Saturday's Stretch & Flexibility -- Lining Up Hips, Knees, Ankles and Feet

I have been having some pain in my right knee (something I get from time to time--I had surgery on this knee a long time ago--about 25 years ago).  I fear that I'm developing arthritis in it.

So, this week's workout is a bit selfish on my part.  I'm hoping that if I do some knee specific stretching/strengthening exercises it will help.

The routine comes from Dr. Melissa West.  It is Namaste Yoga Episode Number 119.

The description from YouTube:

This yoga class is all about lining up your hip, knees and ankle joints. This class is excellent for anybody suffering with knee issues or arthritis in their hips or knees. In this class imagine your hip, knee and ankle joints as three dots that create a straight line. This simple movements will traction the joints to create lubrication and safe movement in your joints. We will combine these movement with breath and mantra. Drawing on Thich Nhat Hanh's beautiful manta's "In, Out. Calm, Smile. Present Moment, Beautiful Moment." these beautiful mantras will combine with movement to create a simple yet meaningful yoga class. Enjoy.

Friday's Funny -- Wouldn't it be great?

Yes it would be!

Thursday's Total Body/Cardio -- Love HIIT Love

This workout is from Realfittv.  It was posted in February--because of Valentine's Day, but I didn't see it until now.  So I'm sharing it in March, so what?

It's called Love HIIT Love.  I just have to warn you, there are A LOT of squats and overhead presses in this workout.  The entire workout is done standing--weights are optional.  The workout is 20 minutes long.

She provides both a warm up and cool down/stretch.

Here's the breakdown of the workout (from YouTube):

Each move is done for 50 sec/10 sec rest

1. Wide Squat + Shoulder Press
2. High Knees
3. Narrow Squat + Shoulder Press
4. Double Knee Tuck Jump
5. Plie Squat + Shoulder Press
6. Tuck Jump with a Twist
7. Wide Squat + Shoulder Press
8. Skaters
9. Narrow Squat + Shoulder Press
10. Standing Pendulums
11. Plie Squat + Shoulder Press
12. Lateral Jump with Knee Lift

Once again I couldn't get the video to load directly.  The link is below the picture

Love HIIT Love

Wednesday's Wild/Warrior Workout -- HIIT -- Exercises to Burn Calories

This workout keeps you moving without stopping, it's called "Burn 1 Million Calories."  Yes, it is exaggerated, but you will burn a ton of calories if you bring your highest level of intensity to each move.  It comes from XHIT Daily. 

It is only a little over 9 minutes long.  There are 12 exercises.  Most are performed for 30 seconds, a few for 60.

Here's a list of the exercises:

Jumping Jacks (30 sec)

High Knees (30 sec)

Squat Jumps (30 sec)

Alternating Lunges (30 sec)

Squat Taps (60 sec)

Frog Jumps (30 sec)

Back Lunge to High Knee (30 sec)

Skater Hops (30 sec)

Mountain Climbers (60 sec)

Push Ups (30 sec)

Bicycles (60 sec)

Standing Elbow to Knee (30 sec)

Please do a warm up and cool down/stretch first.

Please wear shoes--why she's barefoot, I really don't know--there are too many high impact moves to do this without the proper shoes.  Modify when needed.  If you really need to take a rest break, take one.  It's your workout.

Tuesday's Trunk & Core -- Core and Upper Body Strength

Yes, I missed another Monday post.  Monday's are really busy for me, so I decided to make Monday about Motivation.  I will post something motivational to start your week, along with the usual weekly challenge that I usually post directly to Facebook.

Since I post the Wild Workout on Wednesday, and Total Body on Thursday--you will get plenty of muscle work posts for the week.

Don't let this be an excuse for you to skip your workout on Mondays--there are plenty of past posts and videos on YouTube to choose from.

Enough about Monday, today is Tuesday, so that means core work.  Today's video comes from FitnessBlender and includes upper body strength training as well.

It is about 28 minutes long and consists of 3 groups of 3 exercises that are performed for 45 seconds with 15 seconds rest in between.  Each group is repeated twice.

You will need dumbbells, a bench, table, chair or step and a mat or carpeted area.

A warm up and cool down/stretch are both included.

From the website:

What if some of these exercises are too advanced for me?
These exercises are easily modified in order to be more beginner friendly. For example, if the full staggered hand push up is too hard, you can do the same push up from your knees. If a pike push up is too hard for you at this point, switch it out for a simple overhead press with dumbbells. Move as slowly as you need to (you can do fewer reps than Daniel does in the video), and only lift as heavy of a weight that you can control through the entire range of the exercise.

Sunday's Recipe Share --Versatile Grain Free Crepes/Tortillas

I was so happy when I found this recipe! When I gave up gluten (and grains most of the time), I thought I'd never be able to enjoy things like manicotti, enchiladas, fajitas or crepes.  Happily, I was wrong.  This versatile recipe can play all those roles deliciously.

This is what they look like:

I have used them instead of the homemade "noodles" in my 3-Cheese Manicotti.  Delish! (sorry I had to)

I have used them instead of flour tortillas to make chicken fajitas (I just pan fry them a second time to crisp them up a bit), and enchiladas (your choice of fillings).

And more recently I used them as crepes.  I had some filling leftover from my chicken pot pies, as well as some leftover kale so......

I created these.  I sprinkled a little cheese on top, popped them into the microwave and...there you have it, a great nutritious lunch. A couple of dollops of full fat Greek yogurt finishes them off.  

The next day, I wanted something sweet, so I decided to make strawberry blintzes.  I took some cream cheese (full fat), added a dollop of Greek yogurt (full fat) and mixed in some leftover cut up strawberries and peaches....

a few more cut up strawberries and some pure maple syrup on top and presto, another great meal or a healthy dessert!

Here's the recipe for the crepes/tortillas:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

large pinch salt

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups coconut or almond milk -- I used almond milk You may need to add more for thinner crepes

1 Tbls. olive oil or coconut oil (melted)--I used olive + more oil for cooking (I used a non-stick pan so I didn't need this)

Combine all dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and mix well. If using a cast iron or stainless steel pan, heat a little coconut oil in an 8 inch skillet. Again, I used non-stick so I didn't need this. You may need to repeat this after each crepe or every other depending on how seasoned you pan is.

I use a measuring cup (1/4 cup) to add the batter to the pan. Immediately swirl the batter to coat the pan. Let this cook for a minute or two--it will easily release from the pan when it's ready to flip. Flip after lightly browned and continue cooking until the other side is brown. Continue this process until all of the batter is used.

If you are making sweet crepes, you can add a bit of honey or maple syrup and a touch of vanilla to the batter. If you are making savory crepes or using as tortillas, you can add herbs like cilantro or oregano to taste.  

The recipe makes 10-12 crepes depending on how thick you make them.