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.

Arm Strength

Planking on a mountaintop in New Hampshire

Arms tend to be a weak point for many ladies.  But there are so many fun moves we can do if our arms, wrists, and shoulders are strong and stable enough.  You can do handstands, cartwheels, monkey bars, kick boxing classes, and push-ups.  Am I selling you on arm strengthening exercises yet?  Okay, you can pick up your grand kids, nieces or nephews.  You can lug your own bag through the airport and get it up in the overhead bin without assistance.  Even little things like brushing our hair comes from our arm strength.

To build up to all the exercises you dream of doing, start with the basics.  Check out the videos below for some very basic arm strengthening exercises.  Never do anything that hurts.  It’s never worth it.  Take your time building up.

For the Shoulders:

Basic Tricep & Bicep Exercises:

Overhead Press for Shoulders:

Plank to Down Dog (Great for strength and shoulder flexibility combined)

Want to Learn More:

Read Tips for a doing a handstand.  Click here.

Having Goals and Trying a Jacob’s Ladder.  Click here.

What is your purpose?  Click here.

Ways to Keep in Touch:

Arm Strength2018-04-24T16:01:05-04:00

Instructor Highlight Helen

Helen isn’t an instructor, but you’ve seen her work if you’ve opened our newsletter or been to our Facebook page.  Helen handles all our social media and networking.  She also regularly provides Maggie with lessons about how to use basic technology like her iPhone, so our appreciation for Helen runs deep.  Here’s Helen’s highlight!

Get to Know Helen:

When you aren’t teaching what are some of your favorite ways to move?

I don’t teach, but I enjoy taking walks! It may seem silly but I enjoy moving while cleaning the house… the house gets clean and I get moving!

What song motivates or picks you up the most?

It depends why I need to be picked up… but something upbeat and catchy!

Favorite Food?

Pizza!! I am also a sucker for Reese’s Peanut Butter cups.

Time you normally crawl into bed?

I am usually in bed around 10pm, but don’t fall asleep until a little after 11pm… I need time to decompress!

 

What skill would you like to master?

I would love to learn more about graphic design.

 

What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?

I am not sure Disney is an adventure, but I really want to go. I would […]

Instructor Highlight Helen2018-04-24T16:02:57-04:00

Arm Workouts

Clearly, I need to do more arm workouts.  My friend’s eight-year-old daughter asked me how old I was.  I made the mistake of saying, “How old do you think I am?”  She walked over to me and instructed me to lift my arm up and out to the side with a bent elbow.  Then she patted my tricep flab to test its giggle-bility and pronounced me “forty!”  I’m thirty-six.  Apparently, my triceps age me.

Everyone laughed and my father-in-love (what we endearingly call my boyfriend’s dad) asked the eight-year-old how old she thought he was.  “Fifty,” she guessed.  In her mind I was ten years younger than a 78-year-old man.

This is my great-grandma.

As a little girl, I was fascinated by my great-grandma’s tricep flab, and she amazingly let me play with it.  She was reasonably toned, but I could still whack her sagging arm back and forth.  Born in 1899, she’d spent her early years washing her clothes by hand and cooking everything by hand, using a whisk instead of electric beaters.  She was strong.  Some tricep flab is going to happen to the best of us.

April Arm Month

In honor of […]

Arm Workouts2018-04-02T10:22:11-04:00

Butt Massage

Years ago a friend mentioned to me that she had gone for a rather awkward massage.  The therapist told my friend that she had tight hips and then proceeded to straddling her on the table, digging her knees into my friend’s glutes and hips to work out the kinks.  My friend was understandably uncomfortable. This is not a normal occurrence in a massage.  In fact, more often than not, massage therapists pass right over our glutes, bypassing a butt massage altogether.

Last year, Matt and I went away for my birthday.  We signed up for massages.  At one point the therapist said to me, “You have really tight hips.”  Then she straddled me and dug her knees into my butt.  All I could think of was my friend’s story.  The massage felt great, but I would have been uncomfortable if I hadn’t heard about this happening.  The second my massage was complete, I texted my friend: where did you get that massage?  Sure enough we were at the same place, and I have no doubt we had the same massage therapist.

Believe it or not, this was not the most awkward massage I’ve had.  In China a massage therapist once rubbed my […]

Butt Massage2018-03-26T20:50:23-04:00

Instructor Highlight: Ashley

Personal Euphoria Instructors - AshleyAshley has been a longtime member of the PE team.  You can find her in Glastonbury, Rock Hill, and Newington.  She teaches practically everything, but our clients love her strength classes especially.

Get to know about Ashley:

When you aren’t teaching what are some of your favorite ways to move? 

Hiking, swimming, taking other classes, and strength training at the gym. 

What song motivates or picks you up the most?

I don’t necessarily have one specific song but anything Pop or Hip Hop usually gets me moving.

Favorite Food?

 Sushi

Time you normally crawl into bed?

I try to be in bed by 10pm.

What skill would you like to master?

Knitting or playing the guitar.

What would be the most amazing adventure to go on?

Going to see the northern lights.

Favorite season?  Why?

Fall, the beautiful colors and crisp, refreshing air,

Best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Failure is part of the process of life.  When something knocks you down, don’t be afraid to get back up and try again.  

Read More

Do you love hiking too?  Read more about a recent hiking trip by clicking here.

Follow me on the Personal Euphoria Facebook page

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Instructor Highlight: Ashley2018-03-20T13:55:54-04:00
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