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The June Five

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1) Tai Chi Twist:

Anne twist 1 6.17
Anne twist 2 6.17
  • Stand with feet about hip distance apart.
  • Swing your arms from side to side, allowing your shoulders, hips, and legs to move.
  • Spine twist. Ankle, hip and shoulder mobility.

2) Calf Raise:

Anne calf raise edit 6.17
  • Stand on a yoga block.
  • Slowly lift and lower your heels ten times.
  • Strengthens whole posterior chain – calves, hamstrings, glutes.

3) Side Lunge:

Anne side lunge 1 6.17
Anne side lunge 2 6.17
  •  Stand with feet a little wider than hip distance.
  • Shift your weight into your right leg as you bend your right knee.
  • Straighten legs and move hips back to center.
  • Reach up to the left, lifting your left leg if possible.
  • Ten each side.
  • Strengthens legs and hips, improves balance.

4) Hamstring Curl:

Anne ham curl 1 6.17
Anne ham curl 2 6.17
  • Stand tall. Bring your weight to your right leg and stretch left lag back behind you as you tilt forward.
  • Slowly kick right heel towards your bum, then extend your leg.
  • Ten each side.
  • Strengthens hamstrings, hips. Standing balance.

5) Calf Stretch:

Anne calf stretch 6.17
  • Stand facing a wall, right foot a little in front of left, both heels on the ground.
  • Slowly work your front knee closer to the wall, then back off.
  • Stretches ankles, calves.

Honey Mustard Kale And Cabbage Slaw Recipe

After a week of “vacation eating” last month (“why yes I would like dessert after every dinner thank you!”) I am now back to my more reasonable diet, including lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Try this easy, slightly sweet slaw, and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Honey Mustard Kale and Cabbage Slaw

honey mustard kale and cabbage slaw 6.17

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 cups mixed kale and red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 2 celery stalks, thin sliced
  • 1 small red pepper, thin sliced
  • 1 small green pepper, thin sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. In another bowl, combine kale, cabbage, carrot, celery, peppers, parsley, and red onion with sunflower and pumpkin, seeds.
  3. Pour dressing over veggies and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to compliment your healthy lifestyle. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Foam Rollers: The Perfect Workout Support

What is a foam roller?

A closed cell foam tube that measures 36 inches long.

What can I do with my foam roller?

Foam Rollers are available from Anne McCraineLots of things! I love these so much I use them every day, in fact when my Pilates ladies arrive for class the first thing they do is grab their foam roller and lay on it.

Here are a few suggestions:

  • Release work
  • Stabilization exercises
  • Spine mobility exercises
  • Flexibility exercises
  • Core strength exercises (like the Pilates toe dip series)
  • Balance training (Lunges, Pushups, Roll ups)
  • Upper body strength training (like my favorite series of Chest press, Flye and Tricep extension)

Why do I need a foam roller?

I recommend foam rollers to everyone, from the casual exerciser to the elite athlete. If all you do is spend five minutes laying lengthwise on your roller at night you are off to a great start.

Benefits of using a roller:

Foam Rollers available from Fluid Portland

  • Release muscular tension
  • Increase body awareness
  • Build functional strength
  • Improve your balance
  • Increase your flexibility

Has someone you love just started working out? This is the perfect gift! Contact me about picking up one of these for yourself or you loved one. Better yet, schedule a session with me and learn my “top ten” foam roller exercises, including a handy spreadsheet to use as a reference guide.

The May Five

1) Baby Bear:

Anne baby bear 5 5.16

 

Anne baby bear 2 5.16

 

Anne baby bear 1 5.16

 

Anne baby bear 3 5.16

This is release work – your goal is to use the least amount of effort possible.

  • Start lying on your back.
  • Hug your knees and relax your back, hips chest and neck. No really, let everything relax, this may take a minute to figure out.
  • Start to roll side to side, eventually rolling all the way onto your right side then onto your left side. If you notice tension anywhere in your body stop, and start again making smaller movements.
  • Back, neck, hip and shoulder release.

2) Roll Up:

Roll up (2)

 

  • Start on your back with knees bent.
  • Reach towards your knees and as easily as possible start to roll your head and shoulders off the mat.
  • Slowly roll back down with control.
  • You may make it all the way up to seated. If this strains your neck, come back down and do a smaller version with one hand behind your head.
  • Core strength, spine mobility.

 

 

3) Plank/ Twist:

 

Sara Rebecca Plank Twist
  •  From hands and knees, step back into a plank.
  • Make a straight line through your ear, shoulder, hip and knee (drop to your knees if you need to).
  • Slowly lower one hip towards the floor, come back to center, lower the other hip, back to center.
  • One minute.
  • Core strength, shoulder and back strength, spine mobility.

4) Chair/ Twist:

Sara Chair Twist 5.17
  •  Stand with feet parallel, hip distance apart (or big toes touching).
  • Sit low into your Chair pose (parallel squat).
  • Twist to the right, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee. Switch sides.
  • Our fitness model, Sara, is super strong and is showing the advanced version. If you feel any pain while doing this move, don’t sit as deep into your squat, or do a smaller twist.
  • One minute.
  • Strengthens back, legs, arms, shoulders.

5) Burpies:

Jenny burpies 1 10.15
Jenny burpies 2 10.15
Jenny burpies 3 10.15

Believe it or not, one of my ladies requested Burpies this month! You basically cycle through a squat, to a plank or push up, back to a squat (or jump), moving as fast as you can comfortably and without pain.

  • Stand at the front of your mat.
  • Squat down (keeping hips lower than your shoulders – do not round your back) and step or jump back to a plank.
  • One push up.
  • Step or jump back to the front of your mat (again keep hips low).
  • Stand up (or jump up).
  • Repeat for one minute.
  • Cardio interval. Leg, back, hip, shoulder, chest and arm strength.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She suggests you shoot for one minute a day of these moves, to compliment your cardio, strength, and flexibility work. The above photos are meant to jog your memory about the work you and Anne have done together. Please see your medical professional before beginning a new exercise program.

 

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Looking for a healthy breakfast idea? Try this baked oatmeal recipe and let me know what you think. While it does contain a small amount of sugar (from maple syrup, raisins, and carrots) it is also rich in vitamins, whole grains, fiber, and a little protein from the eggs, nuts, and and dairy.

carrot cake baked oatmeal final 5.17

These can me made a head and packed to go, and they freeze beautifully.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

carrot cake baked oatmeal ingredients 5.17

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 egg
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup carrot, grated
  • 1/3 cup raisins

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease an 8X8 pan with one Tbsp of coconut oil.
  3. In a large bowl, combine oats, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream cheese, milk, maple syrup, the remaining oil, and vanilla (small lumps are OK).
  5. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.
  6. Fold in carrots and raisins.
  7. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until set.
  8. Let cool for ten minutes, then slice and serve.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.