The 50's are a sandwich generation of fitness; we don't want to work out like we did 15, 10 or even 5 years ago, yet we aren't ready for the "senior" classes either. I'm revamping this blog to be a blend of health and fitness tips that I hope all of you "fiftysomethings" will find helpful.
***I am not a doctor or nutritionist.
Please consult your physician before performing any exercises or following any tips shown on this blog.
With Thanksgiving being next week I thought this would be a good yoga routine to post. Even though we don't mean to, most of us overindulge on Thanksgiving because there is so much on the table that we don't eat every day. It's a special day that revolves around family and, well, food.
Now I'm the first one who always tells my students not to get all freaked out about it, it's one day--enjoy it and the food! There is one exception, don't eat anything that you know is going to make you really sick--that's just not worth it to me.
My trick to not overdoing it is simple--I eat the foods that I don't get regularly and skip the ones I do. I don't eat the mashed potatoes or rolls, but eat the stuffing and gravy--and the pecan pie that my son makes--YUM!!!
This routine is called "Yoga for Holiday Meal Digestion" Maybe instead of napping on the couch, you can get your guests to do this together---hahaha, I can just see my brothers....
I have been on a green smoothie kick and I thought I'd share some important info that I found with you.
Our magic bullet broke last month, so I've been using my Cusinart hand blender and it's working out fine. However, I did reveal the coveted 30% off coupon from Kohl's and you get $10 back for every $50 you spend, so there may be a Nutribullet or Ninja contraption in my future!
Some people can't get past the fact that the smoothie is actually "green" in color; that there are green vegetables!!! in there! I'm here to tell you that you don't even know they are there--well except for the color...you can't taste them at all. Now it you are someone who likes V8 (ewww--my opinion only) you can make savory smoothies as well where you do taste them. Personally, I prefer soup if I'm going to blend veggies together--drinking it cold just doesn't do it for me.
My go to greens are usually spinach and kale. But I've recently read that spinach contains oxalic acid which can bind with minerals (mainly calcium) and make them inaccessible to the body. If you eat foods that contain this acid on a regular basis over several months you could develop a form of kidney stone called calicum oxalate stones. These are actually the most common type--they form when calcium crystallizes with oxalates. Other foods also contain high levels of this acid as well--nuts, seeds, grains, soy, berries and more. I have to admit, this concerned me. I've been eating a lot of spinach lately. The key to avoiding this is variety which is what I'm starting to do.
Variety also inhibits the build up of alkaloids. These are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds that are produced by many different organisms, including leafy greens. These are toxic in large quantities, but in small amounts are harmless. Sprouts contain higher amounts of alkaloids, so these should be limited a bit more. Some common alkaloids are opium (from the poppy) and caffeine--neither of which come from leafy greens, but these are substances we have all heard of. Eating the same greens for an extended time (weeks to months) can cause a build up of alkaloids. This can cause all sorts of symptoms from low energy and sluggishness, loss of appetite and even tingling sensations--not good. So rotate your greens to stop this from occurring.
So, I'm going to start using some other greens--celery, romaine and other lettuces, I just bought some bok choy and napa cabbage to try. You can also use herbs--basil, mint, cilantro, dill, parsley, oregano; and don't forget things like carrot tops and beet greens. Now some of these flavors are more potent than others. You have to experiment with how much you put in. I would not put a cup of broccoli into a sweet smoothie--it just isn't going to work.
Well, I got the Nutribullet and I Love It!!! I'll post some recipes on Sunday!
Here's the last deck of cards workout that I'm posting for the week.
This one is for the total body--I'm going to add a little twist this time to add some extra cardio work.
Here's a quick review-- 4 suits, 4 exercises -- the number of reps you do corresponds with the number on the card; face cards = 10 and aces = 11.
The twist here is that I'm going to give you a cardio burst to do every 10 cards--so keep track...and don't forget to put in the Jokers!
These exercises are going to be combinations of upper and lower body to hit all your muscles.
Hearts: Squat with an Overhead Press Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward. Grab dumbbells with an overhand grip and bring them up to shoulder height with your palms facing out. Inhale, bend your knees, and lower your hips into a squat (A). Keep your head up, heels on the ground, and back arched. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then quickly return to standing and exhale. Drive both dumbbells overhead until your elbows are fully extended (B). Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Diamonds: Lunge with a Rotation
Grab a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell with both hands. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms straight out (A). Take a big step forward with your left foot and, bracing your abs, twist your torso to the left as you bend your knees and lower your body until both of your legs form 90-degree angles (B). Twist back to center, push off your left foot, and stand back up. Repeat on the other leg. That's 1 rep. Keep your elbows straight but not locked.
Clubs: Push Up with a Row
Get into push up position with arms straight, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, and hands resting on a set of dumbbells directly below your shoulders (A). Do a complete pushup (B). Then, from the up position, lift your right elbow toward the ceiling until your elbow passes your torso (C). Lower, then lift the left dumbbell. That's 1 rep. To modify the move, go to your knees.
Spades: Alternating Bicep Curls and Lateral Raises one of each = 1 rep
No explanation here except this--do 1 bicep curl and 1 side lateral raise--continue until all reps are done. To modify, you can bend the arms to 90 degrees as you do the side raise (see pic #3 below)
Bicep Curl
Straight Arm Lateral Raise
Lateral Raise with Bent Arms
After first 10 cards: Do 1 minute of jump rope (with or without an actual rope)
After the next 10 cards: Do 1 minute of jumping jacks
After the next 10 cards: Do 1 minute of high knee jogs
After the next 10 cards: Do 1 minute of butt kick jogs
After final 10 cards: Do 1 minute of cross country skiers--take one foot in front, one foot in back, jump and switch feet as fast as you can. (see video)
JOKER'S WILD!!!!
First Joker: Do 1 minute of burpees (see yesterday's post for description)
Second Joker: Do 1 minute of mountain climbers (see video)
"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don't give up." —Confucius As you've guessed by now, I'm taking this deck of cards workout theme throughout the week. This one is going to be intense and challenging, but remember as Confucius says, don't give up! To see how it works, refer to Monday's post. Here are the exercises: Hearts: Push ups-- regular or modified keeping the butt down, back flat and head in line with the neck.
Diamonds: Burpees (with our without the push up, depending on how you feel). Keep your back flat as you squat--see how she keeps her head up until she jumps back into plank and then her back remains flat as she returns to the squat. If these are too intense, they can be done using a sturdy coffee table, chair, or even the the bottom stair step--being higher makes these easier. You can also step the feet back and in one at a time as fast as you can instead of jumping the feet out and in. Clubs: Tricep Dips Level 1 -- knees bent, level 2-- legs extended. Your hands should be in line with your bottom and your elbows pointing back behind you. Remember bend and straighten the elbows, keeping your legs and bottom out of it, use the arms to do the lifting. Keep the shoulders down from your ears, and your abs and glutes tight. If it gets too intense, just hold it at the top and count the seconds slowly for reps.
Spades: Squat Jacks Stay low on these. To modify--staying low, step the foot out wider and back one at a time (this would be one rep)
JOKERS WILD!!!! Plank jacks for 1 minute. These can be done on forearms or with straight arms. Again, make sure to keep your bottom down. You should have a straight line from your head to your heels. To modify step the feet out side to side one at a time.
To show just how versatile the deck of cards workout is from this week's challenge, I've come up with another one that focuses on the core.
Check out yesterday's post to see how it works. Don't forget the Jokers!!!
Here are your exercises:
Hearts: Superman/Banana -- count 1 roll from front to back as 1 rep
Here's how it's done: A. Lie on your stomach with arms straight out in front of you and legs extended behind you; both should be shoulder-width apart. Lift your legs and arms simultaneously at least 6 inches off the floor; hold for 5 seconds.
B. Roll onto your back, keeping arms and legs lifted; hold 5 seconds. Then roll onto your stomach and repeat, rolling in the opposite direction.
Form tip: Keep your head in line with your neck, while keeping your neck relaxed, and keep your lower back down as you roll and as you hold the banana position.
Diamonds: Standing Knee Tucks -- count doing one tuck each leg as 1 rep.
Here's how it's done: Stand with feet together. Lift left leg straight back, hinging forward at hips, reaching hands forward by ears; keep hips level and body straight from hands to heel. Using abs, draw left knee in to chest, bending elbows to pull arms down to knee; return to previous position.
Make it easier: Hold onto chair or counter with one hand.
Clubs: Plank with Diagonal Arm Reach -- 1 reach each way = 1 rep.
Here's how it's done: A. Start in an elbow plank, then walk your legs apart until they are a bit wider than your hips.
B. Keeping torso stable, lift your right arm up and slightly out on the diagonal. Hold this position for two seconds, then return to elbow plank.
C. Repeat with the left arm. This completes one rep.
Form tip: Keep your bottom down and your head in line with your neck and your shoulders down from your ears. Reach the arm diagonally straight out of the body, no higher. If you need to modify, drop to your knees without raising your bottom and continue to do the arm reach.
Spades: Seated Twists -- twisting to each side = 1 rep.
Here's how: Sit with knees bent and together, feet lifted to knee level, and arms extended overhead (sit up as tall as possible through spine). Shift weight onto left 'cheek' and press arms down to outside of right hip. Return to start and repeat on opposite side.
Form tip: To modify, put feet down in between twists or keep them down the whole time. Really draw your navel into your spine, this will help protect your back. If being in straight arm plank works better for you, do it that way.
JOKER'S WILD!!!!!
When the joker comes up do this fat blasting cardio move: Single Leg Plank Hops 1 minute total
Here's how: Begin in a full plank position. Lift left leg and bend knee, lifting heel to the ceiling (as shown). Bend right knee and then push off right foot to jump up and about 45 degrees to the right, landing lightly on the ball of right foot (left foot should remain in the air during the entire movement). Immediately jump back to the left. Repeat as many times as possible for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
Today's workout is going to go along with my challenge of the week: The Deck of Cards Workout.
Today I'm going to make up another one you--using only strength moves for the lower body. You will need one standard deck of cards including the two Jokers.
If you missed my earlier post, here's how it works. I'm going to assign one exercise for each of the four suits. Shuffle the cards. Turn over a card--do the exercise assigned for that suit as many times as indicated on the card--for example 5 of hearts = 5 reps of the exercise assigned to hearts.
I am not a morning person or a breakfast person. The less I have to do in the morning, the better. However, with teaching classes 4 mornings a week, I know it's important to have something in my system (I don't do well working out on a completely empty stomach).
I was making a lot of refrigerator oatmeal, but then I decided to go grain-free. So I had a bit of a challenge ahead of me--no grains meant no cereal, no toast and no oatmeal. Thankfully I found this easy to make breakfast idea on pinterest. I eat this if I have at least an hour or more before my workout. Otherwise, I wait and eat it as my post workout meal and have a green smoothie for my pre-workout meal.
Make ahead baked eggs. They are so simple to make and there are so many variations, I never get bored. These can be done in muffin tins or ramekins. I usually only do 4 or so at a time, so I usually use ramekins.
The easiest way to do these: Layer a piece or two of ham in a greased ramekin. Crack an egg over the top. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. That's it. When they are cool, you can slip them out of the ramekin and put into a tupperware container. Sometimes I add a layer of spinach between the ham and the egg. You can also put in a slice of breakfast sausage, pressing it in to form sort of a crust.
The other way I do these is to cut up a bunch of cooked veggies, some ham or cooked bacon or sausage add 4-5 beaten eggs, some milk or cream and fill each ramekin with the "omelette" mixture. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired. Bake the same way. They are really yummy and satisfying. I sometimes make them for dinner as well, it's so much easier than making individual eggs for everyone. We eat them right out of the oven.
If eating for breakfast, simply reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or so and you have a healthy breakfast. I sometimes add another green smoothie that I make ahead as well to get in even more veggies.
