Sheila Cordaro
COR FIT
Tight on time? Keep it simple, advises Sheila Cordaro (pictured on page 50), a certified personal trainer and children’s fitness specialist whose team offers morning boot camps and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes, as well as fitness classes for kids. If you can’t commit to a full hour (or even a half hour) try a 15-minute “quickie workout” of exercises that can be done in three sets for 20 seconds each. One sequence incorporating cardio, core strength and stretching exercises might include jumping jacks, squats and pushups; squat jumps, reverse lunges and high-knee jogging; and quad stretches and side-lunge holds. Another might include a single-leg seated-to-standing exercise (sitting on a chair and rising to a standing position using only one leg); reverse lunges with arms raised; chair pushups and triceps dips; and bridges and gentle spinal twists while lying on the floor.
Nutrition Tip: Rethink sweets.
You can still have them but choose indulgences that have some nutritional value, not just empty calories, says Cordaro, a certified health and nutrition counselor. To make your own version of a banana split, for example, slice a banana in half and sprinkle it with granola, honey and some dabs of almond butter. Dark chocolate that contains at least 60 percent cacao is a healthier alternative to milk chocolate. Dark-chocolate-covered almonds are a great late-afternoon energy booster.
Watch Cordaro demonstrate a reverse lunge, single leg sit-stand, triceps dip and high knees.
High Knees
Reverse Lunge
Single Leg Sit-Stand
Triceps Dip
Lisa Lednicer plans to take a pilates class and swim outside this summer. She hopes to return to weightlifting when the weather turns cold.