Call Today! 860-748-7574|maggie@personaleuphoria.com
FacebookXInstagramYouTube

About Maggie Downie

Thank you for giving your time to stop and read my blog. I hope it encourages you to keep moving. Move and the body will be happier. And when you're moving you can hike, run, swim in Jell-O, race over non-Newtonian fluids, travel the world or build igloos--if that's your thing. If not, you can watch me do it. This is just a spot to try and feel good about life.
FacebookX

Pelvic Floor & Breathing

One role of the pelvic floor or Kegel muscles is to aid in respiration. When we cough or sneeze and a little urine leaks out, we know that those muscles are misfiring, or maybe not firing at all. It’s super common, but not something we need to accept as normal.

But what do you do about it? Let’s start simply.

First Move: Feel the Pelvic Floor

Lie on your back with your knees bent feet on the floor (or legs propped up on something that leaves you knees and hips at 90-degrees). Pick a position that is comfortable for you. Now just breathe and notice what you feel. When you do breathe are you aware of your pelvic floor doing anything?

That’s it. That’s where we start. The first thing we need to consider is simply what we feel in our body. Try not to feel frustrated with yourself if you don’t feel anything or don’t know what you feel. If you can feel that the pelvic floor is getting involved you are a step ahead. If you don’t it is truly okay. Consider doing this exercise daily…with no criticism of what you feel. Just […]

Pelvic Floor & Breathing2020-02-26T15:07:16-05:00

Exercise Modifications

Top: Neck Happy
Middle & Bottom: Neck Sad & Straining

In the world of COVID-19 where many people are doing workouts from home you may not have an instructor cueing you to modify.  And even if you do as in the case of a virtual workout, having exercise modifications that you can always go to and learn for you body is helpful.  I often say one way to tell if someone is ready to move to advanced exercises is not just about strength, but about whether they know their body well enough to know when to modify and they are familiar enough with the moves that they can modify without being told.

Basic Tips for Exercise Modifications

Here are some general rules you can follow to modify a move:

  • If your back or hips hurt with legs in the air try 1 or both feet on the floor (bent)
  • If your neck hurts when doing abs, put your head down on the floor.  It doesn’t always make the move easier.  Often it makes it different hard.  You can always come back up, but working through strain is not how you make gains.  Check […]
Exercise Modifications2020-04-14T12:16:59-04:00

Pelvic Floor…what is it good for

Notice the little arch in my low back. This doesn’t have to be a big move.

I often get asked about the pelvic floor muscles. It’s not an area that everyone is comfortable talking about, but it is quite important to our health and wellness.

We all—men and women—have pelvic floor muscles. I’ve found that not all men know they have pelvic floor muscles unless they wind up with a prostate issue and they learn about them. Men should be aware of these muscles because improper tone of the pelvic floor can be linked to low back pain while proper tone can help provide sustained erections. These muscles matter.

Most women are familiar with their pelvic floor. It is very common for women to urinate a little when they sneeze, cough, or do a jumping jack because the pelvic floor isn’t firing properly, especially after having children. Again, while this is a common occurrence, it is a sign that the pelvic floor muscles are not engaging properly. Also, when women experience pelvic prolapse (something men can experience too, but less often), parts that belong inside can find their way outside. The proper tone […]

Pelvic Floor…what is it good for2020-02-07T18:12:57-05:00

Better Balance Tips

Balancing with Jimmy & Taylor on NBC CT Live

We have so many exercise options for improving balance. The key is to come up with exercises you will commit to because it takes time to see improvement in balance. You need to devote 30-50 min workouts 2-3 times per week for 12 weeks, 8 weeks for athletes. But do that and research shows you will develop better balance. Balance training is worthwhile. When you workout for balance you additionally gain strength and reduce the chance of injury.

Below are some exercise suggestions, but, ultimately, you want to make balance training a game and make it playful. Balance with a friend. Balance outside. Figure out what will make you commit to balance training for 12 weeks.

Tips for Better Balance:

To help you remember these balance tips, consider the acronym BASIC—there is a little cheat in this one (you’ll SEE what I mean).

  • Spend time BAREFOOT

This option isn’t for everyone right away. If you have a foot injury or being barefoot hurts your feet, you will need to build up over time. But if you are okay being barefoot, walk around in safe spaces. Or […]

Better Balance Tips2020-03-09T14:41:42-04:00

Crazy Frozen Hair

I saw an image of frozen hair styled like a Dr. Seuss character. After following a trail of links I discovered the Crazy Frozen Hair Contest in Whitehorse, Canada.

Obviously, I wanted to participate. Who wouldn’t?  But Whitehorse is fairly far from Connecticut so for seven years I convinced myself not to go because with layovers it was about 15 hours of travel and in the dead of winter snow was likely to get in the way.

Then this year, I said, “no excuses.”  We made plans and booked a trip to Whitehorse breaking up the travel with three days in Vancouver on the way out.

Crazy Frozen Hair

For hair to freeze you need -20C or lower (that’s -5F). At Takhini Hot Springs where this event is held annually you dunk your head in the hot spring and then leave your head above water while trying to freeze your hair without getting frostbite on your ears.

According to staff at Takhini at -20 it should take 45-minutes, at -40 (where Celsius and Fahrenheit meet on the scale) 20-minutes. From Vancouver I watched the forecast. While we were in Vancouver it was -35 or colder in Whitehorse […]

Crazy Frozen Hair2020-02-24T16:44:09-05:00
Go to Top