body – Page 6 – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Foam Roller

I’ll admit not everyone loves the foam roller as much as I do. It’s a great way to get a good work out and challenge your balance and stabilizer muscles, but more than that it can massage you and your achy fascia! But that is the part not everyone is a fan of sadly. One most people have never heard of fascia and then when they actually get down on to roller to massage the fascia, tendons, and muscles they don’t always love the way it feels.

It can feel a bit intense. Some people describe foam rolling like the feeling you have when you press on a bruise. Why would you want to do that? Because it’s good for you and it won’t leave a bruise. I think it hurts in a good way. But […]

Foam RollerMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:38-04:00

Two-Minute Meditation

Recently in my struggle to meditate, a client suggested that I try linking meditation with something I do every day like putting my shoes. That seemed like a brilliant idea, but the problem sort of was I don’t really want to meditate. I’m not motivated to do it. Her suggestion was that I try for five minutes. I suggested two minutes.

Honestly, I don’t think I really thought I would do it, but I surprised myself. Two days later I put on one shoe, remembered this should be a reminder to meditate, and so with one shoe on I sat down and began to breath and repeat two words over and over. When I opened my eyes, I had barely lasted two minutes. But I’d done it.

Five minutes later I tried again, frustrated that two minutes could seem so long. This time I focused more on breathing and lasted two-minutes, fifteen seconds. Hey it’s a start, right?

Although, I have to admit, the next day I forgot to do it entirely.

Personal Euphoria

Two-Minute MeditationMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:39-04:00

It’s All Connected: The Hip/Ankle Connection

Last week I was taking a private pilates class. I was complaining about how my ankle has been supinating (rolling outward). It wasn’t painful, but I know it’s not ideal and I wanted to work on it. I was doing basic footwork exercises on the reformer and when I had someone to look at me tell me exactly when my ankle was in the right place I could feel not only the work in my ankle, but I felt a change in my body all the way up to my hip flexors.

It was one of those moments that make me so proud I’m a pilates instructor, and I immediately wanted to make all my clients feel what I had just felt in my body. The footwork, which seems like a really simple exercise was suddenly a huge challenge because of what was going on in my body. All I was doing was lying down and bending and straightening my legs, but suddenly my whole entire body was working to help my ankle stay where it was supposed […]

It’s All Connected: The Hip/Ankle ConnectionMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:41-04:00

Grand Canyon Part II: The Challenge

Hiking the Grand Canyon was my 3rd challenge of my 30th year. I didn’t get to do as much hiking as I’d hoped for to prepare, and Irene washed out our regular backpacking trip in the White Mountains. I was nervous about so many things—my knees, having enough water, the temperature, the terrain, heights, falling off into the great abyss. Luckily, I didn’t have a problem with anything I anticipated. The trail was easier than the trails I am used to in the White Mountains, but it was covered for good portions in small rocks that I termed “ankle biters.” It would be so easy to roll or sprain an ankle in the Grand Canyon. We had no ankle sprains and perfect weather—about 80-degrees during the day and we were able to hike in the shade for good portions of our trip.

The hike was not as hard as I’d expected. Down […]

Grand Canyon Part II: The ChallengeMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:41-04:00

Hip Discomfort–Challenge Update

Last week I started having some hip discomfort (I say discomfort over pain because I have some clients who I know are in actual pain in their body that affects their daily tasks. This hasn’t been affecting my daily tasks, but since I’m training for a half marathon and getting ready to hike the Grand Canyon it does concern me.)

My first reaction was to be annoyed. This hip of mine was getting in the way of what Iwanted to be doing. It wasn’t really, I was pushing through it, but I really just wanted it to feel good and not be a nuisance.

Then I decided to change my perspective. Things like this always provide me an opportunity to learn something new about the body. I’m forced to do some very basic exercises if I want it to keep working with me and not against me.

The challenges I set this year are, of course, to get me healthier, but I guess I hope to learn something along the way. And it’s important to realize that when you ask you body to do a lot for you, you need to maintain it.

We all probably […]

Hip Discomfort–Challenge UpdateMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:47-04:00