It’s Monday! And we all know what that means: a NEW week, a fresh start… a chance to make this the best week yet. For me, I am home from college for the week. Luckily, my mother and I share our passion for clean eating. Her kitchen is stocked with fruits & veggies! The only downside to being home? I don’t have my beloved gym. I don’t have my treadmill, my stair stepper, my weight machines, etc. But what do I have? I have the open road, my body, and a few basic exercise tools.
Last night after dinner, I decided I needed to get an exercise in the for evening. I grabbed an exercise ball, 5 lb weights, ankle weights, and a resistance band… and I headed outside! I played some music through my computer and set off to work! I spent an hour doing various crunches on the ball. To work my arms, I attached the ankle weights to my wrists and held the dumbbells for various triceps/bicep/arm exercises. Then, I did planks, wall-sits, push-ups, and more crunches. Needless to say, it kicked my butt! Tonight, I plan to do a long run! I cannot wait; my muscles are tense from last night and I need to work it out.
Following my impromptu exercise, I made myself a protein shake. This post-workout protein shake was PERFECT! Shakes are wonderful because you can just use what you have on hand, and throw it together. You find what you like after time, and become attuned to your tastes and preferences. I like to use Garden of Life Raw Protein because it all-natural, organic, vegan, and plant-based. You can’t go wrong with THAT! I buy mine at Sprouts Farmer's Market, where I have been able to find it on SALE and use a coupon (GREAT DEAL!)
For my protein shake:
- 1 scoop protein
- 4 tbsp Greek Yogurt
- Assorted frozen fruit
- Unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- Half a cup of watermelon
- Why watermelon? I had it on hand, and when the shake was too thick, I needed to loosen it up. Instead of adding more milk or water, I opted to add a water-based fruit and it worked PERFECT.
This just goes to show that even when you think you have no options, you ALWAYS have options. I traveled all day (8 hour drive) and still fit in exercise and a healthy protein shake. Therefore, no excuse is a valid excuse! Strive to eat clean and train mean! The world is yours; get moving and TAKE IT.
Thank you to Charissa, blogger for ColourfulPalate for the motivation to stick to #colourfulsmoothies as a health and wellness staple! Her blog is fabulous BTW, check her out!
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