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.

Pressure to be Present

Pause for a moment. Allow yourself time to take a deep breath. Look around. Soak in the sensations of the moment. Notice thoughts and worries racing through your head.

It appears more and more common knowledge that being present is vital to our mental health and well-being. The trouble with us humans is that we have all these pesky “unwanted” thoughts. While being present is beneficial, it bothers me to think of thoughts as unwanted. Those thoughts we try to push away to be ever-present are, in part, what makes us who we are. Those worries and concerns for our lives are perhaps proof of our sanity.

At 97 my grandma has developed dementia enough that she can’t live on her own. She has good days and bad. The decline is not linear. I am not attempting to put a positive spin on dementia, but I am trying to see the positives in a sad and trying situation. My Grandma still remembers us. That may not last forever. Her dementia hasn’t made her agitated. It’s estimated that 90% of dementia patients experience aggression, agitation, and depression. She shows minimal signs of irritability. In her confusion, she looks more childlike.

Pressure to be PresentMaggie Downie2024-01-11T12:54:07-05:00

Carving for a Cause Charity Pumpkin Patch – Winners

2023

1st Place
Kelley Rodino
The Haunted House

The Trevor Project is a national organization that provides crisis and support services to LGBTQ youth.

Kelley submitted her pumpkin from Pennsylvania.

2nd Place
Bethany Apgar
The Spikey Head, which is her robotics team logo—those are flames rising up overhead.

Blazing Spirits Robotics Team a local team in Windsor, CT incorporated under Team Paragon Robotics.

Bethany is 13 and a member of the robotics team.

3rd Place
Christine Connolly
Wolf

Connecticut Foodshare – Their mission is to deliver an informed and equitable response to hunger by mobilizing community partners, volunteers, and supporters.

Christine’s wolf is actually her German Shepard howling at the moon.

2021

1. Breast Friends Fund – 100% of funds raised goes directly to Metastatic Breast Cancer Research for Dr. Eric Winer & his research team.

2. Safe Futures – Safe Futures saves lives, restores hope and changes the future for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking in southeastern Connecticut.

3. […]

Carving for a Cause Charity Pumpkin Patch – WinnersMaggie Downie2023-11-16T13:56:26-05:00

Achey from Raking

This time of year we want to be carving pumpkins, picking apples, sipping cider, and leaf-peeping. But at some point, we’ve got to rake the yard and sweep up leaves that work their way into the house

Since raking only has to be done once a year our body isn’t always in shape for it, and we can get sore during or after. Luckily the very tool making us sore (that rake) can help us do some great stretches.

Try the chest opener, side bend, and standing cat stretch in the video below.

And if you want to add a few warm-up moves before you start raking, do some marches trying to tap the rake with your thighs.

Household items like a rake or a broom can become your friend. Use them to your advantage. They can actually deepen the sensation of certain stretches in a beneficial way. Try for yourself:

Keep Reading

Looking for more exercises to boost strength? Check out Maggie’s recent blog on the importance of Grip Strength!

Click here to learn more ways to boost arm strength!

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Achey from RakingMaggie Downie2023-11-01T18:25:41-04:00

Grip Strength

Multiple research shows a correlation between overall health markers and grip strength. There seems to be a particular correlation with cardiovascular health (based on a study of 140,000 people over 4 years). Some researchers think testing grip strength might be a cheap, easy way to assess general heart health.

This matters because grip strength often starts to diminish between the age of 50-55 (I don’t know about you, but that sounds young to me). And Millennials have lost grip strength compared to their adult counterparts from the 1980s. This loss is more pronounced in men than women, but both have lost their grip. (Note: the research on this did not indicate they are concerned this is causing heart issues in adults today, more just that as a population we do less manual labor.)

The real issue is that grip strength has such practical applications in life, so if and when you lose it, you notice it daily. If your grip strength is still good you might take for granted using a fork, pumping gas, vacuuming, lifting a water jug, or opening a jar of pickles, but all these tasks require grip strength.

Grip strength is interconnected with wrist health and forearm strength. So […]

Grip StrengthMaggie Downie2023-09-28T12:46:41-04:00

Movement Snacks

Movement snacks are short bursts of movement throughout the day much like you’d have a snack between meals. They are not meal substitutes. It would still benefit you to get a workout in, but whether you workout or not, adding small bursts of movement throughout the day is vital to health.

If you absolutely don’t have time for a full workout, adding in movement snacks is better than nothing. More and more research indicates that any movement you can make time for is worthwhile. A recent study out of Japan found doing one bicep curl a day increased muscle strength by 6-12 percent. Our body really responds to any movement we give it.

The goal of a movement snack is to figure out how movement can fit into your day. I’ve provided some suggestions below, but really you want to think about what will actually work in your day. Consider what is a new habit you can form. In the video below Taylor Kinzler from NBC CT LIVE mentions how she could fit in a movement snack while her videos are uploading at work. That’s the idea…think like that. But if you need some tips… try some of these:

Wake Up & Pandiculate

Your […]

Movement SnacksMaggie Downie2023-08-29T13:45:18-04:00

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