Maggie Downie, Author at Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

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.

Mindful Eating Challenge

Playing with my food.

After tracking the workouts of millions of people, a fitness app tracker claims most of us will fail at our New Year’s Resolutions on Jan 17th. That means we are mere days away from needing to think about a reboot. If you’ve already derailed from your workout routines or healthy eating goals, it’s not to late to press the reset button. (It’s never too late.) This is precisely why we hold the Mindful Eating Challenge every February. I tend to have derailed on all my good intentions around this time. Also, February is the shortest month of the year.

What does the Mindful Eating Challenge Entail?

That’s entirely up to you. You pick what your goal is…no sugar, a specific diet, less alcohol, no (pick a food or food category) Monday-Friday, eat a veggie at every meal, chew more, eat slower, drink more water. You pick what you think you need. Try to pick a manageable goal. Maybe even one that pushes you little. If you err, that’s okay…the goal is to notice and be mindful. How do you feel when you meet your goal? How do you feel […]

Mindful Eating ChallengeMaggie Downie2020-01-14T18:07:29-05:00

Slow down to go fast

It’s the most wonderful and most busy time of year. Once Thanksgiving hits it can feel like a mad dash to the New Year. There can be so many wonderful, generous, magical moments if we stop to notice them whizzing by in a blur.

Slow Down to Go Fast

Lately, I keep hearing different variations of the same sentiment: slow down to go fast. Personally, I’m not sure I’m good at following that motto, but I believe it is important to consider. In a rush I often create more work for myself. This time of year can be especially hard with the added tasks of cooking, baking, getting presents, wrapping presents, and forcing your friends to go caroling with you in the freezing cold—all the usual stuff.

During the holiday season, one of my favorite things to do is to stop, sit wrapped in a blanket, turn off all the normal lights, and look at the white lights on the tree or in my Christmas village. It’s possible I’m really an 80-year-old woman. I gaze at all the ornaments and remember the people who gave them to me and the stories they conjure.

It’s a […]

Slow down to go fastMaggie Downie2019-12-20T11:03:25-05:00

Get Motivated to Move

Fun Workout: Axe Throwing

If you exercise more than 30-minutes a day, five days a week, you are meeting the government recommendation. Let’s acknowledge two points: that is not nearly enough movement to be healthy (though it’s a great start) and if you meet that you do deserve credit. You are in the minority. Only 24% of Connecticut residents meet the standard (and we are one of the better states). So how do we get motivated to move?

Not Motivated

Reading between the lines it becomes very clear that most adults are not motivated to exercise. Why is that? And how can we motivate ourselves and our loved ones to get up and get moving?

The simple answer is: Movement has to be FUN! We need to be excited to move. We call it a WORKout. That’s not an enticing activity. It doesn’t bring the connotation of Happy Hour, playtime from when we were kids, or snack time. We need to reconsider what we think a workout entails and figure out what would make it fun.

It’s not surprising people who do workout often go with a friend (which means some social time), enjoy their […]

Get Motivated to MoveMaggie Downie2019-10-11T15:34:35-04:00

Gratitude

Plank You!

Gratitude is important to our wellbeing all year, but this time of year we stop to consider and share the parts of our lives that makes us truly grateful. Recently I listened to a Super Soul Sunday where Oprah interviewed Brene Brown, a researcher on shame and courage.

Joy Needs Gratitude

In the interview Brown mentioned that everyone has thoughts that are killjoys. She used the example of looking at your children sleeping and being so in love and then envisioning a catastrophe that takes them away from you. I don’t have children, but I’ve had that thought process in a multitude of scenarios. (I’ve always presumed it is some mild OCD.) According to Brown people who lean into that negative thought are less happy than those who notice the thought, stop it, and instead recognize how grateful they are for the moment and what they have now.

Gratitude is truly imperative to our happiness.

Appreciate Movement

Ease of movement also boosts our happy meter. In a New Yorker article, “Can We Live Longer But Stay Younger,” by Adam Gopnick, he writes about having the opportunity to wear a suit that mimics […]

GratitudeMaggie Downie2019-10-15T17:22:40-04:00

Nutmeg Muffins: A Thanksgiving Family Tradition

In Red: Bertha Klug (nutmeg muffin creator).

When teaching a Pilates class, while participants hold a 90-second plank, I try to tell amusing stories. A few years ago on my last day of classes before Thanksgiving, I jokingly said to my last class, “I only have two Thanksgiving-themed stories. You are probably all sick of hearing them year after year. Something interesting better happen this Thanksgiving so I can get a better story for you guys.” I got my wish from a seemingly inconspicuous nutmeg muffin.

Nutmeg Muffins

I have a family recipe for nutmeg muffins from my great, great, great grandma. My family makes them on the regular, but I have been gluten free for 8 years. In that time, I’ve enjoyed nutmeg muffins less. Though I’ve experimented with g-free flours, it seems gluten-free products suck the flavor out of everything. In an attempt to improve the quality every time I make nutmeg muffins I add a little more nutmeg. This year as I preheated the oven on Thanksgiving morning and pulled the beaters out of the drawer to make my bland muffins, I said to myself with the air of hyperbole: […]

Nutmeg Muffins: A Thanksgiving Family TraditionMaggie Downie2019-10-16T12:33:12-04:00

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