Fitness Me In Workout Series #22

Cardio Cooking

Nothing’s more frustrating than trying to get a workout all day only to realize it’s suddenly dinner time. No worries. Just work out as you cook. Here’s how with a recipe from Toscanos Café and Wine Bar, www.toscanospuyallup.com :

Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
2 6 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup olive oil
1 cub breadcrumbs
1 T grated parmesan cheese
6-8 artichoke heart quarters, chopped
1 t chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
¼ cup white wine

1. Get all your ingredients out and prepped. As you do so make sure to move your booty to the music!
2. In mixing bowl combine half the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, most of the garlic and parsley. Add in the chopped artichoke hearts and all but 1 T of the olive oil. Mix until filling has texture of damp sand, adding more olive oil if needed. As you do this, either do ski jumps (similar to jumping jacks but feet go forward and back) or jumping jacks with legs only.
3. Pound out chicken until flat and even. As you do this, squat about ¾ way down and hold as long as you can.
4. Fill chicken breasts with 2 T each of filling. Dance to shake your legs out.
5. Roll up the chicken breasts. Meanwhile do 20-40 side leg lifts with each leg. 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.
6. Dredge chicken breasts in remaining bread crumbs and brown on both sides in sauté pan. Deglaze pan with wine. Step side to side as you do this to keep moving.
7. Add remaining garlic and enough water to the pan to go ¼ way up the chicken. Place in hot oven and bake until water has nearly evaporated and chicken completely cooked. Meanwhile do lunges to and from the table as you set it, and pick up the dance pace as you work on side dishes.
8. Remove the chicken to a serving plate. Add butter to the pan and slowly soften until sauce is formed. Slow down your dance moves to cool down. Pour over chicken and enjoy!



Shape-Up Shopping (Grocery Day)

The weather is getting much better, but it’s not always super nice where I live. That means finding a way to sneak in some exercise inside on those grocery shopping trips instead of using the old trick of parking far away.
Here’s one routine you can use to shape up as you shop:

1. Before grabbing your cart, walk around the store for 2 minutes.
2. Get your cart, and tighten and release your abs as you walk as you shop for 10 items.
3. Grab a can – you pick the size – and hold in the right hand with your arm straight down. Push your cart with the other arm. Now raise your right arm straight arm directly behind you, count to 2, and lower. Do as many reps as you can, then switch sides and do an equal number with the left arm.
4. Take the can in your right hand again. Hold it directly in front of you with a straight arm over your cart. Raise to shoulder level and lower until a few inches above the cart. Do as many as you can. You can continue to push your cart or grab items with your left hand. Switch to the left side and do an equal number.
5. Tighten your abs as you walk for another 10 items.
6. When you arrive home, do 10 push-ups against your kitchen wall for each trip you make to get a bag of groceries.
7. Dance as you put your goods away to finish things off.

Cleaning Day

Yard work is back, and in and of itself it can be a great addition to your exercise program. You also can bump it up a few notches. Here are a few tips:

1. When mowing raise the leg you are stepping off of behind you and tighten your butt on each step, or do sets of 20 with regular walking in between.
2. Every time you need to pick something up, do at least one squat instead of bending over, tightening buns at the top and holding for a count of 5. I like to sneak in up to 10 squats each time.
3. Tighten and release your abs as you are pruning.
4. After moving a wheelbarrow or when you stand to take a break from weeding, pause and do 50 small arm circles.
5. When you need to walk over and get a new garden implement, or put one away, take an extra circuit around the yard and/or do lunges if the ground is even enough.

Play Day

Playing tag with your kids is a great way to stay in shape and make them happy at the same time. There are lots of variations to the game, too. Here’s one we like: http://www.gameskidsplay.net/games/chasing_games/pies.htm


Groggy Day

Yoga is always a great way to go when you’re feeling a bit groggy. I was recently asked about good moves to tone up the arms. Here’s a video that covers some yoga basics to help do just that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8N_vdDAdp0&feature=pyv&ad=2957104046&kw=yoga&gclid=CK-s6qW7rZsCFRlcagodtAZ8DA


Legal junk/Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice or care of medical professionals. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, or exercise program, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.

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!


Legal junk/Disclaimer: The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice or care of medical professionals. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, or exercise program, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.