Thursday, September 10, 2009

Fitness Me In Workout Series #23

Did you gain weight after getting married? You're not alone!

Here’s a shocker: Marriage can lead to people packing on the pounds, says a new study in the journal Obesity. Like that’s news to some of us!
In fact, individuals who got married during a recent study were more than twice as likely to become obese than couples who were dating, according to researcher Penny Gordon-Larsen of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
That’s because marriage causes changes in lifestyle, Gordon-Larsen notes.
The good news, fellow moms, is that we have the power to stop – and reverse – that weight gain. We can make small changes in our lives that have a big impact on our health – even those of us who are “time challenged.” I believe attitude and a willingness to be creative are the keys.

Here are some suggestions for fitting in fitness this week:

Cardio Cooking

This is a fantastic and healthy recipe from Toscano’s Café and Wine Bar in Puyallup, WA (http://www.toscanospuyallup.com), with a workout thrown in for good measure!

Tart and Sweet Tonno

2 pounds fresh tuna in ¾ inch thick slices
3 large onions
¼ cup sugar (or in my case xylitol)
½ cup olive oil
3 lemons or ¼ lemon juice
1 T chopped garlic
½ C sage leaves
½ c rosemary leaves
1 C dry white wine
¼ C white or apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

1. At least an hour before you want to cook: Mix together juice of 2 lemons, the white wine, all but 2 T of the olive oil, the garlic, and half of the rosemary and sage. Pour over tuna to marinate. Meanwhile, suck your belly button in as if trying to connect it to your backbone on each exhale and fill and expand your belly on each inhale.
2. After marinade time, thinly slice the onions and prepare your sage and rosemary leaves if needed. As you do this, crank some great tunes and dance, dance, dance!
3. Heat remaining 2 T of olive oil in large sauté pan, then slowly sauté onions making sure you don’t over brown them. When they start to become transparent add salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. Continue to sauté until onions are completely cooked, then set aside. Meanwhile, do ¼ squats the entire time. HOW TO DO THEM: Squat about a quarter of the way down, hold for count of 3, come up and squeeze your buttocks together, holding for count of 3.
4. Go back to dancing as you remove the tuna from the marinade and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Either place on a hot grill or in a 400 degree oven. Do a set of side leg raises. HOW TO DO THEM: Stand with knees slightly bent. Raise one leg straight out to side and hold for count of 3. Return to start. Continue with the same leg for 20-40 reps before switching to the other leg.
6. After your first set of leg raises, brush the tuna with the marinade. When the tuna is half cooked (about 5 min) place remaining herbs on top.
7. Do another set of side leg raises as you warm the onions. When the tuna is done put remaining lemon juice on top, and if you used fresh lemons place the tuna on top of them.
8. Do lunges to and from the table as you set it, and enjoy your workout afterglow as you eat a healthy dinner.

Shape-Up Shopping (Grocery Day)

So summer’s over and the chilly weather is returning. I’m a cold wimp, so forget parking far away and trudging through the rain. I’d rather get my extra steps toward fitness inside the store. Here’s what I did on my last trip.

1. Walk perimeter of the store
2. While walking and shopping, grab a can, do 20-30 bicep curls on one arm, then switch to the other arm.
3. Keep the can but switch to tightening and releasing abs 20-30 times while continuing to shop.
4. Do another set of biceps.
5. Repeat abs.
6. When your shopping is done, walk the perimeter of the store a few more times.
7. Get in line and tighten and release your buttocks while waiting (yes, I put my coat on so it’s not obvious).
8. When you unload at home, do 12 push-ups against a handy wall each time you make a trip into the kitchen.


Cleaning Day

My kids just went back to school. That means I got to deep clean their rooms – and get a great workout -- without interference. Here’s how:
1. Do a squat each time you retrieve something from the floor or any other low spot like a toy box.
2. Jog to your destination each time you remove something from the room that does not belong there.
3. Dance as you change the sheets, and jump instead of walk with them to the laundry area.
4. Do rear leg lifts while washing the window(s). HOW TO DO THEM: Extend your leg straight back behind you, keeping your knee straight and your toes pointed down to the floor. Squeeze your buttocks as you lift. Pause at the top for count of 3 before returning leg to the floor.
5. Do lunges as you vacuum.
6. Do knee ups as you dust. HOW TO DO THEM: Jog in place, except raise knees to waist height as you do so.


Play Day

Remember playing Yahtzee? Here’s a fun and active way to do it with your kids (we just play the upper section).
When each player starts his or her turn, they name an activity such as hopping, jumping jacks, a silly dance, acting like an animal, etc. Then, everyone does the activity once for each die that hits the number the player is seeking. For example, a player chooses jumping and is rolling for ones. If they get four of them, everyone jumps four times.

Groggy Day

Some days, you just feel wiped out and unmotivated. That’s OK, just pick something that’s a pleasant pick-me-up to do and you’ll feel better in no time! Here’s one of my favorite ways to steal time for myself while kids are at school or napping: Call someone you want to catch up with. Walk continuously while you talk with them for at least 10 minutes. Always gives me a boost! Not to mention that walking is an aerobic AND weight bearing activity (meaning it helps strengthen bones) so it does double duty on the benefit side.

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