fitnessandfood

I love working my legs, whether through strength training or cardio.  One of the best exercises out there is the prisoner squat, a variation on the standard squat which increases strength and power in the major muscle groups in the legs, core and upper body, as well as the important smaller muscle groups, ligaments and tendons which enable movement.  Because of this the prisoner squat is a great exercise for athletes such as baseball, tennis and soccer players, runners and swimmers.  It is also great for focusing on form before adding weights to the squat movement.The prisoner squat is performed from a standing position with the hands interlaced and held at the back of the head. Begin the exercise by pushing your butt back and down, as if you were sitting down in a chair.  Keep the neck and back straight, and keep the weight on the heels rather than the toes.Go down as far as you can while keeping your form and balance, and never beyond 90 degrees (you will find it difficult to make it further than 90 degrees anyway with this one).  Push up through your heels into the starting position.  Build up to three sets of ten.If you want a more challenging squat, try the prisoner squat jump.  Same as above but as you push up, explode up into a jump. Be sure to land with soft knees to avoid injury.  Build up to three sets of ten.This exercise helps teach core stabilization, which helps with balance, posture, and prevents injury.

Like many people I’ve suffered with back pain on and off for many years.  I’ve sought treatments of all kinds, from traditional doctors who mostly gave me painkillers and said it was something I had to learn to live with, to physiotherapists who gave me exercises which did not lessen the pain, to acupuncturists who sent my back into spasms, and massage therapists who made me wonderfully relaxed but who did not stop the pain returning some time later.  Back pain is the scourge of modern society, affecting 80% of adults at some point in their lives.  But it doesn’t have to. Back is often the result of weakened core muscles: the ‘core’ being the abdominals, back muscles, hip flexors and all the muscles that stabilize, align and move the trunk of the body.  Strengthening these muscles and increasing hip and pelvic flexibility can go a long way to prevent and treat back pain.Here are two basic exercises which strengthen and stabilize the core as a whole.  The first is the plank pose, found in both pilates and yoga.  Lying on the stomach, come up onto the forearms and toes, making sure that the elbows are directly under the shoulders.   The back should be perfectly flat (keep the hips down!) and the gaze towards the ground.A variation of the pose is to come up on the hands, keeping the shoulders aligned over the hands and the spin straight.  Hold the pose for 30 seconds initially, longer if you can.  Do 3-4 sets a day.The second exercise is the pilates swimming move.  Lying again on the stomach, raise the right arm and left leg simultaneously, and then switch to the left arm and right leg in a fluid motion.  Think of reaching with the hand and the foot towards the walls, rather than gaining height.  Keep the neck long and lift with the core muscles rather than the hand and foot.  Do 3-4 sets of 30 seconds of swimming daily.  Next up are exercises that will strengthen the abdominals.

The holidays can be a difficult time to fit in your daily exercise.  Add rich food, drink, and family stress, and you could be climbing up the walls by the time you go home.  This year I spent the holidays with my sister and parents in New York, and found the city has a wealth of opportunities to exercise, stretch, and relax during short stays.  Here are a few recommendations if you find yourself in the city.Power Pilates49 West 23rd Street, between 5th and 6th AvenuesThe studios offers very good classes, and offer an introductory offer of a week of unlimited mat classes for $25.  They also offer apparatus and tower classes, but these are not covered in the introductory offer.Om Yoga826 Broadway, 6th Floor, at 12th Street A nice, relaxed atmosphere, more hippie than yuppie.  Individual drop-in classes are $18, half-hour express classes are $12, and an introductory 2-class card can be had for $25.The Ailey Extension405 West 55th Street at Ninth AvenueThis dance and pilates studio has classes for non-professionals (”real people”).  You can get an introductory 2-class card for $25.  And with the Alvin Ailey name, you know it’s good. Bikram Yoga lower east side172 Allen Street, 2nd Floor  All classes are 90 minutes, and there are between four and five classes on offer daily, seven days a week.  A single class is $20, but they have an introductory offer of $20 for a week of yoga.  They also offer discounts to full time employees of non-profit organisations and senior citizens.  Two towels and a washcloth is included in the price of an individual class, and a mat is included in the introductory special though towels are $1.  A very good deal. The most reasonable exercise while you are traveling is running: as long as you have good shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather, most cities have safe pedestrian and cycle paths which offer wonderful views.  In New York, the path leading from Battery Park up the West Side is a haven for runners and cyclists, though it can get windy next to the water.  Central Park has numerous runners paths, with maps available online here. Stay happy, healthy and safe! 

I was visiting a friend in Berlin a few years ago, and she took me to a small bar in Prenzlauerberg with the promise of the best soup I’ve ever had.  Out came a steaming bowl of thick orange soup, with enough ginger to clear my sinuses and a creamy coconut-y texture.  I was hooked, and spent the next few months trying to recreate the soup.  This is my recipe.

Ingredients

Heat a small amount of oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, seasoning well and stirring.  When the onions begin to soften, but before they colour, add the spices, carrots and potato.  When the spices become aromatic, add the red lentils and ginger and stir briefly before adding the broth or water.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for an hour.  Remove from the heat and, using an immersion blender or feeding into batches into a blender or cuisinart, blend to a creamy consistency.  Return to the pan and add the coconut milk, bringing back up to heat.  Taste and season again if necessary.  Serve with crusty bread and salad for a warming and healthy winter meal. 

A few years ago I began to have niggling lower back pain.  Over time it grew gradually worse, and I sought treatment from my doctor.  The doctor prescribed painkillers and referred me to a physiotherapist, and I went and did the exercises she recommended religiously.  After a few years of no improvement, my mom recommended an alternative specialist who works on body alignment and movement.  Although I no longer see him, I do still have a book he recommended called Somatics: Reawakening the Mind’s Control of Movement, Flexibility, and Health.The book argues that the decline of the body with age which take for granted as natural - joint stiffness, back pain, fatigue, and even high blood pressure - are not natural progressions and can be prevented.  This is achieved by training the body’s sensory awareness through a series of simple exercises.Thomas Hana’s theory is an attractive one, and reading the book does open your eyes to the way in which the body operates.  The exercises are based on yoga and pilates, but are so gentle that people of all ages can do them.  One of the key movements is the cat stretch, and if done upon waking and before going to sleep, leaves the back supple and the core strengthened. So does it work?  Well the catch behind Hana’s theory is that it takes time and dedication - you must do the exercises regularly in order to see an effect.  I have been integrating Somatics into my own stretching and exercise routine and I do see an effect.  My chronic back pain is reduced to a flutter, and there is less creaking and popping in my hip joints.Give Somatics a try.  Your body will thank you. 

I hope everyone is spending the holidays, whether secular or religious, with family and friends. Keep warm and wrapped up, and remember to eat your veggies alongside all that chocolate and champagne!

The winter season throws up a variety of health risks:  cold and flu, chapped skin, slippery ice, seasonal depression, just to name a few.  Here are some tips to surviving until spring.1.  Drink water.  It can be difficult to remember to drink water as we aren’t as naturally thirsty in colder weather, plus cold drinks sound less appetizing than on a hot summer’s day.  Drinking water regularly can boost the immune system, hydrate the skin, and energize.  If you find it difficult to drink water, try herbal tea or natural flavoured water instead.2.  Keep warm.  This may seem like a no-brainer, but often I’ve left the house without really thinking about the weather outside.  I always carry a pair of gloves and an extra pair of socks in my bag when I leave the house just in case my feet get wet.  Layering clothing also helps, as going in and out of stores can leave you sweaty if you’re bundled too tightly.3.  Eat your greens.  It can easy to eat stodgy comfort food in cold weather, but make sure your meals are still balanced and healthy.  Throw in carrots to mashed potatoes, broccoli into pasta dishes, and add fresh herbs for extra taste and vitamins. 4.  Wash your hands.  This is the season of germs, and washing your hands is the number one way to prevent the spread of infection.Keep warm, keep dry, keep healthy! 

I’m not generally a fan of bars because I feel that they usually contain a lot of ingredients with which I am unfamiliar, as well as a lot of hidden sugar.  That’s until I came across Nakd Bars , a 100% natural bar made of unsweetened dried fruits, nuts, rolled oats and spices.  And that’s it, no other ingredients!  These bars are vegan, raw, contain no refined sugar, pack in the fibre and unbelievably they taste really good.

They come in Berry Cheeky, Banana Bread, Apple Pie and Cocoa Loco.  Although all the flavours are good, I think the Apple Pie is the best.  With a hint of cinnamon, the chewy texture of dried apples, and the rolled oats it really is like a pie in bar form.

I am also happy to report that these are kid tested - my niece and nephew love them!

The holidays are a busy time, what with stuffing my face with ginger-scented goodies and trying to squeeze in some shopping time around work.  Sometimes you can feel that all you are doing is stuff you have to do, leaving little time for relaxation and re-centering.

Although the cold and dark can make a walk feel like the last thing you want to do, once I get outside and the cold invigorates my cheeks and gets my blood moving, I feel terrific.  It can be as simple as a walk around the block with a friend or partner to chat about your day, or walking to a favourite restaurant or cafe in the evening instead of driving.  Or, if you are as lucky to live along a river trail, as I do, a walk is a chance to enjoy a bit of nature in the city.  How lovely is this?

This classical pyramid treadmill workout is guaranteed to get your heartrate going, energy levels up, and get the blood pumping to your fingers and toes.  You can either walk or run this workout, or alternate walking (recover) with running (sprint).

Warm up 3-4 minutes, exertion level 4

2 minutes strong, exertion level 6

1 minute sprint, exertion level 9

1 minutes strong, exertion level 6

2 minutes sprint, exertion level 9

1 minutes strong, exertion level 6

3 minutes sprint, exertion level 9

1 minute strong, exertion level 6

4 minutes sprint, exertion level 9

1 minute strong, exertion level 6

3 minutes sprint, exertion level 9

1 minute recover, exertion level 6

2 minutes sprint, exertion level 9

1 minute recover, exertion level 6

5 minutes cooldown, exertion level 2