The Body & Movement

Exercise is Fun

If your writs don’t hurt you may take for granted how much they are supporting you on an exercise like sidebends.

Somehow in the United States we’ve grown up believing that exercise needs to be hard and painful or there is no purpose. We drill ourselves into more reps and faster sets forgoing any sense of quality of movement. We all know the motto: No Pain, No Gain. And we wonder why children in the states search for doctor’s notes to escape gym class. What sane person seeks out pain? Yet so many of us do when it comes to our fitness routine (myself included sometimes). Very few people proclaim, “Exercise is fun!”

It’s sad because most children naturally enjoy playful movement. They run around, flop on the couch, jump on the bed, squirm, and play tag at the bus stop. They wiggle and roll, until we make all movement formulaic and stick them in desks for prolonged periods of time.

Whether you love moving or drone at the idea of it, take a moment to answer the following questions:

When was the last time your exercise routine was playful and fun?

Do you show […]

Exercise is FunMaggie Downie2018-06-18T17:33:52-04:00

Instructor Highlight Maggie

Planking on the Turkish Steps in Sicily.

While you may find Maggie subbing for another class, she generally is strictly a Pilates girl. You can find her teaching in Glastonbury, private lessons at the Wethersfield studio, or at a corporate client. She started Personal Euphoria in 2007. Here’s Maggie’s instructor highlight!

Get to know Maggie:

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

Nearly anything where my own two feet are on the ground: hiking, walking, running, kick boxing, fascia work experimenting with movement. I like to plank in fun places. I prefer my movement to come with friends.

What song motivates or picks you up the most?

Is it lame that Eye of the Tiger really does get me pumped? Or nearly anything by Abba.

Favorite Food?

Pasta with cheese. No, chocolate. Nope, pasta with cheese. No, chocolate. Okay, chocolate after pasta and cheese.

Time you normally crawl into bed?

Between 9 and 10pm. Later than that and I’m a monster.

What skill would you like to master?

While my classes might wish that I could learn to count, I’d wish that I could sing or play an instrument. I’d like to be musically inclined in […]

Instructor Highlight MaggieMaggie Downie2018-03-21T15:44:04-04:00

Instructor Highlight Maureen

So Maureen isn’t one of our instructors, but she’s an integral part of Personal Euphoria. Maureen handles all the money and ensures our whole team gets paid. She works with the towns, invoices, and processes payment. And, if you’ve ever tried to watch Maggie count, you know it’s important that she has help in this department.

Get to Know Maureen:

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

Walking the beach, and walking it again. It’s like a new landscape appears with each tide. Each tide brings you a new gift. A piece of sea glass, a shell, or just a view. I say it all the time “The beach is my happy place.”

What song motivates or picks you up the most?

Happy… Pharrell Williams (it’s a feel good song and reminds me of Maggie)

Favorite Food?

Hmmmm mostly anything edible. I am sitting here trying to decide what my favorite really is and I realize I don’t have a real favorite, how odd. I certainly have cravings, but if I had to choose, I couldn’t.

Time you normally crawl into bed?

Weeknights 8:30-9:00, Weekends when I wake up […]

Instructor Highlight MaureenMaggie Downie2018-03-21T15:43:40-04:00

Instructor highlight Jeannine

Jeannine was the first instructor to come on board with Personal Euphoria. She has a great sense of humor and a strong work ethic. We are so lucky she is a part of our team. She teaches all over the place: Wethersfield, Glastonbury, Rocky Hill, Portland, and for some of our corporate clients. While you are most likely to find her teaching Pilates she also teaches traditional ballet and strength classes. She’s always willing to sub when needed. Here’s Jeannine’s instructor highlight!

Get to Know Jeannine

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

When not teaching, I power walk, run trails, ride horses, and do a lot of gardening.

What song motivates or picks you up the most?

Music favorites vary depending on the mood I’m in. I prefer classical music. “O Fortuna” from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana comes to mind.

Favorite Food?

I like to eat what I make. A year-round favorite is home-made pureed vegetable soup with a couple of scoops of whole grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, wheat berries.

Time you normally crawl into bed?

Bed time depends on wake-up time, so it can vary from 9 if I wake up at 5:30 […]

Instructor highlight JeannineMaggie Downie2018-05-25T07:26:46-04:00

What is fascia?

Drink fluids for healthy fascia!

This month we are highlighting fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that runs along every surface of the body, encasing the organs, muscles, and other soft tissue like a sausage casing or the sections of an orange—where each large and tiny segment of juice is held together by a sleek, thin film. So the muscles themselves are encased, but so is each muscle fiber. Fascia is everywhere in our body. There are different types of fascia in your body that serve different purposes.

Fascia helps us move. It helps make us glide so that when we move our skin, tendons, and muscles don’t stick to all our other parts. Each part can slither smoothly alongside each other. Fascia can help the muscles do their job. When healthy fascia remains springy (for lack of a better word) in movement, the muscles can use less energy and won’t fatigue as quickly because the fascia takes some of the burden of force and helps the body return to its “normal” shape. Fascia is your friend for all kinds of movement.

Recently it was “discovered” that a particular type of […]

What is fascia?Maggie Downie2018-05-04T11:38:40-04:00

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