Get an early start on your New Year's resolution and burn off all that 2016 did to you. Committing to a healthy lifestyle means you have to get moving! Don't be one of the millions of people that puts "working out" on the top of their resolution list but never makes it to the gym.
Here are a few really great at-home workouts and diet tips that are geared to whip you into shape in no time. No equipment needed, just your body, motivation, determination and will-power!
>> MORE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite gym in Dayton.com’s Best of 2016
1.) Five, Ten, Fifteen
The perfect pick-me-up. You’ll be surprised at how energized and accomplished you will feel after completing this circuit. Stay strong all the way through and push yourself!
- 5 push-ups
- 10 crunches
- 15 Squats
- Rest for 10 Seconds
- 5 lunges (per each leg)
- 10 reverse crunches
- 15-second plank
Repeat this sequence 5 times.
2.) Fat Burning Belly Workouts
Don't stop! Complete each exercise all the way through, and rest for one minute after each round. Repeat each round 5 times.
- 10 burpees
- 20 climbers
- 15 push-ups
- 20 Squats
- 15 high knees
3.) HIIT Fat Blaster
Do each of these workouts for 20 seconds -- without stopping. HIIT workouts are designed to burn the most fat in short amounts of time, but you must remember to have good form and push yourself.
After each exercise you are allowed a 10-second window to rest. After each round is complete, repeat for a total of three rounds.
- Jumping jacks
- Squats
- Side lunges
- Mountain climbers
- Push-ups
- Butt kicks
- Sit-ups
Don't forget to stretch when you finish!
4.) EAT!
“I’ll just starve myself to lose all this weight.” Bad idea -- it'll never actually help you reach your goal. In fact, eating periodically throughout the day helps your metabolism speed up to break down foods in a shorter amount of time.
What's the catch? You have to monitor your calorie intake. It's a task we all hate to do, but will discipline you and get you on track to your goal. Not to mention healthier foods give you great amounts of energy, while fattier and greasy foods tend to make you sleepy and less productive. Meals low in carbs and high in protein are the way to go.
There are plenty of apps that will help you monitor your daily caloric intake. MyFitnessPal, available for iPhone and Android, is my personal favorite. Here are a few good food ideas to help you get started without feeling like you're missing out.
Yogurt Breakfast Popsicles
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tsp honey
• ½ cup granola
• 1 cup berries/chopped fruits
Mix the milk together with yogurt and 1 tsp of honey. Divide the mixture into your popsicle molds and place a few berries or the chopped fruit into each mold. Stir granola and the other 1 tsp of honey together and top the yogurt with a little bit of this granola mixture. (If you’re having trouble mixing the honey and granola, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds). Place a wooden popsicle stick into the molds and place them in the freezer. YUM!
Avocado Strawberry Chicken Salad
• Baby spinach
• Chicken breasts
• Salt & pepper
• Sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Pecans
• Crumbled feta cheese
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
Season your chicken with light salt and pepper on both sides and grill them on medium-high heat. In a large bowl add spinach, strawberries, avocado, pecans and the crumbled feta cheese and mix it all together. Slice the chicken breast after it has cooled down and place on the top of the salad. Enjoy!
Zucchini Lasagna
4 large zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 pound extra lean ground turkey
1 - 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup of basil, finely chopped
¼ cup of parsley, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
red pepper flakes, if desired
salt and pepper, to taste
15 oz part skim ricotta
1 egg white
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 oz reduced fat or part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
Turkey Meat Sauce: Heat olive oil on medium-high heat and add garlic, onions and peppers to cook for a few minutes until the onion become translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the ground turkey and brown it. Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley and a few dashes of red pepper flakes (these help boost metabolism). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens.
Zucchini Noodles: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray large cooking sheet with non-stick spray. You'll need to cut zucchini into flat bed-like noodles and lay on cooking sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt and roast in the oven for 15 mins to dry out the zucchini a bit.
Cheese: Combine egg white, ricotta and parmesan in a bowl with a little bit of pepper and add a ½ cup of slightly cooled turkey meat sauce and stir.
Assemble & Bake: Coat with non-stick cooking spray and spread ½ of the turkey meat sauce into the bottom of your baking pan. Place the roasted zucchini slices over meat sauce, and coat with ½ of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of this and repeat layers over again. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After removing foil, bake 15 minutes uncovered. Bon Appetit!
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