health

Let the Healthy Lifestyle Begin

Okay, we have some catching up to do. This year I’m going to be turning thirty on March 27th. I’m really excited in the way I was excited to turn twenty-one when I was twenty. And I’ve set a goal to get in the best shape of my life.

That might make some people laugh if they know me as a pilates instructor. But while I am in good shape, I’ve been in better shape. As a teenage and in college I played sports, and throughout college I ran–usually about six miles a day. I’m not doing that now and I don’t really want to be an avid runner anymore. That is part of what is going to make this challenge so hard, but I think I can do it. I believe in myself (Thank You, Mom).

I’ve spent many hours debating how I will judge if I’ve gotten into the best shape of my life. I know I can’t base it on weight because when I was in college I would fluctuate between 120-125 pounds, and […]

Let the Healthy Lifestyle BeginMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:02-04:00

Scale

It was only recently that I actually bought a scale. I’d never owned one before, but then I was reading in a magazine about the Withings WiFi Body Scale. It apparently records your weight, lean mass, fat mass and BMI to a secure website that you set up. With a price tag of $159, I’m not willing to put it on my wish list this Christmas, but I am curious to know if anyone has tried it and what they think.

Not sure how it does what it does or how accurate it is, but I love technology that makes life even simpler. I just love to wait until it costs less.

ScaleMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:02:57-04:00

The Best Workout Ever

I enjoy working out. I find it fun, but I need variety to keep me motivated so I’ve tried my hand at a lot of different activities. Here are just some: running, hiking, pilates, Tae Bo, yoga, walking, kayaking, golf, volley ball, soft ball, boot camp, jump rope, hula hooping, swimming, biking, ellipticals, challenge courses, rock climbing, stairs, hills, pole dancing, and weights.

I’m sure I’ve done other things, but those just easily come to mind without having to think very hard. Some I enjoy more than others, sometimes I fall in and out of love with some of them. And some are harder than others, but, lately, I have been discovering the most challenging workout of all: KIDS!

A couple weekends ago I baby sat for a one-year-old. She cried for about an hour and a half, but I was able to get her to calm down by entertaining her with physical activity. She would tire of everything after at most 15 minutes so I kept having to change it up. She seemed to most enjoy me […]

The Best Workout EverMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:02-04:00

Wednesday Challenge: Effective Pilates

According to an article in Health Magazine, research has shown that Pilates exercise are more effective than crunches.

So this week everyday or every other day, practice the following four exercises:

The Roll Up
The Teaser
Obliques (Sometimes called Criss-Cross)
The One Hundred

Wednesday Challenge: Effective PilatesMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:02:57-04:00

Green Juice

I rather exercise more so that I can eat as much as I want. That being said, I notice that when I eat better, I feel better. Load me up with vegetables, limit my sugar intake, provide me with ample sleep and I feel like I can rule the world. I definitely feel the difference when I’ve over eaten or munched on too many carbs or desserts.

So once in a rare while I feel an urge to juice vegetables and drink them–not because it tastes good, but because it is good for me. While I like veggies, I often have a difficult time drinking them. My sister Kate could live on various green juices, but I need to add some fruit to my juices in order to get it past my delicate palate. Kate can drink anything that looks and smells like grass with a smile. I do it begrudgingly, make all sort of noises and tease my sister for smelling like dirt. (It’s fair. She said I smelled like soggy cereal when I was born.)

So last […]

Green JuiceMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:03-04:00