The Body & Movement

Moby Dick was Filled with Fascia

Moby Dick wasn’t on my high school reading list, and I’m grateful. At seventeen I never could have appreciated the novel about revenge, obsession, life and whales.

Today, I loved it, though I can’t recommend it. Whole sections were a slog, parts were dull, others I couldn’t put down, images were beautiful, comments were poignant and powerful, passages were constantly contradictory, at times I’d reread a section four times not sure what the point was, but positive if I could figure it out, the passage would be filled with meaning. Melville created moments and pictures that I hope I’ll remember for years.

But one part may have stood out more to me than most Moby Dick readers. It may prove that I am overly obsessed with fascia—the connective tissue that runs through our bodies like sausage casings around every muscle and organ. That description is merely the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to fascia. Call me fascia-fixated.

About halfway through I started reading with renewed vigor when I realized Melville was unknowingly describing the connective tissue and fascia of a whale. Actually, it shouldn’t come as a surprise because […]

Moby Dick was Filled with FasciaMaggie Downie2017-12-29T21:47:50-05:00

Eight, Easy Exercises Everyone Can Do

Everyone is always a strong statement. There is always a reason someone shouldn’t do certain movements, but for the most part these moves are pretty safe. And what is better is they are good for just about everyone. If you aren’t typically very active, this is a good way to introduce movement. If you are super active, this is a great way to make sure you focus on every part of your body in a gentle way to help recuperate for you next workout. The body wants to move. So here are eight exercises to incorporate throughout your day. You can even get your coworkers doing them. If they hurt anything, stop. Try these every other day at least. It shouldn’t even take ten minutes.

The order doesn’t matter, but remember START UPS!

Try them morning, noon and night. Do them to your heart’s delight. (Uh, oh, I’ve started rhyming…time to move so I stop yammering…)

Shoulder Lifts: Shoulders Up, Shoulders Down…OR…One Up/One Down

Sitting or standing with your arms long at your sides, slide your shoulders […]

Eight, Easy Exercises Everyone Can DoMaggie Downie2017-12-29T21:47:56-05:00

Learn to Love Moving & Be A Part of the Movement Movement!

Your mindset can make all the difference as to whether or not you stick to a new plan. So let’s try to change some common misconceptions about moving. Let’s learn to love movement.

I Don’t Have Time

This is never really true of anything. We have the time. It’s about how we prioritize our time, and it this case whether we prioritize movement. Most of us have the ability to reorganize our schedule. If you get together with friends you could ask to go for a walk instead of meet up for food or coffee. If you sit down in front of the couch you could get up and march in place. When you pump gas you could do some exercises. On a phone call at work you could do some exercises. But we often feel embarrassed to move in front of others. Screw them. They aren’t moving. And if they aren’t they don’t feel as good as you when you move. Most likely they are just jealous that you don’t care. And, you might even inspire someone else to move.

As a side note, even if you think you don’t have time, you can tweak little things. Park far away […]

Learn to Love Moving & Be A Part of the Movement Movement!Maggie Downie2018-01-13T16:39:42-05:00

Six Reasons You Might Be Cramping…Consider Electrolytes

Foot cramps, toe cramps, Charley Horses, even back spasms—they are all a form of muscles cramping.

Have you ever wondered where the term “Charley Horse” comes from to describe a cramp in the leg? It first pops up in newspapers and magazines around the 1880’s always referring to something terrible that afflicted baseball players. There is speculation that there was actually a horse named Charley that had a role on the baseball field. Or perhaps, a ballplayer had grown up with a lame horse named Charley. When players got cramps in their legs they walked around like the horse and the player said they looked like his horse, Charley.

While we don’t know the full etymology of the term, we do somewhat better understand what it going on when we get a muscle cramp. Here are science’s best assumptions on cramping right now:

Puberty, pregnancy, menopause—they can all cause you to wake in the night with a cramp in your leg. So if your body is changing first consider that as a possibility.
If you aren’t properly hydrated you are more likely to cramp. So make sure you are well hydrated for exercise, but also throughout the day. If you have chronic back pain, […]

Six Reasons You Might Be Cramping…Consider ElectrolytesMaggie Downie2017-12-29T21:54:13-05:00

Wiggle Your Tail Bone Because You Can

Did you know that you can move your tail bone just like you can move all your vertebra? At least you should be able to, but to feel it you may have to do a little digging. The best place to try it is in the shower. Next time you take a shower, find your tailbone with your finger. You don’t actually have to go too deep into any crevices to find it. When I was in China and getting a massage, the therapist rubbed my tailbone. That was shocking and unwelcomed, but when you are searching for your own it’s not that invasive.

Once you find it, by engaging your pelvic floor (think do a Kegel) you should be able to feel it wiggle just a little bit. Think of the range of motion you can get from the first joint of your pointer finger. It’s not a big movement, but you should feel something.

The tailbone is really the last bone of your spine. If something in the body is meant to have mobility, we want to keep it mobile. Since everything is connected, if your pelvic floor is too tight or too slack that effects the positioning of the […]

Wiggle Your Tail Bone Because You CanMaggie Downie2018-02-14T15:33:38-05:00