I have not been too affected by the Royal Wedding hype. I get that it is exciting because it is luxurious and glamorous though. The one thing I have become enamored with are Kate Middleton’s hats.
I absolutely love them, and I really want to start accessorizing with hats. I am big on scarves. I have an entire drawer full. Bryan dies every time I come home with a new one. But hats might be my new thing. Unfortunately, they take up more space. And I am not sure if I can pull of hats, but I’m going to give it a good try!
I’ve been dying to make some really pretty and vibrant colored food. So in honor of the Royal Wedding, I went regal with dessert last night.
- 1 frozen banana
- a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 large handful of blueberries
Blend away in the food processor until smooth and place in freezer for about 30 min
- Topped with sliced almonds
- tiny sprinkle of Hemp Plus granola
The dark blue/purple was so pretty! Prior to this I had a microwave baked sweet potato for dinner.
I’ve been getting really lazy with my meals lately. It was delicious though. After microwaving for 6 min, I topped it with TJ’s fat free plain greek yogurt, cinnamon, sprinkle of walnuts, and just a smidge of peanut butter.
I’m finally back to working out today, and I thought I would address a question I received at home. I was asked for some advice on low maintenance leg body strength training exercises. My mom is a nurse and has developed bad knees due to lifting heavy patients. Strengthening the muscles in your legs and around your knees will help strengthen the bones and prevent injury. This is important for runner too. Also, by low maintenance, I mean limited equipment and basic moves. So, I rolled out of bed and went down to the basement gym to tackle this. You do not need a gym though for this routine.
Do Anywhere Leg Strengthening Workout*:
- Bench Step up: 15 reps ea side; 3 sets – if at home you can use a high stair, sturdy chair, aerobic step, sturdy box – anything that is at least 12 in off the floor. Main muscle worked: Quads – this will help strength knees
- Barbell or prisoner squat: 15-20 reps; 3 sets – do prisoner, by placing palms on back of your head, if at home or not ready to add weight. Feet shoulder width apart; butt back and lower until knees bent 90 degrees. Works both core and legs.
- Unilateral Stiff Leg Deadlift: 12 reps; 2 sets – this is a more advanced movement requiring a lot of balance, I still shake, and you should use dumbbells or a barbell. Utilizes hamstrings/glutes.
- Sumo Squat – 12-15 reps; 3 sets – works in the inner thigh more than a regular squat. You can add a dumbbell or kettle ball, by holding it in between your legs with both hands
- Side lying Single leg lift: 20 ea side; 2 sets (def. do 3 sets, I did 2 for time) – these bring back visions of tube socks and buns of steel videos and ladies kicking their legs all the up to almost their head. I actually did this when my trainer told me to do this exercise last year. Imagine my embarrassment when he asked me what I was doing. So to this correctly: flex the foot of the leg you are lifting so toes are up and heel is down and your hamstrings are lengthened and you only have to lift your leg to just above hip width. After doing a few reps you will start to feel the burn in your legs if you are doing it correctly.
- Glute Kickbacks: 12-15 reps each side; 3 sets – kneel on all fours and kick your right leg back, keeping your knee bent, until your hamstring is in line with your back. Works your glutes, as the name states.
- Calf Raises: 25 reps; 2 sets – Stand on any elevated surface with your feet half on;off the platform. Stretch up on to tiptoes, and back down until heels are slightly lower than the rest of your foot. I stood on the bench and added dumbbells to each hand.
This took about 30 minutes to go through. A solid strength training session. Other exercises to sub in are: Hamstring curls using a ball, single leg squats, and lunges.
Followed up this exercise with my favorite: mixed cereals! I have recently been getting back into cereal. I used to eat it way too much. When I lived in Harlem, and was only cooking for myself, I would eat it for dinner more often than I want to admit.
- 3/4 c. Kashi Heart to Heart
- 1/4 c. Fiber One Cereal
- 1 tsp. chia seeds
- ~1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
I also discovered Attune Foods is giving away the chance to go to Fitbloggin’ to one lucky blogger. I have to work on my brief essay tonight telling my story and why I would like to go. I would absolutely love this opportunity, as would many other bloggers. It is so awesome Attune Foods is giving someone a chance. Be sure to enter! Also on my list of blog things to do: 1) Still need to put up my weight loss post! aah! 2) Stuffed Grape Leaves Tutorial.
What are your favorite leg exercises?
*Disclaimer: This workout is just something I have found works for me from my own research and working with a personal trainer. I am not a trainer and you should always consult your doctor before starting a new fitness routine.