lifestyle

Movement Snacks

Movement snacks are short bursts of movement throughout the day much like you’d have a snack between meals. They are not meal substitutes. It would still benefit you to get a workout in, but whether you workout or not, adding small bursts of movement throughout the day is vital to health.

If you absolutely don’t have time for a full workout, adding in movement snacks is better than nothing. More and more research indicates that any movement you can make time for is worthwhile. A recent study out of Japan found doing one bicep curl a day increased muscle strength by 6-12 percent. Our body really responds to any movement we give it.

The goal of a movement snack is to figure out how movement can fit into your day. I’ve provided some suggestions below, but really you want to think about what will actually work in your day. Consider what is a new habit you can form. In the video below Taylor Kinzler from NBC CT LIVE mentions how she could fit in a movement snack while her videos are uploading at work. That’s the idea…think like that. But if you need some tips… try some of these:

Wake Up & Pandiculate

Your […]

Movement SnacksMaggie Downie2023-08-29T13:45:18-04:00

Most Beautiful Place on Earth

“Namibia,” the flight attendant said when I asked her where the most beautiful place she’d ever been was. It took us years to get there after her suggestion, but we finally made it last month. There is a lot of pressure on a country when someone tells you it’s the most beautiful place they’ve ever been. I kept trying to remind myself to curb my expectations. How else would Namibia have a fighting chance?

Matt and I spent hours of our trip (there were many lengthy car rides) discussing what makes a place beautiful and how we rank or rate beauty. Architecture can be beautiful. A landscape can be stunning. A sunrise or rainbow with no specific place can catch your eye. Does a beach or a mountain provide more beauty? I love the mountains. Others prefer the beach. How does your mood in any given moment impact how you perceive a place? Can a spectacular place override any mood?

Namibia is striking. I found myself gobsmacked more than once and audibly and unintentionally would utter, “wow” in the awe of the landscape before me. One sunset we rode ATVs across the desert […]

Most Beautiful Place on EarthMaggie Downie2023-07-18T17:20:44-04:00

Fitness Trends 2022

As we start a new year, we are seeing two distinct splits in the fitness trends for the coming year. At first appearance they seem in opposition (and may be), but they might just help create a good balance between each other. One had been building since the pandemic, the other is a return to basics and simple movement.

Virtual Classes

Just like in 2020 and 2021, people still are turning to virtual classes. Virtual classes remain easy, convenient, time efficient, and an option when spikes of illness appear. From the privacy of our own home we can still get our workout in, but see others and get instruction in a virtual class.

(Want to try one of our pre-recorded virtual classes? Click here.)

Wearable Tech

We continue to see people using wearable technology like Fitbits and Apple watches. These tools are used to track steps, mileage, heart rate and other health and wellness variables. People are posting their results on social media, which can sometimes help maintain accountability to reach our goals.

Fitness technology companies revealed at this year’s CES (a massive consumer technology trade-show that just […]

Fitness Trends 2022Maggie Downie2022-02-06T13:34:37-05:00

Family Fitness – Fun for the Whole Family!

This is a great time of year to start a family fitness routine because with kids heading back to school we all tend to get back into a schedule after summer vacation. If you are looking for a family fitness routine your whole family will enjoy consider keeping it simple, incorporating variety, and looking for fun ways to move.

Simple

Probably the most basic way to incorporate movement with the whole family is to plan a walk after dinner. You could do this three, five, or seven nights a week if you are feeling ambitious. It would help instill great habits.

In case you’re not sure you could convince your whole family to walk every day, here are some other ideas. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty more and you can come up with anything and try new things daily or weekly, depending on how often you want to move with your family.

Play a Game

You could always use the technology kids love and play a game. The Nintendo Switch has boxing, bowling, and dance games you can play that will keep you moving. Or go old school and pull out a game like twister.

Bike Ride

You can take a […]

Family Fitness – Fun for the Whole Family!Maggie Downie2021-09-14T23:03:26-04:00

Live Longer

My Grandma inside the igloo for her 89th birthday!

My Grandma will be 92 tomorrow. She lives on her own, cooks for herself, loves the movies, and is interesting to talk to. She has moments of forgetfulness and relays a lot of stories from the past and her youth. Now and then my mom will call me to tell me she is worried my Grandma might be losing it a little. Sometimes my mom seems right and other times I say, “I do the same thing. If Grandma has dementia then I must too.”

A week after Christmas my Grandma called me to thank me for the beautiful amaryllis I’d given her for Christmas. She left a message and as I listened, I grew a little sad. I had not given her an amaryllis. Perhaps my mom was more right than I realized. Someone else deserved this thank you. Not me. It signaled that my Grandma seemed to be losing it.

Later that night when Matt arrived home, I told him about my Grandma’s message and how my mom might be onto something. “I didn’t get her an amaryllis,” I told him. “Yes, […]

Live LongerMaggie Downie2018-02-14T15:54:22-05:00