Get Healthy this Halloween with our Pumpkin Workout

October 27, 2016 by Dannielle Emery

Get your workout in the Halloween spirit by swapping your dumbells or kettlebells for a hefty pumpkin instead. These high-intensity moves will help you carve serious muscle and burn off any extra calories that may creep in from your Halloween treats and proving that getting fit a simple pumpkin is just as effective as a fancy gym!

But don’t let your Pumpkin go to waste after your workout. Checkout our healthy Pumpkin soup recipe to go with your new found workout equipment.

The Skeleton Key Workout

Pull these creative exercises together to create a killer circuit. 50 secs work 10 secs recovery, 5 times with a rest after the 3rd

Pumpkin Squat & Press

Lunge with Pumpkin Rotation

Offset Pumpkin Push Up

Russian Pumpkin Twist

Elevated Pumpkin Plank with Toe Touch

Pumpkin Squat & Press

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, holding your pumpkin with a hand on each side and your arms raised above your head. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat position, bringing the pumpkin chest-level. Take extra care to make sure your knees do not come over your toes. Push into your heels to explode back up to the starting position.

Lunge with Pumpkin Rotation

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart your elbows bent and forearm parallel to the floor holding your pumpkin. Step forward with your right foot and lower into a lunge. Twist your torso and your pumpkin to the right, and then return to centre. Push off your right foot and return to standing. Repeat on each leg.

Offset Pumpkin Push Up

Lower into a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders and a straight line from your head to ankles. Place one hand on the top of your pumpkin. Bending your elbows, slowly lower your chest to the floor, and then push back up. Repeat each side.

Russian Pumpkin Twist

Sitting on the floor, hold your pumpkin with both hands on either side as you would a ball. Bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor, creating a “V”-shape position. Twist your torso side to side while rotating the pumpkin side to side. Focus on keeping your core steady throughout the movement.

Elevated pumpkin plank with a toe touch

Lower yourself to a plank position with your hands flat on the floor, directly in line with your shoulders. Place your toes on your pumpkin. Hold steady in this position, with your back flat and your core engaged for balance. Tap your left toe to the floor, and then bring it back to the pumpkin. Repeat on the right side.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• About 1.5kg cooking pumpkin

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 bulb garlic, cut in half horizontally

• Handful of rosemary sprigs

• 1½ tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped

• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

30g grated parmesan cheese

• About 800ml hot chicken stock

• 100ml double cream

• 15g butter

To garnish

1½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

400g wild mushrooms (e.g. trompette de la mort, pied de mouton and chanterelle), cleaned and trimmed

Parmesan shavings

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. First, cut the pumpkin in half horizontally and remove the seeds (reserve the seeds as they can be cleaned and roasted later).

Score the pumpkin flesh using a small sharp knife and season with salt and pepper.

Rub the pumpkin flesh with the cut garlic halves, then lay the rosemary sprigs and garlic pieces in the centre of each half.

Drizzle both pumpkin halves with a little olive oil.

Put the pumpkin halves in large roasting trays and roast for 1-1½ hours, or until tender.

(The exact cooking time will vary based on differences in oven temperature and the variety, shape, density and thickness of the pumpkin).

The pumpkin is ready when you can effortlessly slip a knife into the thickest part of the flesh.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cooled, remove the rosemary and garlic from the pumpkin and reserve the garlic. Scoop out the pumpkin flesh and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and stir frequently for 5-6 minutes until translucent but not browned. Scoop out 2-3 cloves of the reserved roasted garlic and add to the pan along with a touch of seasoning and pinch of grated nutmeg.

Continue to sauté for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the pumpkin flesh to the pan along with the grated parmesan and stir together.

Pour in the ham stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Stir in the double cream and heat for a further minute. In several batches, ladle the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.

Add the butter and blitz again until you reach a rich, velvety smooth texture. Pour the soup into a clean pan to reheat.

For the garnish, heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan until hot and then add the mushrooms.

Fry over a high heat for a few minutes until the moisture released from the mushrooms has cooked off and the pan is quite dry.

Season the mushrooms and remove the pan from the heat.

Spoon the sautéed mushrooms into the middle of each serving bowl and top with parmesan shavings.

Carefully pour the hot soup around the mushrooms and serve immediately.

Share your Pumpkin Workout or Recipe photos on our fb page www.facebook.com/rewardfitness

Dannielle Emery #fitmumleigh