Fitness Friday: Take me to the wall

We made it to Friday droolers! This damp, muggy and rainy week has kept me indoors. But as you know, there are plenty of workouts that can be done inside.

Grab a hunk of wall and start toning your back and bum with this one:

Wall bridge

Find an open wall space - about four feet will do - and kick off your shoes. These exercises are best done barefoot.

Lie on your back with your bum touching the all. Keep your arms at your sides, knees bent and feet planted about three feet up the wall. Exhale and lift your lower and mid back off the floor, keeping your shoulder blades down. Your body should create a nearly straight line from chest to knees. Hold for a deep inhale, then exhale and slowly roll back down.

To increase the difficulty, cross your right ankle over your left knee, leaving only your left foot on the wall. Repeat move, do 10 reps and then switch feet.

Scissor legs

From the starting position with your bum against the wall and your feet on the wall, switch to 10 reps of scissor legs.

Extend legs straight up against wall so your body forms an L. Inhale and slowly lower left leg down wall like a clock arm toward 9 o'clock; exhale and return to start. Repeat with right leg, sweeping toward 3 o'clock. Continue to alternate legs until you've completed all reps.

For something more difficult:

Wrap an exercise band around left foot and hold both ends beside opposite hip for added resistance as you sweep left foot down wall. Do all reps, then switch legs and repeat.

Read more: http://www.prevention.com/node/26071#ixzz25ieBY3Zv

Sit and reach

From the starting position, place both legs flat against the wall. Try to touch your toes while clenching your stomach. Switch from side to side for 10 reps on each side.

While you are down there why not throw in a set of 20 sit-ups and 10 push-ups? Sounds like a great idea!

And now in fewer than 30 minutes you have completed a toning workout. Time to enjoy the weekend.

Rainy weather always gets me itching to work on my house. Since we can't go outside, might as well fix up those problem areas you have been putting off. Celebrate the impending fall season by deep-cleaning your bathroom or kitchen this weekend.

Then celebrate with a warm and quick to make chicken dinner. The kids can even help with this one.

Just like homemade: Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients

6 individually frozen biscuits

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained (I leave these out!)

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Cut each biscuit into fourths; set aside. In a large saucepan, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Stir in the chicken, broth, mushrooms, bouillon granules, parsley, sage, rosemary and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add biscuits for dumplings. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Yield: 6 servings.