exercise

Varity in Exercise

Varity in exercise is a must. Not only is it good for your body, but if you are anything like me, you get bored fairly easily. Just for my mental state I need to change my workouts. I always do pilates because I love it, and I honestly believe it keeps my body safe so that I can do other things, but, cross training in general helps to keep your body safe.

Everything else outside of pilates and I’m sort of a fair-weather friend.

Here are just some of the things I do to workout (sometimes I do some more than others)

• Run
• Tae Bo (or another kickboxing class)
• Step Aerobics
• Dance
• Swimming
• Dragon Boat
• Interval Training
• Boot Camp
• Weight Lifting
• Walk
• Hike
• Yoga
• Racquet Ball

What’s currently working for you? What is your favorite type of exercise right now?

Varity in ExerciseMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:51-04:00

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

MY FOUR CHALLENGES!!!

I honestly can’t remember if I already announced my four challenges of the year. In case you haven’t seen some earlier posts, I’m challenging myself to get in the best shape of my life this year and part of that challenge it to participate in four (ideally one per season) physical challenges throughout the year that I’ve never done before.

I’ve decided that the year is March 27, 2011-March 26, 2012.

Here is what I’ve decided to do:

1) The Warrior Dash—a 3.5 mile run with an obstacle course.

2) The Ragnar Relay—a relay race done with a 12 person team from New Haven to Boston. Over the course of a 36-hour period I’ll run about 12 miles. (Some people on our team will run 20 miles, and I am grateful that they wanted to take the longer legs.)

3) Hike the Grand Canyon—this is pending a permit that I really hope I can get.

4) Participate in Cross Country Ski Race—I’m thinking of the one held at the Von Trapp […]

MY FOUR CHALLENGES!!!Maggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:56-04:00

Age Has Nothing To Do With It

Every once in a while someone will tell me that the reason I can do a particular pilates exercise is because I’m young. I think that’s a bit of a copout because usually the person who says it is also capable of doing the exercise or if they can’t do it yet but would be able to do it with practice.

I also don’t think age really comes into play when you’re talking about pilates. If someone said to me, “You were only able to run a marathon when you were twenty-five without training because you were young,” I would whole heartedly agree with them, but pilates is different. It has this brilliant way of making you see every exercise that challenges you and then gives you ways you can improve.

But we each improve in our own body and at our own rate. And life always throws new things as us, so as soon as we conquer one exercise we may find another more difficult. Or we may take two steps forward and one back on […]

Age Has Nothing To Do With ItMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:57-04:00

Poor Hamstrings

Hamstrings always get the shaft. It is so much easier to work the quads than the hamstrings. You can do squats almost anywhere. Heck, if you hold in a squat position for 30 seconds your quads will probably start to feel the burn, but hamstrings curls are a little harder. You need some kind of resistance besides your own body weight for hamstring work.

With the shoulder bridge all you need is your body weight to access the hamstrings, but you have to be lying down. You can’t do the exercise while pumping gas, whereas squats you can do anywhere at least somewhat innocuously.

Lunges work the hamstrings, but also the quads.

I’m just feeling a little bad for my hamstrings today. I know they need a little more attention, and I wish giving them that attention was as easy at doing heel raises to strengthen my calves. So for the moment, I’m just sitting at my desk isometrically squeezing the heck out of my poor little hamstrings so that they don’t start to think that […]

Poor HamstringsMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:57-04:00