Aspire, Perspire, Nourish Yourself

Sidelined by Injuries?

If you’re a runner and currently injured, then welcome to the club! I hate feeling vulnerable to those aches and pains that make you hesitant to do anything with your body. When feeling this way, I remind myself that there are tons of other physical activities I can do with less impact and max results.

So, while being sensible not to injure myself more, I’ve been taking a break from running and doing other equally wonderful things. Here’s a sample of my workouts the past two weeks.

Bike and Spin Sessions

For easier days, I’ve been biking on a stationary bike or around town on my mountain bike.

On days that I needed a little more intensity, I tried these two spin workouts from Global Cycling Network (GCN). They are fantastic fat burners. My iPad Mini is a perfect companion to view GCN’s videos on the spin bike. Their videos are easy to follow and professionally done.

Strength Training & Abs

With extra stretching of my calf and hamstrings, I’ve managed to continue my weight routine, albeit with lighter weights and minor modifications. As a bonus, I’ve had a little more time to train muscles that get overlooked when focused on running performance.

Swimming

Ok, I look so goofy with my swim stuff on so please don’t judge…

Ah, so soothing are my afternoon swims in the ocean. The water is getting warmer so it has been easier to jump right in. The major benefit has been working on my cardio while feeling no pain which is common from the repeated impact of running on my legs.

Yoga

Thanks to Lululemon in Waikiki, I’ve enjoyed a regular weekly dose of complimentary yoga. Some weeks I’ve even managed 2 sessions. The teachers who have volunteered their time for yoga practice have been phenomenal. Thank you for helping me through the latest injury.

Walking

Whether for shopping, getting to appointments, or just a mind-clearing breather, I’ve walked. There is so much to see and appreciate when the pace is slower than running.

If you’re injured, try something other than your regular sport or activity. It will give your muscles the much-needed rest, and you may even discover a new favorite activity.

Recipe of the Week: Orange Maple Baked Salmon

7 Dinners for Healthy Eating

We intended to write this post on Saturday to give you time to shop in anticipation of this week’s menu. Unfortunately, life happened and we had no time for writing.

If your days are as crazy as ours, we know you need a dinner plan. There is nothing more frustrating than coming home after a long and busy day and asking yourself, “what are we having for dinner tonight?” It’s even more frustrating when your family expects you to answer that question!

Although we didn’t get this post out in time for tonight’s dinner, we hope this post gives you inspiration for the rest of the week.

Seven Easy and Delicious Dinners

The recipes are all from our blog. Feel free to browse for other options if you’re craving something different.

Dinner 1

Chicken Fingers

Chicken Fingers, Salad, and Quinoa with veggies. For the Salad, you can make a simple dressing with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. For the Quinoa with Veggies, cook the quinoa as directed and then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a bunch of diced vegetables, and season with salt, pepper, basil, thyme.

Dinner 2

Grilled Beef Skewers, Crockpot Brown Rice Risotto with added veggies. Okay, so you have a couple of choices with the added veggies:

Add extra veggies to the risotto as it only contains spinach. Add them half way through cooking, if you can, to keep the veggies tender-crisp.
Skewer some veggies like peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and baste with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, and grill (or bake) with the beef.

Dinner 3

Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce, Chicken & Beef Meatballs with choice of Pasta, and Salad. For the pasta, you can use soba noodles, gluten-free noodles, spaghetti squash, or substitute rice. For your salad, choose a Kale Salad or Mixed Lettuce with Simple Vinegar Dressing.

Dinner 4

Chicken Pot Pie with Steamed Broccoli. You can season the steamed broccoli with a squeeze of lemon, salt & pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

Dinner 5

Haddock Fillets, and Oven Roasted Veggies. To roast veggies, toss a variety of veggies with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and spices of choice, and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 to 45 minutes.