Derval O'Rourke: Making the most of The Grand Stretch

And grilled salmon with celeriac spinach mash is a lovely fish dish to keep you eating well

For lots of us, staying on a path of fitness can be difficult. 

The extra daylight time we have in the evening will be a happy topic of conversation for at least the next month! Each season brings its own benefits. Considering there will never be enough hours in the day, I’ll happily take a little extra daylight. This week I’m chatting about being accountable — and recipe-wise, here's a lovely fish dish to keep you eating well.

So just as the trees begin to sprout new foliage, the flowers pop up and bring a little more colour to our world, so too should we begin to stretch out and spread our wings a little. But for many people it’s difficult to stay on a fitness path so here are some ways that might help you to get into healthy fitness habits.

Meet and move

This concept is simple: meet friends and move your body. That movement can be any type of structured class. The gyms and fitness classes are back going so why not sign up to a block of classes. I introduced a meet and move initiative to Derval.ie members recently. Every Sunday, for five weeks, members meet up and go through a workout with a personal trainer in four gyms around the country. Studies show that if you organise a meeting with others you have a higher chance of actually completing the task you’ve set yourself

Track your data and share it

Most of us wear or use a trackable device in our day-to-day lives. It might be a watch or your phone to track. If you are keeping an eye on any health measure, whether that be weight, workouts or sleep etc, find someone who you are happy to share the data with and who will chat to you about it. This could be a formal arrangement with a trainer or it could be more informal with a friend where you both agree to keep each other accountable and supported for a period of time. It’s hugely important for the data to be a tool to support you and not something that makes you feel bad if you are not hitting targets in the time frame you have in mind. Be conscious of this.

Schedule an appointment

You know those appointments that you’ve been meaning to get to but just don’t quite organise? If you have any that directly relate to your fitness goals e.g. a niggling pain that you want to get checked before starting out on a fitness plan. Just pick up the phone and make the appointment. This will keep you accountable to the plan with the help of a professional.

Start getting the garden in shape for long evenings in the sun

Gardening is an activity that has loads of benefits such as stress reduction and physical activity. Making a plan for your garden and seeing it through is a really great thing to do. The payback from it is evident in front of your eyes as the months roll on.

Don’t be afraid to use online groups for accountability — if that works for you

We all know that online social media platforms can drag some people into comparing themselves to others and for many that can be really unhelpful. But online groups can help people share their goals and be accountable with people who are aiming for similar personal achievements. You may not want to share your starting point but you may want to share what the goal is and how you plan to achieve it. For example ‘I hope to run my first 5km run in 6 weeks and I’m a beginner, does anyone else have a similar goal?’

The evenings are longer and it’s the perfect time to get going again

Wellness Tip: Make plans now that the days are brighter for longer and take advantage!

Exercise Tip: Bicycle kicks — Lying flat on the ground, place your legs in the air and support your glutes with your hands, make a cycling motion in the air, doing 20 reps or until you feel the burn!

Grilled salmon with celeriac spinach mash

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

Far easier to make than to pronounce, this salmon recipe is an excellent source of protein and bursting with delicate flavour with a mustard twist

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 celeriac, peeled and cubed

• 100g baby spinach

• 2 x 100g salmon fillets, skinned and pinboned

• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• juice of ½ lemon

• pinch of pepper

• pinch of salt

• pinch of sugar

Method

1. Preheat the grill to medium and line a baking tin with foil.

2. Boil the celeriac in salted water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, then mash well in the saucepan. Once the mash is smooth, return the pan to a low heat. Stir in the spinach and cook, uncovered, for five minutes or until the spinach has wilted.

3. Meanwhile, place the salmon fillets on the prepared tin. Mix the mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, salt, and sugar in a small bowl.

4. Lightly coat the salmon fillets with the mustard dressing, keeping some aside for later. Cook the salmon fillets under the grill for five minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through.

5. A few minutes before serving, add one tablespoon of the mustard dressing to the celeriac and spinach mash. Stir well and season to taste.

6. Divide the mash between warmed serving plates and arrange the salmon fillets on top. Drizzle the remaining mustard dressing over it and serve.