Category: Creative

Give the Gift of Love and Health this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is synonymous with long-stem roses & ribbon-wrapped chocolates. It’s also a day where many splurge on decadent desserts, multiple glasses of wine and sugar-laden candies. However, if you’re looking for a healthier option this year, we’ve got just the thing for you. Check out our tips on how to have a healthier Valentine’s Day, chocolate included.

  1. Consider Dining at Home: Set up a candle-lit dinner and enjoy the experience of cooking at home. This way you have more control over what you are eating, and will likely consume less calories and saturated fat than if you were to dine out.
  2. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth: Fruit and dark chocolate are great options for healthy desserts. Try chocolate dipped strawberries or dark chocolate covered cherries. 3 chocolate dipped strawberries provides ~180 calories and ~4 grams saturated fat, while a restaurant creme brulee will cost you ~500 calories and ~8 grams saturated fat. If you’re skipping the fruit, aim for 1 ounces of dark chocolate (about the size of two dice / ~150 calories).  Trust us, your waistline will thank you.
  3. Plan an Active Date: Take a fitness or cooking class together, or go dancing after dinner. Ice skating is another popular activity this time of year. Whatever it is, get out there and get moving.

Be sure to tell us how you plan to make Valentine’s Day healthy this year!

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Sideline Fitness

In anticipation of my children’s fall sport schedule, long practices, and even the travel time to get to get them to practice, I am getting my exercise gear ready and scoping out the practice field for a little me time. Being there for your child(ren) is not just about sitting and watching their activity but leading by example…Exercise while they are exercising (at least part of the time).

Creating the exercise program. Objects you can use are picnic tables, benches, steps, hills, loops (out and back), track/trail, railings, playground, and/or clear area.

Exercise List. Squat, Lunge, Push-Up, Plank variations, Burpee, Sun Salutations, Abdominal Crunch, Step Ups, Jog, Walk.

Exercise Script:

  1. Warm-up with quick walk, 3-5 minutes.
  2. Squat 15X
  3. Walk/Jog, 5 minutes
  4. Push-ups 15X
  5. Walk/Jog, 5 minutes
  6. Sun Salutations 10. There are many variations, keep it simple and dynamic; Hinge forward to Plank-Downward Facing Dog-Plank-Low Push-up-Downward Facing Dog
  7. Walk/Jog to nearest bench or steps
  8. Step ups on bench 25X on each leg
  9. Walk/Jog 5 minutes
  10. Abdominal Crunch 20X Perform on bench or grassy clear area
  11. Complete in reverse back to where you began.

Challenge Exercise Script: Need more of a challenge, try this.

  1. Warm-up with Traveling Plank Walkouts 20X. Add a push-up on the last 10
  2. Walk/Jog 2 minutes
  3. Walking Lunges Body Twist 24 total
  4. Walk/Jog 2 minutes
  5. Sun Salutation Burpee 10X – Jump back to Plank  – 3 push-ups-Downward Facing Dog-Jump feet to hands and jump to stand and repeat.
  6. Walk/Jog 2 minutes
  7. Side Plank Walking 10X to the right
  8. Side Plank Walking 10X to the left
  9. Walk/Jog 2 minutes
  10. Squat jumps 12X
  11. Walk/Jog 2 minutes and Complete in reverse back to where you began.

Remember to cool down and stretch after you exercise. Find a tree to lean against and stretch upper and lower body!

Exercise demonstrations can be found on YouTube.com

 

 

 

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