I felt inspired on Wednesday night to create an after-dinner workout. Most of the time, my workouts require a fairly empty stomach (I feel heavy and cramp up easily if I eat within an hour of working out). But on Wednesday, I went to a light happy hour with my coworkers and still wanted to work out afterward. I wanted to avoid jumping and high intensity movements, so I created a timed workout that actually made me work hard without cramping up! And in just 25 minutes--not bad.
The workout mimics a Tabata workout--20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest--but it's not technically Tabata because the moves aren't designed to get your heart rate up high. Still, the format runs like this:
- In Group 1, complete the first exercise for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Complete the second exercise in Group 1 for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat this format, remaining in Group 1, for three more rounds (total of four rounds, four minutes).
- Then move to Group 2 and start all over again, proceeding to the other four groups after that.
Form cues:
To round out your workout, consider a brisk walk around the neighborhood, especially now that the sun is out longer for summer!
Speaking of summer, I think these muffins will be fantastic for summer. We still have half a batch left and I'm already eager to make more. These guys include healthy ingredients and taste like a tropical vacation. Hey, if you can't actually be in Maui, just pretend. It's all about denial and daydreaming.
Luau Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from 100 Days of Real Food
- 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple (frozen would likely work; just thaw it ahead of time)
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, mash the bananas and stir in the other wet ingredients (pineapple through vanilla). I mashed the pineapple in a little but mostly left chunks. If you prefer less texture, chop your pineapple more finely. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and stir just until combined (don't over mix). Finally, stir in the macadamia nuts.
Distribute the batter in the prepared muffin tin. I like to use a large ice cream scoop to ensure more equal muffin sizes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
These muffins were so good we ate them for dessert! And with the fruit, whole grains, and healthy fat from the nuts, you're getting some terrific nutritional value. Hope you enjoy them!
Those muffins sound SO good! Thanks for sharing!
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