Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Fitness Me In Workout Series #19

Cardio Cooking

Sometimes I love the synergy of life! I visited a nutritionist recently who urged me to try eating tempeh, which I have never tried. A few days later, I received this recipe from the www.thevegetariansite.com newsletter, so I didn’t have to search around for a recipe for the first try. And, bonus, I got a workout while I prepped this healthy food! See more on the veggie site at http://www.thevegetariansite.com/index.htm

GARLIC & HERB TEMPEH WRAPS

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. tempeh, steamed for 10 minutes, cooled and grated
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
4-8 tablespoons grated vegan cheese of your choice (optional)
4 whole wheat wraps

DIRECTIONS:
1. Gather and prep your ingredients as you move it, move it to the music.
2. On medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until slightly tender (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, keep your hips and feet moving as you do a half-moon rotation with your left arm, then your right arm. Do 2 sets of 30 on each arm. HOW TO DO THEM: Stick your arm straight out at shoulder height. Place your fingers together and your palms face down. Rotate thumbs back until your palms face up, then rotate thumbs back forward.
3. Add all remaining filling ingredients, combine well, and remove from heat in a few minutes. Meanwhile grab a can or a hand weight and do 20-40 straight arm shrugs with your right shoulder. Repeat on left side. HOW TO DO THEM: Hold your arm straight out to the side, holding your can or weight. Lift and lower your shoulder.
4. Spread filling in wraps and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons grated vegan cheese, if desired. As you do this, do as many side leg lifts as you can 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.
5. Roll wraps and do lunges as you bring them and your dishes to the table. Enjoy! Makes 4 generous servings.

This recipe is provided courtesy of TheVegetarianSite.com. It is Copyright TheVegetarianSite.com.

Shape-Up Shopping (Grocery Day)

It’s still yucky out, so why not work out inside the warmth and comfort of a store – and get one of your never-ending errands done at the same time?
Here’s one I did recently.

1. Walk the perimeter of the store 3 times.
2. Enter an aisle, stop to look at something, and do 10-20 calf raises. Repeat 2 more times at different spots in the aisle.
3. Stop by the soup. Grab 2 cans and do 20 shoulder shrugs.
4. Keep 1 can. As you push your cart down the aisle, do 15-20 tricep lifts on right arm, then on the left arm. HOW TO DO THEM: Raise your arm straight up with thumb pointed toward your back. Bend your elbow to the back like you want to touch your shoulder, then raise it so it’s straight again.
5. Walk down a couple more aisles.
6. Tighten your buns and keep them tight as you go down the next 3 aisles you need to shop in.
7. Tighten your abs and keep them tight as you go down the next 3 aisles you need to shop in.
8. Pat yourself on the back with your sexy triceps.


Cleaning Day

It’s time to dust again. Here’s how to make it into a workout:
1. Dust one area as you dance
2. Do 20 jumping jacks
3. Dust area 2
4. Do 20 squats
5. Dust area 3
6. Do 20 skaters. HOW TO DO THEM: Jump sideways to the left, land with leg you jumped off (right leg) of crossing behind. Push off and jump sideways to the right, landing with leg you jumped off of crossing behind. Repeat.
7. Dust area 4
8. Do 20 knee ups (raise knees to waist height, rapidly switching back and forth)
9. Dust area 5
10. Do 20 front lunges
11. Dust area 6
12. Jump 20 times as if jumping rope.
13. Enjoy your clean house and rest!


Play Day

Here’s another energizer from North Carolina Public Education. See more at http://www.ncpe4me.com/energizers.html.

Air Writing

Call out one of the following activities (kids can do it in place or around the room): Jumping, Marching, Hopping, Twisting, anything else you’d like!
2. Call out a letter, number, word or shape. Kids stop the activity.
3. Kids then draw the letter, number, word or shape in the air using their hand, arm, leg, head, elbow, knee, bottom or any combination of body parts until you call out another activity.
4. Kids continue new activity until you call out another letter, number, word or shape.

Groggy Day

This one is for my mom, who recently mentioned that she’s interested in taking a Tai Chi class. The Expert Village Web site has several moves you can try out at: http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/104_tai-chi.htm. Do several and you’ll feel great in no time!


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