Week 4. Give yourself a pat on the back if you’ve made it this far. And speaking of your back, this week’s stretches are designed to help prevent common lower-back pain. They’ll also help strengthen your core.

Try mixing these back-healthy exercises in with the strength-building circuit from Week 1 and Week 3, and any of the stretches from Week 2. Remember, for exercises requiring repeated movements, try to do 15 reps per set.

Stretches include:

Oppositional Reach Stretch (Flat or Table-Top)

Side Plank Stretch (Knees Bent or Feet Stacked)

 

Recipe Idea

If all this exercise is making you hungry, this Mediterranean Popcorn makes a tasty, healthy snack.

Mediterranean Popcorn (makes three servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag light microwave popcorn, about 9 cups, popped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Put popcorn in a large bowl.
  2. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the top, followed by the Italian herbs and grated Parmesan.
  3. Toss to blend well. Keep in a sealable plastic bag and eat within 2 days.

Nutritional Information (per 3 cups popcorn)
121 calories
6.5 grams fat
1.2 grams saturated fat
125 mg sodium
2.5 grams fiber
3 grams protein