The University Club Fitness Center Newsletter December 2017

Transcription

1 The University Club Fitness Center Newsletter December 2017 The staff of the University Club Fitness Center would like to wish you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season. We will be closing for the Winter Break at 4pm on December 21 st and will re-open on Tuesday, January 2nd at 6am. FEATURES: Active for the Holidays Page 2-3 Fitness Gift Ideas Page 4 Recipe of the Month Page5 Recipes of the Month Page 6 Active Events in Pittsburgh Page 7

2 The holidays are a chaotic time - between work deadlines, holiday parties, shopping, present wrapping, cooking, cleaning, spending time with family, the list could go on and on. Because of all the extra demands placed on us during this time, it is VERY easy for our fitness goals to fall onto the back burner. It is also a time of serious change in the weather- with dropping temperatures making it more and more tempting to bundle up on the couch instead of heading out to the gym. But let s all make a goal this holiday season- let s maintain (or maybe increase) our current fitness levels while still accomplishing our crazy to do list throughout the holidays. And even better- let s get the family involved too! Although it may be hard to get to the gym because of our to do list or funky holiday gym hours, there are lots of ways we can increase our physical activity in our household and involving the family regardless of their age! Below are some fun ideas to try to add a little extra physical activity into our holiday routines. REMEMBER- the more people you can get involved in your household, the more fun it ll be! Cutting down your own Holiday Tree Instead of buying a pre-cut tree, bring the family along to pick the PERFECT tree and cut it down on your own! Play Outside! Snow doesn t have to be a drag, have some fun in it! Layer up those winter clothes, bring the kids outside and play. Sledding, building snowmen, running around having snowball fights, making snow angels and building igloos are all fun ways to increase that heart rate. Work for that hot chocolate ;) Practice Mindfulness It is easy to feel overwhelmed over the Holidays with you crazy to do lists. Whenever you are feeling overwhelmedstep away from what you are doing for 5-10 minutes, close your eyes and just breathe. Creating a list of all the things you are thankful for over the holidays is another great tradition to start with the family. This list can be read aloud from everyone while at a Holiday dinner too! As much as you can- RELAX and ENJOY

3 Participate in Community Events Having some time off of work is a great way to become more active in your community. Spread some holiday cheer with the family volunteering- it not only helps others, it helps to get you off the couch! Use Chores to your Advantage Instead of just cleaning up the dishes try adding in 5 Jumping Jacks after every 4 dishes that you wash. Alternate with the kids too- this teaches them how to clean AND be more active- it s a win win! Play Games Together! Finding ways to make board games more active is another great way to spend time with the family while being active. Try this: whoever is the last person to make it around the game board has to complete an exercise of every family members choosing. Take Activity Breaks One of the best parts about the holidays is all of the awesome, classic movies that run on TV. Make your movie time more active. Try This: While watching The National Lampoon s Christmas Vacation: Every time Ellen calls Clark Sparky 10 Jumping Jacks Every time Clark has an awkward moment- 5 Burpees Any time the Griswold s neighbors complain- 5 Push ups Whenever someone is wearing an ugly sweater- 30 seconds of Mountain Climbers Every time cousin Eddie says something weird- 30 seconds of Butt Kickers Whenever Clark has crazy eyes - 20 Sit-ups Whenever Clark endangers himself and/or others in the pursuit of the perfect Holiday- 15 lunges each leg Every time someone refers to Rusty as Rus - 20 Squats Every time Aunt Bethany speaks or sings- 15 Dips with hands on the couch

4 For the Active Individual: Fitness Diary Fitness Tracker Jump Rope Dumbbells Foam Roller Resistance Bands Headphones Gym Bag Sneakers DriFit Shirts and Pants Workout Leggings Reflective Running Gear Running Gloves Compression Socks Wool Running Socks Phone Armband Fitness DVDs Bicycle Helmet Cycling Shoes For some Rest and Relaxation: Yoga Mat Yoga Blocks Yoga Straps Essential Oils & Diffuser Yoga Books Pilates Books Journal Stability Ball Yoga Leggings For Healthier Eating: Blender Measuring Cups Food Scale Lunch Box Meal Prep Containers Vegetable Spiralizer Sparking Water Maker Vegetable/Fruit Dehydrator Cast Iron Griddle Air Fryer Cookbooks Healthy Snack Bars (Health Warrior, KIND, RxBars) Healthy Grab & Go Snacks Protein Powder S well Water Bottle

5 Recipes of the Month Light Scalloped Potatoes with Roasted Chiles Ingredients: 1 medium poblano chile pepper, halved & seeded 2 TBSP unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish ½ small onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme 2 pounds Yukon Gold, potatoes, peeled & sliced 1/8 in thick 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth Salt & pepper ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Pre-heat broiler. Put the poblano cut-side down on a baking sheet and boil until the skin is browned in spots, about 5 min. Peel the skin off the poblano under cold running water, and then chop into small pieces. 2. Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly butter a 2 quart baking dish. Heat 2 TBSP butter in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, 1 ½ tsp salt, and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring gently, until the potatoes are tender, minutes. 3. Arrange half of the potato-broth mixture in the prepared baking dish, in even layer. Sprinkle half each of the roasted poblano and parmesan. Repeat with the remaining potato-broth mixture. Bake until bubbly and slightly golden, about 35 minutes. Balsamic Berry Vinaigrette Winter Salad Ingredients: ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 2 TBSP plain fat-free Greek yogurt 1 TBSP sugar free preserves 1 ½ tsp olive oil 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard 1 clove garlic, minced ¼ tsp kosher salt 1/8 tsp black pepper 3 cups fresh baby spinach 3 cups torn romaine lettuce 1 small Gala apple, thinly sliced ½ cup crumbled feta cheese ½ cup pomegranate seeds ¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted Directions: 1. For vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, yogurt, preserves, oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. 2. In an extra-large serving bowl, combine spinach, romaine, apple, cheese, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette; toss to coat. Pass the remaining vinaigrette around the table. Nutrition Information: Serves: 6 Calories 168 Fat: 5.5g Protein: 7g Fiber: 3g Carbohydrates: 22g Cholesterol: 11mg Nutrition Information: Servings per recipe: 8 Serving Size: 1 cup Calories: 90 Fat: 5g Protein: 3g Fiber: 2g Carbohydrates: 8g Cholesterol: 5mg Sodium: 143mg

6 Exercise of the Month: Physio ball (PB) Walkout Position 1 (Starting Position): Start on your hands and knees with your stomach on the PB Position 2 (Transition) Walk your hands out forward while maintaining a flat back Keep palms facing forward Position 3 (End Position) Walk your hands out until your feet are on the PB Slowly walk your hands back in until you return to the starting position.

7 Jingle Bell Run December 2 5K Run Hosted by The Arthritis Foundation & 100% proceeds go to the Arthritis Foundation Where- North Shore Register Online at Holiday Lights Tour and Ugly Sweater Run December 5-6:30-9:30 PM Ice Skating at the PPG Rink Downtown Check out the awesome rink up until February! Candlelight Vinyasa Flow & Pour Saturday December AM Hosted by The Candle Lab in Lawrenceville $25 for class, candle which you pour on your own and leggings Sign up on Eventbrite.com Hosted by Pro Bike + Run and Saucony Free- Get your ticket on Eventbrite.com Begins at Buckhead Saloon in Market Square Family Zumba at Phipps Conservatory Sunday December 10 & January 7 These events are free to attend but please RSVP at Check out more great events onlinethere are so many cool things going on in Pittsburgh during the Holidays! All ages welcome!