Wellness Series: When You’re Short On Time

Welcome to the last installment of our four-part series on Getting Healthy in the New Year. We hope the workouts and menu ideas we’ve shared here will stick with you and become healthy habits throughout the year.

Hi everyone! I’m Jen DeCurtins and I’m a personal trainer, yoga teacher, healthy living blogger and published author! You can find me teaching yoga at Y2 Yoga, training clients at Metro Fitness Club or on my blog, Peanut Butter Runner, where I share daily updates about what I’m eating, how I’m working out, recipes, yoga tutorials, workouts, life with two golden retrievers and more. I’m the author of Ultimate Plank Fitness and The Complete Guide to Yoga Inversions which can be found online and in some retailers.

Today I’m excited to share one of my favorite workouts with you as well as inspiration for a day of meals. Let’s start with the workout and then talk food!

Jen DeCurtins is wearing Lion Tights ($89) and Power Cup Bra ($39) from Track & Field. Photo: Wanda Koch Photography

Workout

Tabata workouts are one of my favorite ways to get a killer workout in when I’m short on time. They’re just 20-minutes long but I guarantee that you’ll feel like you spent an hour at the gym!

Tabata workouts consist of five four-minute intervals. Within each interval you perform eight rounds of 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds rest for a total of four minutes before moving onto the next interval. The idea is short, sweet and intense. Read this post on my blog to learn more about tabata-style workouts.

The exercises in this workout are all simple bodyweight movements that can be done at home with no equipment. Here are a few helpful hints:

• If jumping doesn’t work for you, stick with the air squats and forward stepping lunges for all 8 intervals instead of the jump option.
• Pace yourself on the push ups. If you’ve never done tabata style push ups before, get ready to feel the burn. They are intense! Don’t compromise your form for more reps and drop to the knees if you need to in order to keep good form and full range of motion.
• The bicycle crunch and mountain climber interval is meant to strengthen both the core and the hip flexors. Don’t be surprised if you find this more challenging for the hip flexors than the abs!
• I did full burpees down to my belly but modify as needed. I show options in the video below.
• Download a tabata timer app for your phone so that you’re not constantly watching the clock.

Here is a video demonstrating all of the exercises included in the workout. Happy sweating!

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, let’s talk food. I love cooking and am a big believer that making fresh and healthy meals at home doesn’t have to be time consuming or boring. I’ve put together a day of meal ideas for you.

Breakfast:
Quinoa Breakfast Bake with Bananas and Blueberries

This is a great make-ahead recipe for those of you who are short on time or not wanting to spend a lot of time cooking breakfast in the mornings. It’s a mixture of quinoa, steel cut oats, bananas, blueberries and vanilla soy or almond milk. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free and delicious! You can find the recipe on my blog.

Lunch:
Armenian Lentil Soup with Lentils and Apricots

This is another great option for prep ahead and reheat and enjoy all week! You won’t miss the meat in this hearty vegan lentil soup that is full of tomatoes, eggplant, apricots, peppers, onions and lentils along with some really fantastic spices like cayenne pepper, cinnamon and cumin. Get the recipe on my blog.

Dinner:
Honey Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breasts

If you’re looking for something new and easy to do with chicken, look no further than this Honey Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breasts recipe. It’s a perfect weeknight dish that can be ready in 15-20 minutes. It’s tangy, sweet and very tender. Some ideas for side items are roasted or steamed broccoli, couscous, mashed or baked sweet potatoes or roasted winter squash. Find the recipe on my blog.

I hope you enjoy the workout and meal ideas! I’d love to connect via social media so please follow my blog or find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have any questions you can reach me at jen@peanutbutterrunner.com.