Welcome to October! Fall is really here. As I mentioned last week, this is my favorite time of year. I grew up in Florida without seasons. During my first fall season in 1985 when I was starting college in Philadelphia, I fell in love with this time of year. For many people however, this time of year marks the end of summer (with its endless sunshine and outdoor activities) and the beginning of winter (with its short dark days and cold stormy nights). Often this is the time of year when people give up on their fitness routines. Bathing suit season is over and the shorts get traded in for bulky sweaters and sweatpants. And depending on where you live, you may be trading the sunshine for weeks full of dark damp days. However, the change of seasons doesn’t have to spell doom for your fitness routine. But it may be time for a change if outdoor activities are not an option for you. If you are interested in expanding you repertoire of indoor exercises, join me for the 12 Weeks of Christmas Challenge starting this Thursday, October 7th. You can join me on Facebook Live every week at 9am Pacific/12pm Eastern/6am Hawaii and I will demonstrate exercises you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment or simple things you already have around the house. Each exercise will have several options to take into account various fitness levels, so everyone will be able to do each one. And yes, October 7th is just 12 weeks away from Christmas. Shocking, I know!
Be sure to join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/wimruntheworld to be notified when I am going live. However, you can use the link above to tune in even if you don’t have a facebook account.
And in the meantime, to help you get into the seasonal spirit, here is a recipe for my favorite pumpkin spice protein smoothie:
Pumpkin Spice Protein Smoothie
Ingredients
- 5 1/3 ounces (150g) 0% plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup (122g) canned pumpkin
- 1/2 large frozen banana
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend (or make your own with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or allspice)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (use the good stuff!)
- 1 scoop protein powder (any brand you like will work, but I personally prefer plant-based protein because dairy does not sit well with my digestive system. After much research, I recommend Garden of Life Raw Organic, unflavored sugar-free Vegan Protein Powder)
- 1/2 cup (240ml) ice cubes
Directions
Place all the ingredients in the blender, in order. Secure the lid and insert the tamper, if you have one, and blend, starting on a low speed and quickly shifting to high. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Serves: 1 | Serving Size: 1 glass
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 331; Total Fat: 2g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 19mg; Sodium: 99mg; Carbohydrate: 47g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 33g; Protein: 33g
Women in Motion (WIM) Run the World 