exercise

Hanging Upside Down

Last week I tried Anti-Gravity Yoga. I’ve been wanting to try this for what feels like years, but it has actually only been since whenever Sheri Sheppard tried it on the View. (Given the way time has been flying by that could have been three months ago.)

I was a little nervous because I had taken an exhausting fitness class before and was afraid my muscles would be exhausted. I’ve also hung upside down before and while my back loves it, sometimes my head feels like my brain is going to ooze out of my eyes after they have popped out from all the force. (Great image, I know.)

Fears aside, I finally found a mixed-level class in NYC and met my sister so we could take the class together. She’d been wanted to try it too and is a yoga instructor, which for some reason made me feel like her skills might rub off on me. We share genetics, but I don’t seem to be any better at yoga than she is at Pilates.

Hanging Upside DownMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:35:27-04:00

Feldenkrais

The instructors as Personal Euphoria all enjoy movement and finding new ways to learn about our bodies. Last week we got together to try the Feldenkrais Method of Movement. Margo Henneback came to instruct us.

We had a wonderful time. Feldenkrais, from my understanding, is about body awareness and learning how it feels to move your body in different ways. We spent the majority of the workshop moving our pelvis in different directions (up and down, left and right, and circling).

The more I learn about the body, the more I come to find that there is no wrong or right way to move the body. It can and desires to move in all different ways. Trying different modalities helps you to discover ways your body likes to move. It is important to maintain mobility in whatever method your find that your body enjoys.

FeldenkraisMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:57-04:00

New Exercise

We usually have more time on the weekends so it’s a good time to try something new. This weekend, try a new type of exercise. Let us know how it goes.

Here are some classes you may not have tried:

1) Yoga
2) Kick Boxing
3) Swing Dancing
4) Indoor Rock Climbing
5) Tai Chi
6) Swimming
7) Pole Dancing
8) Fluidity

Let the word “exercise” be very broad and pick an activity you think will be fun and get you moving.

New ExerciseMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:35:28-04:00

Beat the Winter Blues

It’s February and though we haven’t gotten much snow the winter doldrums have certainly set in. The best way to stay happy throughout the winter is to change your mindset–make winter fun.

When I was a kid my mom gave me great advice. One piece of advice she gave was that if someone ever teases you act like you don’t care. They won’t get any satisfaction out of it and they won’t tease you. It was totally effective. Treat winter the same way.

When it does snow have a snowball fight, go sledding, build a snow man.

Go a little further north and go skiing or cross country skiing. Go ice skating. Bundle up and go for a hike in your favorite state park.

Get a group of friends together for game night and have some fun. Have a fire.

Whatever you do, don’t let the winter stop you!

Beat the Winter BluesMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:35:28-04:00

How Do You Keep Interested

Do anything long enough and you’re going to get bored. You’ve got to change–adjust your workout or your workout schedule. Add a new class.

I try to use a variety of different exercises in class so that people don’t get bored. Plus, while it’s sometimes scary, it is also fun to try new things. If you give your body and/or your mind a challenge, it will be easier to stay interested in whatever activity you choose for you health and fitness.

How Do You Keep InterestedMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:05:53-04:00