Turn Up the Heat On V.Day: Hit the Slopes or Dance Floor Or Cook It Up in the Kitchen! #recipes

Too often Valentine’s Day is full of chocolate, food and focused on not being quite so active. Why not change that up this year and do something really physical with the special someone in your life that you both will enjoy. Working out doesn’t have to be a lot of work; it can be fun and playful too. Why not figure out what you both love to do in terms of exercise and do it. Whether it’s SoulCycle, hoops or cruising the strand on skates or beach cruisers or even heading to a yoga class (Hot Yoga anyone?), it’s a great way to spend time unplugged together!

This is a guest post courtesy of Burr Leonard, Founder of The Bar Method (barre workout) and Bar Online! http://baronline.barmethod.com

Stuck in a Workout Rut? Get Love-Struck Instead

Big, heart-shaped box of chocolate? Check.
Decadent, calorie-laden four course wine-and-dine rendezvous? Check.
This Valentine’s Day, instead of choosing dates that revolve around rich foods, too many cocktails, and lots of chocolate, try one of these fun, fit, healthy and yes, romantic date ideas from Burr Leonard, founder of The Bar Method and Bar Online.

Go Ice Skating
Since it’s super cold in most parts of the country, why not take advantage of the frigid temps and go ice skating with your loved one. Not only is it a great low-impact workout (assuming you’re skipping the triple axels), but according to the United States Figure Skating Association, recreational ice skating burns between 250 and 810 calories an hour depending on weight.

Hit the Slopes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, skiing is an excellent form of cardio exercise, burning over 400 calories per hour. Raising your heart rate as you carve up the slopes helps improve the strength of your heart and gets the blood pumping to all of your muscles, putting it on par calorie-wise with running. And what’s more romantic than cozying up by a warm fire after a day on the slopes?

Get On the Floor
You don’t have to have moves like Jagger to reap any of dancing’s health-enhancing benefits. Dancing is the perfect way to burn some calories and have fun with your Valentine. A study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that an exercise program of aerobic dance training is just as helpful for losing weight and increasing aerobic power as cycling and jogging.

Make a Date at the Barre
Working out with your special someone won’t just make you both fitter, you’ll fit better together. When a couple works out together, the actual exercise itself can physically and emotionally have a positive impact. But skip the gym and start your date night by taking class together at The Bar Method. This intense, joint-friendly workout burns up to 700 calories a class and will make your body feel sculpted and Valentine’s Day-ready for your romantic evening ahead. If you don’t have a studio near you, take one of the entertaining and sexy classes on Bar Online!

Don’t let Valentine’s Day wreck your New Year’s resolution to eat well. Skip the crowded (and overpriced) restaurants this year and treat your Valentine to a healthy dinner at home. Healthy eating doesn’t mean you need to deprive yourself of an upscale meal- the following recipes are bound to blow your date away in terms of tastiness and presentation.

Cook a Heart Healthy Meal

Baked Lemon and Herb Salmon
Ingredients:
– 4 6-ounce wild salmon filets
– ~ 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
– ~ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
– Fresh rosemary; about 1 teaspoon removed from sprigs and then a couple sprigs to garnish
– 1 clove garlic, chopped
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 teaspoon pepper
– Thin slices of one lemon

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Cut a piece of foil long enough to fold over the salmon and completely enclose it, place foil on cooking sheet
3. Place filets on the foil and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper
4. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the filets and then cover with the fresh rosemary
5. Arrange the remaining sprigs of rosemary and lemon slices on top of the salmon and fold up the foil, crimping the edges
6. Bake salmon for about 15 minutes, or until it flakes with a fork

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients:
– 2 cups cooked, cooled quinoa
– 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
– 1/2 cup feta
– 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
– 1/4 cup pine nuts

Ingredients for the Dressing:
– 1/2 cup 0% fat greek yogurt
– 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
– 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
– 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
– Salt and pepper to taste
– about 12 fresh mint leaves
– 1 garlic clove, chopped
– Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Mix together all of the salad ingredients in a bowl
2. Put all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until mixed
3. Add the about of dressing to your liking and mix with salad until well mixed

Thanks to Burr Leonard for her great tips on different ways to do Valentine’s Day gifting.
Being really active is a lot healthier than eating chocolate and sitting around. The time you spend together becomes more meaningful. Try her yummy recipes too!

Burr Leonard:

Burr Leonard is a founder of The Bar Method which started in 2000. Currently Burr dedicates her time to ensuring consistency and quality in the exercise system, guiding her franchisees, and producing media products. She is currently working on a library of streaming Bar Method classes and a book on the Bar Method. She lives in Sausalito, California with her husband Michael Doud, COO of the Bar Method companies, and their Pomeranian Pi.

Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com

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