Spread sauce to coat above and below fillets. Bake 8-10 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork. Meanwhile, do 20 side leg lifts on each side. HOW TO DO THEM: Lift your leg straight out to the side until your foot is 6 to 12 inches off the floor. Slightly bend leg you are standing on and keep abs tight. At the top of the movement pause and count to 3. Then do 16 rear leg lunges.
5. Do walking lunges as you set your table. Go back to dancing until the fish is ready. Then place the fish and the warm vegetables on a platter, drizzle the veggies with sauce and garnish with thyme sprigs.
6. Whew – time to stretch, sit and eat!

Shape-Up Shopping (Grocery Day)


Believe it or not, you can work in a workout just about anywhere – even the grocery store. Here’s one I recently did:

1. Before getting your cart walk for 2 minutes. As you walk, place your palms together in front of your chest, as if in prayer. Push palms firmly together. Keep pressing for a count of 20. Rest your muscles (you should feel it in your chest) for a few moments. Repeat 2 more times.
2. Go get your cart. Tighten your abs on the way, sucking your belly button in toward your spine on the way. Relax your abs as you walk and get the first item on your list. Continue to alternate tightening and relaxing your abs until you’ve found the first 10 items on your shopping list. Don’t forget to breathe!
3. Turn your body so your hips are sideways to your cart. Rotate your torso so it faces the cart. Walk down one aisle. Go get 3 more items on your list, then rotate the other way.
4. Repeat the ab tightening sequence as you shop for 10 more items.
5. When you arrive home, before you bring in your first grocery bag do 10 push-ups against your car, as you would do wall push-ups. Or, if it’s too cold and rainy, do the push-ups inside against your wall. HOW TO DO THEM: stand about 3 feet in front of the car/wall. Lean forward and place hands on the car/wall, shoulder width apart. Push your body back. You should feel this in your chest muscles.
6. Bring your bag in, and then repeat the push-ups on two other trips to the car.


Cleaning Day

I may have mentioned a time or two that I absolutely detest folding laundry, so I make it fun for myself by adding in a workout. There are other chores on the bottom of my list, but not all are good for workouts. For example, I’ve been trying to come up with a workout that I can do while scrubbing the toilet, but so far that’s backfired (or I should say back-splashed into my face). Oh well, some things are best done quickly and cleanly.
Since there’s no way around the time it takes to fold clothes, find a table to fold them on, crank some tunes, and get some exercise in. Here’s a workout you can do:

1. Run in place with quick feet as you fold your first 10 items.
2. Take a quick break from folding and get some frustration out with 20-30 kickboxing punches. I like to do crosses, but you might choose to jab. If you need do some instructions, see http://www.expertvillage.com/video/702_kickboxing-technique-punch-combo.htm
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 twice more.
4. Do walking lunges as you deliver the laundry you’ve folded so far to the room it belongs in.
5. Shake your booty as you put the laundry away.
6. Jump all the way back to the laundry pile.
7. Do 10 squats as you fold more items, then dance side to side 10 times. Repeat.
8. As you deliver this load of laundry, run and do knee ups on the way. HOW TO DO THEM: Bring your leg up so your thigh is parallel with the floor with each step.
9. Dance as you put the rest of your laundry away, and pat yourself on the back for getting some cardio into your day.

Play Day

My kids are really into pirates, so they loved this “treasure hunt.” In fact, we had to do it three times in a row! Here’s what you do:
Have your kids bring you 6-10 items. Hide them around the house, and write clues for them to follow. You can even draw a map (my kids demanded one).
As you seek the first item, skip everywhere you go.
For item 2 hop.
For item 3 slide sideways
For item 4 jump
For item 5 walk backwards
For item 6 tip toe
Repeat the sequence, or choose your own moves to use while searching.

Groggy Day

Too tired to get up and work out? Here’s one you can do in your chair. If nothing else it’ll give you a big smile! I tried it first thing in the morning and it put me in a good mood all day. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3jhx4F0oAc


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