Category Archives: Fitness

Sunday Recipe: Hummus!

Happy Sunday! Hummus is by far one of my favorite foods. I have realized that people either love it or they hate it. However, the awesome thing about making your own is that it’s cheaper in the long run AND you can adjust the ingredients so that it’s delicious to your particular taste buds. Also, hummus is a great source of protein to bolster protein intake for those of us that can’t afford organic chicken or grass-fed beef all the time.

^ I use a very basic recipe that I found in my small selection of cookbooks. If you’re trying to go gluten-free this is an awesome book. I know it’s pretty affordable on amazon, check it out here.

Ingredients:

12 or 14 oz. can organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp tahini (it’s ground sesame seeds and lasts forever)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 ground cumin (great spice to keep around)

2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

^ Drain the chickpeas. Then combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend it all up until smooth. Taste it and add whatever else you’d like to make it taste even better.

^ Quick tip I learned from my second momma, Debbie, squeeze the lemon upside down with a fork to avoid getting seeds into the mix.

^ Scoop it out and keep it in a Tupperware. Use it instead of ranch! I eat it over salad, with celery, apples, and carrots. It’s flippin’ good. Let me know how yours turns out!

Ashley Life Update: I got my mind into a good zone towards the end of the week and ended up doing really well and overcoming all the obstacles that had been haunting me early last week. I’m pretty proud of myself. Last night, after a long day of work, my friend Sara asked if I wanted to ride this morning. My immediate inclination was, “heck no!” but I decided to commit and go anyway. It was a chilly 40°F but it also made me realize how little outdoor riding is left in the year. I’m completely exhausted but happy I went out. On top of getting in about 35 miles, we spotted a train! Now the rest of my day will be filling with eating and relaxing. I really do love my life.

^ It is confirmed, I live in the midwest. Please note the tractor in the background. Also, this train was so long that I had time to fumble around with my frozen fingers, take about 15 photos and put my phone away before the train ended. Pretty crazy.

One last thing, my Gran always tells me that she loves reading my blog because it makes her feel closer to me; so from now one, she will be getting a hello. So…Hi Gran! Love and miss you!

I hope you’re all having wonderful days. Enjoy the rest of your weekend 🙂

Workout Wednesday: Guide to Building Your Own Workout

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Last Wednesday I had a crazy busy morning and didn’t have time to squeeze in a workout. I resolved to workout if I got a long enough lunch break or to just save it until after work. I am proud to say that I managed to workout, shower, eat lunch, get ready, and make a smoothie all within a 45 minute lunch break. That’s right, I am Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman

In the end, all of my time efficiency comes from having a routine for each of these things. I had the blender on while I was getting dressed and I was eating lunch while my hair dried. It’s all about thinking out a plan on the car ride home and not dawdling even a little bit. Which is what I’m trying to do this very morning so moving on…

The workout I did was quite unique. I realized on the drive home that I wouldn’t have time to look up a workout with the lovely Zuzana Light so I made up my own. I just chose some full body exercises and a time crunch that would make me sweat AND hurt at the same time. Sounds like fun right??

Here was my workout:

3 rounds of 5 exercises. Do each exercise to the max for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, start the next exercise. Repeat each round 3 times.

Exercises:

1. Pushups (from my knees because my pecks are strangely weak)

2. Crunches (with my legs straight in the air)

3. Squat to shoulder press (with weight, use water bottles if you don’t have weights)

4. Lunge Jump (lunge down then jump up and switch legs)

5. Leg raise (Lie on the ground and lift legs up to 90° angle, keeping them straight, then lower them)

This workout ended up being killer and I felt pretty awesome for formatting my own. Some rules to help you do the same:

– Make sure you know the correct form for an exercise before you do it alone. Wrong form makes you prone to injury. (If you don’t know, just google or youtube it!)

– Establish reachable goals for the workout like “I want to do 30 crunches in each 40 second time period.”

– Keep the whole workout under a time limit so that you feel like you’re really accomplishing something in a tiny bit of time.

– Record all your numbers so that you can look back and try again in a few weeks. Track your progress!

– Be proud of what you’ve done and build on it, nothing’s better than self-propelled success.

I repeat: nothing is better than self-propelled success. So get off your bum and get it done!

And be sure to SMILE in between grimaces 🙂

Workout Wednesday: Passive Exercise

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So this morning I was awake by 6:15am and have to be out the door by 6:45. Usually I budget at least an hour and half to wake up, workout out, shower, write this lovely little blog, then eat. This morning, no way! So I will be coming home at lunch for a quick workout and shower, but for those of you who have had the workout time squeezed out of your schedule on any given day, here are a few passive workout tips.

These should never be substituted for a real workout but should be daily rules to live by so that you don’t feel so bad when you just literally don’t have the time.

1) Always take the stairs. Always. When you get off the train and see that massive, daunting set of 12,000 stairs, look at it as your mini goal for the next 5 minutes and go for it!

2) Park far from the store entrance. If you’re in a hurry, even better, that mean’s you’ll power walk to and from your car.

3) Carry your groceries rather than bringing the cart out. There have been days when I have so many groceries in my arms that people think I’m insane, BUT I also have very sore arm muscles by the time I get to my car.

4) Do calf raises while standing in line. Again, you may look kind of weird bouncing up and down but after a few reps, people stop looking and after a few minutes, your calves are workin’ hard.

5) And this is less workout and more just something to live by, stand up straight! Always! This not only tightens your core and makes you more stable in your real workouts but it’s so good for your current and future spine health to have great posture.

Ok time to brush my teeth and head out! I hope you’re all having fantastic days.

Smile 🙂

Workout Tuesday: Dance Like No One’s Watching

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Yes, you should dance like no one’s watching. To encourage you, I’ve decided to make a complete fool of myself and dance while everyone’s watching.

For the last several years there has been a long and arduous debate about warming up before a workout. Some studies show it’s good, some show you’re fine without it. Whatever the case, I know that my body needs to warm up to a workout otherwise I will twist or strain something. But traditional warm ups suck! So I dance!

Dancing at 7am is not only incredibly energizing but it puts you in a great mood for the rest of the day. So just put on a great song (see below) and loosen up. Dancing alone means you can do whatever weirdo moves you want.

I find that this is great dancing AND workout music:

And this was the workout I did with Zuzka today:

And finally, the piece de resistance, my ridiculous dance moves, published and open for laughs. Now you have NO EXCUSE not to dance!

You also now have no excuse not to smile. Have a happy day!

Riddle Me This

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As I’ve mentioned before, I work for a health center; our health center is based on chiropractic and we build from there. We help strengthen your nerve system (the spine/center of all that goes on in your body) and then help our patients with nutrition, exercise, and a healthy mind. We have helped so many people in just the few months that I’ve been there and it just gets me more and more excited about my job. A huge part of my day-to-day is getting out in the community and finding people that want help getting healthy but don’t know step one. Easy right? WRONG.

^ (Sweet T-shirt huh? Thank you Martha Stewart Pintrest.)

Riddle me this: why do people who know they need help resist it in every way possible? Granted, there are people who come along, tell us they have one or two annoying symptoms and then conclude that they don’t have the time or money to get them fixed, fair enough. But there are others, so many others, who come into our little booth with daily headaches, crippling back pain, and joint pain so bad that they can’t work. We talk to them, prove that there’s something going wrong by giving them an inflammation scan, and then offer them care at a very low cost, very. They look at me with pain in their face and say, “can I take a business card, maybe I’ll call you later,” then they never do. WTF mate?? I just don’t get it.

Why do some people not get help when an obvious solution is shown right to their face? I understand, some people are looking for “the catch.” But what would it hurt to just come and see what we can do? If you don’t give anything a chance then you’ll never get fixed! This applies not only to our little booth but to every person out there who reads this blog or another blog multiple times and thinks, “hmmm, nope that’s still too hard.” Or the people that make the step to get gym memberships but then never hire a trainer or establish a routine for themselves. Or the people that know fast food is terribly terribly terrible for you and they continue to stop at McDonald’s instead of swinging by the grocery store. It’s intimidating and maybe a little expensive at first but so are heart attacks and kidney transplants. Stop living in pain and discomfort and do something about it!! Your body is designed to heal itself as long as you take care.

Ok, that is my Friday rant. To all those that read this and nod their head and then put on their gym clothes and get in that workout that they SO don’t want to do this morning, NICE WORK. Go get ’em! Keep that body and mind fit so that you can do all those other wonderful things in your life.

So today, I will head to Morton Pumpkinfest and smile my warmest smile. I will try to help people that are scared and clueless to start the first step. I will smile my warmest smile.

Workout Wednesday: I Dare You

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Oh Boy. I did NOT want to workout this morning. Rolling out of bed lately has been extra difficult. Again, who wants to wake up at 6:30 instead of 9 just to workout?!?! No one. But then I remember that awesome post workout feeling when I could go about my day standing a little straighter and feeling a little more awesome.

So I worked out with the lovely Ms. Zuzka Light. I’ve been following her workouts for about 5 years now and she’s never let me down. But today’s was a doozy. It was like she knew I’d be lagging. So here it is:

I dare you to try it. Seriously. I ended up doing four rounds for time instead of the 15 minute limit. 4 rounds took me 20 minutes and 25 seconds.

Note: If you don’t have weights, use full water bottles or cans of food. If you don’t workout regularly, do the workout with her so that you can keep the right form.

I can’t believe I pushed my body that hard! And so early in the morning. Yay for me! This day will be that much better.

Enjoy yours too. Don’t forget to smile!

Workout Wednesday

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The chiropractor I work for also runs really great exercise and nutrition programs. I get to participate in both of them and, on Wednesdays, I lead an exercise group for some of our patients. I combine the technique and overall structure of our company’s workout routine along with some exercises from my own vault.

The Science:

– This workout is anaerobic, rather than low intensity for a long time it’s high intensity for a short time. This means it’s less about cardio and more about developing muscle. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise is important but I tend to do much more anaerobic not only because of my time constraints but because of the great results it gives me.

– If you do this short, high intensity work on a regular basis your hormones will gradually start to change and your metabolism will increase.

– The muscle you build will continue to burn fat for up to 36 hours after you end the workout.

– All the exercises use only your bodyweight, no other tools, it’s free and easy to do anywhere in the world at any time! THE WHOLE ROUTINE TAKES 16 MINUTES.

– Because they are bodyweight exercises, they compound many different muscle groups in movements that help improve your every day function.

The Warm Up (2 min, 20 seconds) I will eventually record this and post it:

– Upward dog/cobra (5 seconds) into child’s pose (5 seconds), repeat: For upward dog lay on your stomach with your feet pointed, hands by your shoulders, then try to straighten your arms. For child’s pose, kneel then sit on your heels, let your body fall over your legs and, if you can, put your forehead to the ground. Stretch your arms out on the ground in front of you. For both exercises don’t push to the point of pain, just feel the stretch.

– Quad stretch (10 seconds each side): Stand on one foot and grab the other foot behind your bum. Push your foot against your hand. Switch sides.

– Calf/hamstring stretch (20 seconds): Plant both feet on the ground, hip distance apart, bend at the hips and try to touch the ground or hug your legs. Don’t lock your knees, keep a very slight bend in them.

– Quick twist (20 seconds): Spin at the waist and let your arms fall to either side of your body, then go the other direction.

– Arm circles (20 seconds): Small to big, switch directions after 10 seconds.

– Run in place (20 seconds): Jog to get your heart rate up. Do one leg at a time if it’s too high impact.

– Jumping Jacks (20 seconds): If jumping is too high impact, just step out one leg at a time.

The Workout (12 minutes): set a timer for 20 second intervals (find a timer here). Do the exercise for 20 seconds as fast as you can while keeping the right form, then rest for 20 seconds. Repeat each exercise 3 times.

Remember to breathe. Do it in rhythm with your exercises so you don’t forget. It helps take your mind off the pain too 🙂

1) speed lunges – Get in a lunge position, keep your feet there, and do a controlled bounce for 10 seconds, switch legs.

2) push ups – Keep your back, bum, and legs in one straight line.

3) crunches – Lift your head AND shoulders off the ground. Keep them in a straight line and look up at the ceiling the whole time.

4) side hop – Place a rolled up towel or other obstacle in the middle of the floor and jump over it side to side, do it fast! If it’s too high impact, just step one foot at a time, fast.

5) crab dip – Get on all fours with your belly facing the ceiling and your hands facing your feet (the crab). Keep your bum as high off the floor as possible. Bend your arms! This works your triceps.

6) speed knees – Run in place, bringing your knees up as high as you can without falling over. If this is too high impact, raise your legs one at a time. Do it fast!

Bonus) plank – Get in a push up position with arms straight and legs, bum, back, and head in a straight line. Hold it for as long as you can.

Cool Down (1 min 40 seconds):

– walk in a big circle to get your heart rate down (40 seconds)

– repeat the first 3 warm up stretches

Did anyone try this? Or try to read it? Is it very confusing? I may try to record our whole workout tonight and post it here next week.

Tip of the Day: Where Do I Run?

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First, shout out to my Gran. She is my most devout reader and I was thinking about her a lot during my run today. Love you Gran!

And now the actual post: After two days of lots of work and no working out, I climbed out of bed, quickly got dressed before I changed my mind, and went out on a run. Before I ran, however, I had to decide where to run to…

This can be a tough one, especially when you live in a city made for cars. Some people need a different route every day but for me its more about predictability, otherwise I would never run anywhere.

If you’re like me and need some predictability but also some room to progress, here are some tips:

– find a park or running/bike trail with boundaries like fences or walls to keep cars out

OR find a great block or two near your neighborhood to run/walk around.

– find a pleasant way to get from your house to this place

– map out your first run on mapmyrun.com to get your starting distance

Peoria has a great abandoned railroad that they are converting to a bike/jogging path called the Rock Island Trail. According to Map My Run, the head of the trail is 1.75 miles from my house. Today, Day One, I ran that distance and back totaling 3.5 miles. It was tough and full of hills but I did it! Also, sadly, there are areas where there’s no sidewalk which sucks but it’s only for a short distance.

^ No sidewalk?? WTF mate!

Hopefully soon I’ll get comfortable enough to run/walk some of the actual trail.

^ The trail head, hopefully I’ll run some of it next time.

Also, just for fun, we were eating breakfast on the deck and Mike decided it would be a great idea to feed the bunnies some celery stalks. Hahaha. This is why I love him.

Vacation Exercising

The Wonderful World of Bikes

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I ride bikes. Scratch that, I LOVE riding bikes. My family is very health conscious so I was a regular at the gym play room when I was a kid and then, for my 11th birthday, I got a gym membership of my own. That gift began a lifetime commitment to fitness. Soon enough though, I realized that gyms are boring! So I tried every sport in the book (basketball, soccer, track, swimming, water polo, softball, you get the idea) and sucked at pretty much all of them. I came to realize that I’m terrible at anything that needs hand-eye or foot-eye coordination. It was pretty frustrating because I always knew I could be good at something if not for the passion and discipline I would bring the sport.

Finally, in 2008, I accomplished one of my goals of doing a triathlon. I was in San Diego (the mecca for triathletes) for a 6 month internship and joined the Tri Club of San Diego. They have an incredible calendar of multiple training sessions per day and it was so easy to jump in on a few of those before and after work. They also held FREE monthly sprint distance triathlons and before I left to head back to Boston, I had done six. SIX! I also managed to squeeze in the Pumpkinman Olympic Distance at Lake Mead in Nevada.

When I got back to school I realized how crazy expensive triathlons are so I looked for a new outlet. I always loved to swim so I did some of that but it’s so fricken lonely. Then I found Green Line Velo. It’s a Boston-based bike race team started by a couple of kids that graduated from my school. I joined one of their community rides and, in my first day, met several people who would become my best friends. Triathlons drifted to the back of my mind for a while and I got fast on a bike.

^ that’s me! we had a pretty sweet team photo shoot (photo credit to Sam Rosenholtz)

^ me and some teammates on a training trip in New Hampshire.

I joined my school’s bike team my junior year and felt really sad that I hadn’t joined sooner. Collegiate road racing happens for all of March and April and became my favorite time of year. My last year at school I volunteered to captain the team (along with Mike, my now boyfriend) and we had one of the best adventures I’ve ever been a part of. While it was an incredibly intense nine weeks, it was well worth it. We would leave midday Friday, drive several hours to our host housing (usually a teammates’ parents), sleep for a few hours, then race both Saturday and Sunday. Monday through Thursday was spent cramming in ALL classes and homework (this was pretty hard during thesis time).

In the last few years I have discovered an amazing world of cyclists. People that are so dedicated and excited to be a part of the sport that they’ll do anything to see you get into it as well. Seriously. Next time you meet someone on a bike, mention that you were thinking about going out on a ride sometime; they will inevitably invite you on various group rides and make it impossible for you to resist. And honestly, don’t even try. The people I met on Green Line Velo and my collegiate team have become some of my closest, most encouraging friends. They’re amazing people and they’re totally worth the 7am wake ups and ridiculous training rides.

^ that’s me in the white helmet with a great friend of mine, Carolyn, in the pinstripes (photo credit to another friend, Chatura Atapattu)

ps. I fully intend on reentering the tri world but may have to wait until my real life job starts panning out and I can afford it.

Questions: Have you ever thought about riding bikes? Why haven’t you started already? Please comment, I’d love to hear what everyone else has to say.

A Happy Lass

One woman's journey to her healthiest body and mind.

Category Archives: Fitness

Sunday Recipe: Hummus!

Workout Wednesday: Guide to Building Your Own Workout

Workout Wednesday: Passive Exercise

Workout Tuesday: Dance Like No One’s Watching

Riddle Me This

Workout Wednesday: I Dare You

Workout Wednesday

Tip of the Day: Where Do I Run?

Vacation Exercising

The Wonderful World of Bikes