We're now on day 3 of Holiday Tip time.
FITNESS TIP:
Like I said in my last blog post, you're probably pressed for time right now with all of your holiday obligations, and I mentioned that doing supersets will save you time in the gym. What will also help is adding interval training to your routine. That is defined as doing a high burst of activity and following it with a more moderately paced activity. For example, perform your supersets (as mentioned in yesterday's post) but then add some cardio in between sets: 60 seconds of jumping jacks, 60 seconds of high knees and 10 squat jumps, or hop on the treadmill/elliptical machine for 2.5 to 3 minutes. Go at a pace where it is difficult to talk (if you can). By going back and forth between this high-intensity cardio work and lower-intensity weight work, you can meet all of your fitness needs in less time at the gym. Good news, right?
HOLIDAY INDULGENCE:
There's something about cinnamon that makes food more festive. I add it to a lot of the foods I eat (like oatmeal and lattes) not only because I love it, but also because it has many health benefits, including slowing the rate at which your stomach empties after meals and helping with blood sugar control. I also love apples. I eat at least 1 every day. To combine these two loves, I decided to cut up an apple, throw some cinnamon on it, stick it in the oven at 325 degrees and see what happened. I kept the apple in the oven on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. The result? Delicious! It tastes like dessert! Here is the finished product:
Can you see the cinnamon gooey-ness on the cookie sheet? Awesome! For a real indulgence, you can also add these to a half-cup of low-fat vanilla ice cream. Wowza. Enjoy and Be Well!
It's Day 2 of Holiday Tips! Whoo!
FITNESS TIP:
It can be tough to workout during the holidays because we have less time for it. There are the parties, the events, the shopping, the family time, etc. As a trainer, I notice that my clients cancel more frequently around this time of year. Then when the new year rolls around, those clients struggle to get back to the shape they were in before the holidays hit; it can be frustrating for them.
To ensure that you don't feel that frustration yourself, fight your busier schedule by doing supersets at the gym. A superset is when you perform 2 to 3 exercises in rapid succession. To focus on one muscle group, for example, try doing a chest press immediately followed by a set of pushups.
Or, if you are really pressed for time, do a superset involving multiple muscles working at once, like a stability ball chest press
Followed with a stability ball leg curl.
Using the stability ball for both exercises forces you to work your core and stay balanced. With the chest press, you'll also be working your glutes and legs because you have to hold yourself up in the bridge position. If you were lying on the bench for the chest press, your glutes and legs would be at rest, and you'd get no benefit. For both exercises, complete 12-20 reps. For the chest press, make sure to use enough weight to feel fatigue during the last couple of reps.
More muscles working at once means you'll spend less time at the gym, which means you'll have more time for shopping! Huzzah!
HEALTHY INDULGENCE:
My favorite low-calorie holiday cookie is perfect for the chef who is A) pressed for time and B) isn't the greatest in the kitchen (like me). All you need is spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Mix the two, drop portions onto a cookie sheet and then pop in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes (or until done). Voila! Delish low-cal cookies to bring to a celebration. You can also add butterscotch or chocolate chips (or both) to the mix. It will up the calorie count, but they are definitely more tasty.
Be Well!
Like I said in my last blog post, I will be offering two holiday-themed tips per day during this joyous season. One will be a fitness tip and the other will be a tip for a healthy indulgence. So here it goes, folks.
FITNESS TIP:
Instead of doing your bicep curls while standing or seated on a bench, try doing them on a stability ball, like this:
In this position, you will be challenging your stabilizing muscles which will give you more bang for your bicep-exercise buck. This works more muscles than if you had the help of a bench or the floor to steady you. You have to recruit muscles from your core, glutes (butt), legs and shoulders when using the stability ball. Cool, right? It's likely that you'll have to lift less weight than if you weren't on the stability ball, so test what works best for you: use a weight that gets difficult to lift in the last two repetitions of your set. Do two to three sets of this exercise, 10-15 reps total in each set.
HEALTHY INDULGENCE:
I'm a Starbucks fan, but I feel bad about it because where I live in the East Village, there are so many amazing coffee shops to choose from, and I know I'm supporting "The Man" by helping build the Starbucks empire with each coffee I buy. But what can I say: they carry yummy low-calorie/sugar-free syrups and toppings, and when I'm looking for a warm, delicious, health-conscious drink with a holiday kick, I know I can find it at Starbucks. That being said, feel free to substitute your coffee shop of choice for the drinks I'm discussing.
To make a Cup o' Joe more festive and creamy without the heavy syrup and sugar, try a Tall Soy Latte (Starbucks uses Vanilla soy which means no sugar or sugar substitute necessary and also means yummy deliciousness in a cup) and add your own topping supplied by the coffee shop. I like using cinnamon and nutmeg for instant Christmas-in-a-cup. Starbucks also has cinnamon dolce and pumpkin spice toppings you can use for something extra festive but calorie free. To lessen the calories even more, substitute skim milk. Your drink won't be as creamy, but if soy isn't your thing, it's a good substitute.
Rock out, enjoy, and Be Well!
