exercise

Achey from Raking

This time of year we want to be carving pumpkins, picking apples, sipping cider, and leaf-peeping. But at some point, we’ve got to rake the yard and sweep up leaves that work their way into the house

Since raking only has to be done once a year our body isn’t always in shape for it, and we can get sore during or after. Luckily the very tool making us sore (that rake) can help us do some great stretches.

Try the chest opener, side bend, and standing cat stretch in the video below.

And if you want to add a few warm-up moves before you start raking, do some marches trying to tap the rake with your thighs.

Household items like a rake or a broom can become your friend. Use them to your advantage. They can actually deepen the sensation of certain stretches in a beneficial way. Try for yourself:

Keep Reading

Looking for more exercises to boost strength? Check out Maggie’s recent blog on the importance of Grip Strength!

Click here to learn more ways to boost arm strength!

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Achey from RakingMaggie Downie2023-11-01T18:25:41-04:00

Grip Strength

Multiple research shows a correlation between overall health markers and grip strength. There seems to be a particular correlation with cardiovascular health (based on a study of 140,000 people over 4 years). Some researchers think testing grip strength might be a cheap, easy way to assess general heart health.

This matters because grip strength often starts to diminish between the age of 50-55 (I don’t know about you, but that sounds young to me). And Millennials have lost grip strength compared to their adult counterparts from the 1980s. This loss is more pronounced in men than women, but both have lost their grip. (Note: the research on this did not indicate they are concerned this is causing heart issues in adults today, more just that as a population we do less manual labor.)

The real issue is that grip strength has such practical applications in life, so if and when you lose it, you notice it daily. If your grip strength is still good you might take for granted using a fork, pumping gas, vacuuming, lifting a water jug, or opening a jar of pickles, but all these tasks require grip strength.

Grip strength is interconnected with wrist health and forearm strength. So […]

Grip StrengthMaggie Downie2023-09-28T12:46:41-04:00

Tips for Healthy Hiking

Hiking is one of my favorite pastimes. And it feels so much better when your body is ready to trek up a mountain. So how do you train for a hike? Here are some tips:

Pack Your Weight

Wear your pack when you train and put some weight in it. If you know how much weight you’ll be carrying on hike day, build up to that quantity. Getting a pack filled with weight can take time and extra effort. If that’s getting in your way of prepping, start moving without the pack.

Trekking Poles

Trekking poles are a lifesaver. If you want to hike into your 70’s and 80’s you want to get trekking poles today. Not only do they save your knees, but they turn the hike into a more full-body workout. On a typical hike, the arms aren’t that involved. Add trekking poles and now your arms and shoulders get a workout too.

Cardio

Any hike will feel better if you are ready for the cardio it will require. You can build up by hiking, biking, running, or picking up the pace when you go for a walk.

Core

It’s easy to forge

Tips for Healthy HikingMaggie Downie2023-08-01T14:00:29-04:00

Where is My Body in Space? Aerial Circus Class

Taking an aerial class has been on my bucket list for a while. This involves two silks hanging from a tall ceiling that you use like Cirque du Soleil would (please don’t think for a second I think I’m ready to join Cirque du Soleil). They refer to it as ‘circus.’

Most of the Personal Euphoria team wasn’t available to attend, but Jeannine and I thought we’d go anyway. After a dynamic warm-up, they got us in the silks. Honestly, I was surprised at how much we could both do. I was a little worried this might wind up like the pole dancing class we once took as a team. None of us could even begin to do the moves. But here, Jeannine and I could actually (with assistance) get into the positions they prepared for us. A big part of that was that they selected moves that were manageable but still made us feel like we were doing something cool—flipping upside down, arching into a backbend like a crescent moon hovered in the air.

I’ve never been able to climb a rope—not in […]

Where is My Body in Space? Aerial Circus ClassMaggie Downie2023-06-29T23:32:12-04:00

Keep Kids Moving This Summer!

Your kids are home from school. You’ve played all the board games you can. And, maybe it’s even a rainy week. What can you do to burn off a little of that excess energy building up in both you and the kids? KEEP MOVING, of course.

You probably have items in your home that can help create a playful, imaginative workout. Here are some ways to help kids stay active with household items:

Painters Tape

Put a strip on the floor—young enough kids can use it as a balance beam. They won’t be balancing, but they can try to walk along it and stay on the line. You can make it straight or zig zag it.

If you have a hallway, use painters tape to turn the floor into a hopscotch. Swap a bean bag for the rock you’d use outside and now your child can hop their way down the hall.

Or, in the hallway, put tape at different intervals and different angles to create a “Mission Impossible Laser” hallway. Your child has to try to get from one end to the other without touching the tape. This one is easy to make easier […]

Keep Kids Moving This Summer!Maggie Downie2023-06-21T17:05:02-04:00