Fit Mama's Fave Workout Classes, Plus Yummy Parmestan Crusted Chicken Recipe!

Well, it has been about 3 weeks since Lifetime Fitness opened here in Tulsa and I have definitely been taking FULL advantage!  Since I finished my half-marathon, my schedule has opened up a bit to try forms of fitness other than running for my training. 

Do you belong to a gym?  Many people I know that belong to a gym go maybe a couple times a month.  That is DEFINITELY not worth the $60+ per month they pay in dues.  Here are a couple tips for getting more involved at your gym and getting your money's worth! 



1.  Try some group fitness classes.  Many people go to the gym and just do the treadmill or elliptical and maybe a couple machines.  Let me tell you from being someone who used to do that:  IT GETS REALLY BORING.  Unless you have someone who is joining you every time who you can chat with, please don't get stuck in this rut.  It is fine to do this maybe once a week, but any more than that and I can promise that you will get burnt out on this quick. 
2.  Check out the group fitness class times and schedule your week around classes you'd like to try.  I am in a great routine now during the week and schedule my appointments, errands, and obligations around these classes (if possible).  I know that sounds extreme, but I also know that if I don't get my "mommy zone out time" during the day, I feel pretty frazzled by the end of the day. 
3.  Have an assessment done with a personal trainer.  Many gyms offer a free assessment when you sign up with them.  They usually assess your current fitness, strength, and flexibility, along with BMI and weight.  Plus, they can show you which exercises you should be doing for your goals and give you a run-down of the machines and weights the gym offers. 

I highly recommend trying out every class you can.  Most classes are included in your monthly dues so won't cost you any extra.  Don't feel like you can't do a class until you get in better shape.  There are ALWAYS newbies in the class and no one is paying attention to you, I promise.  When I was in hard-core weight loss mode, I took tons of cardio classes but now that I am in maintenance mode, I take more strength and yoga classes.  Here are a couple I highly recommend you try out at your gym:

1.  PiYo (pilates/yoga fusion) - this is my new favorite class.  Pilates is known for toning and slimming the body and yoga is excellent for strength and flexibility with holding the poses.  
2.  Hot Yoga (or any yoga for that matter) - I have worked hot yoga into my weekly routine and I LOVE it.  According to research you don't burn any more calories with hot yoga than you would with regular yoga, but I feel like I work harder! 
3.  Strength (barbell/body pump) - I only do this once a week for fear that I will bulk up.  But, that once per week makes a HUGE difference in the tone of my legs and arms, which I can visually see after just a few classes.
4.  Cardio kickboxing (body combat) - AWESOME for cardio, serious calorie burning!  I was addicted to these classes back in the day when I was trying to lose weight.  This class is a lot of fun and the hour flies by quick. 
5.  Spin (cycling) - I am not a cyclist, per se, but I love this class because it burns TONS of calories.  I promise even if you are a cyclist, this class will kick your butt! 

Oh and we were in OKC last week, so I decided to drop by the outlet mall.  They have Reebok, Nike, and Under Armour outlet stores and I was in desperate need of some new gym gear.  I have great running gear but needed some things for cross training.  So, here are a couple of the things I picked up (thank you honey!)

 Under Armour Tops, pink & white ($19.95 each) - These are SO cute and have an awesome criss-cross back.  Plus, they're loose fitting so I love them for yoga and PiYo!

2 pairs of Reebok capris ($15 each!) - These are great for any class I am taking, such as strength, yoga, and even cardio classes.

Reebok RealFlex ($60) - these were top rated in Fitness Magazine for all types of gym classes.  These feel like they literally weigh nothing and are super comfortable! 


So enough about gym stuff.  The other night, I made the yummiest kid-friendly chicken dish!  It was one of my emeals on the clean eating meal plan.  Here are some pics and the recipe:

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

• 4 organic chicken breast filets (thinly sliced)
• 1 c breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c parmesan cheese
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 1 T butter (I use Earth Balance)
• 2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
• 12 kalamata olives, pitted

 Combine breadcumbs & parmesan cheese.  Dip each piece of chicken into egg then into breadcrumb mixture.  Heat 1 T olive oil & butter in skillet; cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown & cooked through.  Which chicken is cooking, heat 1 T olive oil in another pan.  Add cherry tomatoes & olives.  Saute just until the tomatoes soften.  Serve over warm chicken.

I have to admit, I didn't put the tomatoes and olives all over the kids' portions.  They LOVED this chicken.  As a matter of fact, I ran out of chicken and would double this recipe next time!  I served it with a little salad with homemade dressing (zest & juice of 1 lemon, 1 t stone ground mustard, 1/2 c olive oil, salt & pepper, 1 avocado chopped, and 1 5 oz container arugula/spinach mix)

YUMMY!  You must try this!!

Sorry for the lack of blogs recently.  I am writing some articles for a local paper so all my writing time has been going to that instead of the blog :/

Thanks for reading!!