exercise

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

Bikram Yoga: Part Two

Heather was wise, she got there early and set us up near the door. The instructor seemed nice enough and told me that my only goal was to stay in the room for the full 90-minute class even if I didn’t do any of the poses. In Bikram Yoga you do 26 poses and two different breathing exercises and repeat everything twice. Her attempt at calming me didn’t really help because what I’d really wanted to hear her say was that it would be okay to leave if I felt uncomfortable at any point.

Another woman told me that she hated it her first time and then she came back and loved it. Then she looked at me and said, “But you look pretty fit. You’ll be fine.” I appreciate the comment, but it’s simply not true. I’m fit, but that doesn’t mean that without proper training I can run a marathon or ski or toboggan in the Olympics without killing myself. It’s an assumption people often make. I remember when I was younger and was a reasonably good field hockey player people used to be surprised to discover that […]

Bikram Yoga: Part TwoMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:57-04:00

Bikram Yoga: Part One

Last Sunday, the morning it snowed about three inches, I tried Bikram Yoga for the first time. I was really nervous. I can only stay in a sauna or steam room for about 10-minutes and then I usually get a sudden urge to leave. The urge doesn’t creep up on me. I need out of the hot space immediately.

I never really wanted to try Bikram Yoga because I heard that they frown on you leaving, so I basically assumed I would hate it. But a lot of my clients ask me what I think of it, and I feel inappropriate saying that it didn’t seem good to me when I’d never done it.

Heather who teaches our Bloomfield classes and subs has done Bikram Yoga, so she agreed to go with me—this was a few weeks ago. We made a plan to go to a morning class on a Sunday in Glastonbury at Bikram Yoga. I didn’t set my alarm because I’m normally up by 6am at the latest and the class wasn’t until 8, […]

Bikram Yoga: Part OneMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:57-04:00

Wait A Minute! I’m not sore!!!

Today’s post is a reminder that you don’t have to feel sore after a workout. You can be getting stronger and healthier whether you feel delayed onset muscle soreness or not (DOMS—the muscle pain you feel 12-48 hours after exercise). This Today Show video discusses the DOMS myth and other fitness myths. It’s a great summary.

I rarely feel sore after I do pilates (and when I do feel sore it usually comes after I do a beginner workout). I’m rarely sore, but I am strong and I get better and better at the exercises. Sometimes I take a few steps back, but generally speaking I see improvement.

So the question you should be asking, is not Am I getting sore? But, Am I getting Strong?

Wait A Minute! I’m not sore!!!Maggie Downie2014-08-04T18:02:51-04:00