mind – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Mindful Eating February

We pick February for our Mindful Eating Challenge because it’s the shortest month of the year. We are not ashamed to admit it. Dry January. Veganuary (being vegan for the month of January). They got it all wrong with a month with 31 days when they could pick a month with 29.

Food challenges are hard. At Personal Euphoria, we are all about fitness, not typically food. But what we put in our bodies matters. It impacts how we feel. It is helpful to take a window of time and try to consider food. Food fuels us and when we exercise how we refuel matters. Sometimes, once I get started, I actually continue for more than 29 days.

Here’s the challenge if you choose to accept it:

You pick any food-related challenge you want—big or small. I usually give up sugar. I still eat fruit and a piece of toast if it has sugar. But I cut out all desserts and snacks with processed sugar. Sometimes I make an exception with honey. I am a beekeeper, after all.

You don’t have to give up sugar. Here are examples of ways others have participated before:

Give […]

Mindful Eating FebruaryMaggie Downie2024-01-19T12:48:34-05:00

Pressure to be Present

Pause for a moment. Allow yourself time to take a deep breath. Look around. Soak in the sensations of the moment. Notice thoughts and worries racing through your head.

It appears more and more common knowledge that being present is vital to our mental health and well-being. The trouble with us humans is that we have all these pesky “unwanted” thoughts. While being present is beneficial, it bothers me to think of thoughts as unwanted. Those thoughts we try to push away to be ever-present are, in part, what makes us who we are. Those worries and concerns for our lives are perhaps proof of our sanity.

At 97 my grandma has developed dementia enough that she can’t live on her own. She has good days and bad. The decline is not linear. I am not attempting to put a positive spin on dementia, but I am trying to see the positives in a sad and trying situation. My Grandma still remembers us. That may not last forever. Her dementia hasn’t made her agitated. It’s estimated that 90% of dementia patients experience aggression, agitation, and depression. She shows minimal signs of irritability. In her confusion, she looks more childlike.

Pressure to be PresentMaggie Downie2024-01-11T12:54:07-05:00

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

Walking Outside

Walking outside is so good for us it seems too good to be true. It turns out walking isn’t just incredibly beneficial for our health, we were made to walk. Walking improves every single system in our body. Name a system of the body or a body part and walking improves how it works.

Systems of the Body

Consider your heart. It’s a lot of work for your heart to pump blood all the way down to your feet and back. When we walk our muscles act as a pump and help move fluid through the body. This helps our circulatory system and other systems like our lymph system (which basically pumps waste among other jobs).

When we walk every part of the body has to work less hard to do it’s job. This reduces our rick of cardiovascular disease of all kinds, reduces stress, reduces our chance of developing type 2 Diabetes or becoming obese, and reduces erectile dysfunction (since that ties in with heart health). On the flip side walking boosts brain health, immunity, and mood. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. But if that’s not enough to convince you to […]

Walking OutsideMaggie Downie2021-06-07T16:27:12-04:00

IMSAFE

IMSAFE is a mnemonic device for pilots to check in with their own well being before they fly. It stands for Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Emotion. As passengers when we fly, most of us are aware there is a flight check to determine whether the plane is safe. I’d never realized there is a protocol (at least for private pilots) to check in with themselves.

IMSAFE Meaning

The breakdown might seem obvious, but illness looks to see if you feel sick, medication ensures you have taken any prescription meds you need and that you haven’t taken any pills you shouldn’t before flying, stress asks pilots to assess whether they are overwhelmed by life let alone flying, alcohol is a reminder to make sure you’ve had none in at least 8 hours, fatigue makes you review your sleep, and emotion requires the pilot to once again (like stress) check in with her mental state. (In the navy E stands for Eat—whether or not you’ve eaten recently).

Food matters. Amelia Earhart mentioned a pilot needed to be fed enough to “prevent fatigue but not enough to induce drowsiness”—a difficult balance to achieve because you […]

IMSAFEMaggie Downie2020-07-23T16:00:36-04:00

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