body – Page 7 – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Pilates is Easy

Think Pilates is easy? You probably aren’t doing it right. Every time I take a pilates class I’m surprised at how difficult it is, and I like a tough, challenging workout. There are exercises that I didn’t find difficult at first, but once I understood them better (from years of practice) I found them to be my most challenging. Many of the beginner exercises are actually the most difficult. And when I’m not doing an advanced exercise as well as I should, it’s usually going back to one of the beginner exercises that will make me realize how I should be moving my body in order to do the more challenging exercise properly.

Even an exercise like ab prep–it seems easy, but it’s not at all. You are basically lifting your head and shoulders off the floor. Many people mistake it for an abdominal crunch, but the exercise is so much more, and once you discover all the intricacies, you can find what may seem like the simplest exercise extremely rewarding.

It may not happen right […]

Pilates is EasyMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:55-04:00

Best Shape of My Life Challenge: Warrior Dash

So, I’m on this healthy lifestyle, right? I have a goal to get in the best shape of my life this year. The challenge started March 27th, and so far I’ve been sick about half the time. So what’s the lesson here? It’s a lesson, I’m pretty sure I don’t want to hear. It’s a lesson that created a debate in my house all last week.

This was the debate:

Matt: I don’t think we should go the Pennsylvania to do the Warrior Dash. You’ve been really run down and I don’t want to see you get sick again, especially two weeks before we leave for Switzerland.

Maggie’s Mind: Damn, he’s right, but it totally sucks.

Maggie Aloud: What do you want me to do, never work out again? I am feeling better. And, I really want to do the Warrior Dash. And I really want to see the friends we were going to see down there.

Matt: Me too, but is it worth it?

Maggie’s Mind: No, I don’t want to get pharyngitis again, but come on…this totally sucks!

Maggie Aloud: Let’s think on it and decide Friday.

(Note: this […]

Best Shape of My Life Challenge: Warrior DashMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:53-04:00

Swimming

Swimming isn’t really up my alley, but since I’ve been running again (even though only two or three times a week), and since I’ve been doing a lot of sprints and jumping in the interval class I’ve been taking, I think the pool is where my body needs to be.

I’ve been meaning to get there for weeks, but just didn’t get up and go until last week. And man, I should have gotten there sooner. It felt so good. I swam 15 laps (there and back—I’m such a bad swimmer I don’t even know swim lingo and whether or not if you swam a lap people will assume you went there and back). I kicked on a paddle board for 10 laps and then I ran back and forth and did some jumping jacks.

When I was playing field hockey in college, our coach made us have pool sessions. We hated them because the other teams got a break when we had to swim, but our team had the fewest injuries all season. It’s a small anecdotal study, but I have believed in the benefits of swimming and water on joints ever since. You really don’t have […]

SwimmingMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:02:47-04:00

Why Get A Massage

I try to make time for a massage every month. When I started teaching pilates for a living, I felt getting a massage was vital, and all I can say is that I wish I started getting a monthly massage before I became a pilates instructor when I worked in a office. I find the benefits to be endless. If I had the time and resources I would get a massage every week, actually, I’d ask my massage therapist to move in with me.

I recommend massages to many of my clients, and when I’m making a recommendation it’s always to Kim Perrotta at Woodside Therapeutic Massage in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Having a regular massage therapist, like Kim, is helpful because she knows my body specifically. Kim is also an occupational therapist, which provides her an even deeper understanding of the body and what it needs.

Since I think Kim is so wonderful, I asked if she would explain the many benefits of massage, and here is what she had to say:

Many people may […]

Why Get A MassageMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:55-04:00

Food & A Good Workout

What I put in my body really makes a difference. I see it all the time, especially with taking this interval training class where we run sprints and jump rope. I always feel like the workout on Thursday morning is more challenging for me than Tuesday’s class. It could be that it comes later in the week, but I think it’s more the fact that I typically eat pizza the night before since we have some people over to watch Survivor. Pizza is delicious, but it’s also salty, cheesy, greasy and generally fatty.

I notice a difference when I run too.
While I guess it may seem like a bit of a pain, I’m glad that I can tell that what I eat affects me. We’ll see if it helps me change my food choices, but it’s certainly good to be aware.

Food & A Good WorkoutMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:55-04:00

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