move – Page 2 – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Motivation to Move!

Do you get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day? Most adults don’t. Thirty minutes is important because it’s the minimum amount of exercise our bodies require to be healthy. Still ¾’s of adults aren’t getting that. So how do we find our motivation to move?

What Doesn’t Work?

First, we need to realize what doesn’t seem to work for us. We seem to think we SHOULD (always a tough word) be motivated to move because we know it’s good for our health. We think we SHOULD be motivated to lose weight. Research indicates those are both useful tools for helping start a workout, but not stick with it.

What Does Give us Motivation to Move?

There are multiple motivational tools that do provide motivation to move. Next time you want to stick to a workout plan, consider whether it meets the following:

Visible

To make a workout visible consider using social media as a tool. Post about your new workout goals. Write what you did each day. Ask friends to encourage and boost you up on days you don’t feel like moving. Or partner with co-workers and have different departments compete for the most steps. […]

Motivation to Move!Maggie Downie2021-08-23T16:07:42-04:00

Exercise for the Vaccine

Eccentric Contraction –Muscle getting longer

Staying active is one of the best things you can do for your immune system. That doesn’t mean that you never need a break. Sleep and rest play a role in keeping us healthy too. Once you are run down, rest can be vital. But generally speaking exercise boosts the immune system. After taking a walk you have more immune cells flowing through your body checking to ensure all is well and keeping bad bugs at bay.
This is not new information. We’ve known for years that people who stay active are less likely to develop head colds and come down with other viruses less frequently. For our health, we need to KEEP MOVING.

But how does this tie in with the vaccine? Small studies on the flu vaccine indicated that pairing movement with a vaccination seems to boost the immune response (meaning you might get more out of the actual vaccine). Currently, the types of COVID vaccines available are different than the flu vaccine. That means it’s possible movement only works with the flu vaccine and not others, but what do you have to lose? The moves […]

Exercise for the VaccineMaggie Downie2021-04-28T16:38:19-04:00

Feeling on edge?

Have you been feeling on edge since mid-March? Hmmm, I wonder why? Perhaps you are human. We’ve been dealing with a lot in the world lately between COVID, loss of work, black lives matter, and a general sense that we don’t know what the future holds or how to bring about changes we may desire. And, we’ve been going through a lot of it in some degree of isolation—never a good thing for humans. We are social animals. Even if you are one of those people that say you prefer cats and dogs to your fellow humans, you need people and support.

Does Rest Still Work?

I’m a big believer in a rest day from exercise, but I’ve found that it hasn’t been an option. Prior to COVID I could take a rest day. If I took three or four in a row, I’d start to get antsy. (Matt might use the word grumpy.) But now, if I don’t exercise one day, by midafternoon I’m not in a good place. Movement is such a useful tool for me. It makes me feel better. It helps my sanity. Moving boost my spirits. But perhaps […]

Feeling on edge?Maggie Downie2020-06-19T14:16:27-04:00

Activities for Kids

Maggies nephew out for a stroll

We’ve all been cooped up in our houses for months. Maybe the kids are going stir crazy. Maybe you are going a little stir crazy. So what are some fun activities for kids that will help them burn off all that energy?

The possibilities for moves with kids are endless. But one trick is to try and find moves that kids think are fun and make movement playful. Movement should be a little playful, but it’s an aspect of movement we sometimes lose when we grow up. You may find that coming up with fun moves with your kids may help rekindle a little joy of moving for you too.

Activities for Kids

Start there: what type of movement did you enjoy when you were a kid? Did you play tag? Maybe you liked walking. Did you just move around and be silly? Maybe just tell your kids you’ll mimic any moves they do and then try to follow them (good luck)! Did you and your siblings have wheel barrow races or piggy back races?

Keep it Simple

Also, remember you can be simple. You don’t have to come up […]

Activities for KidsMaggie Downie2020-05-28T13:08:09-04:00

Fascia & Chronic Low Back Pain

Supporting the legs will often make it easier to do a pelvic tilt from the abs.

If you are prone to low back pain, you might want to consider fascia as the culprit, especially if an X-ray and MRI reveal that nothing is wrong.

Fascia is the connective tissue that runs along and encapsulates everything in our body. Research has shown that people with chronic low back pain have lumbar fascia that is about 25% thicker than people without pain.

What should you do if the lumbar (low back) fascia might be causing your pain?

1) Massage

Find a qualified good massage therapist. An effective massage does not have to feel like torture. You don’t have to opt for a sport massage, unless that’s up you alley.

2) Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate

Like most of our body our fascia needs […]

Fascia & Chronic Low Back PainMaggie Downie2018-04-27T06:57:45-04:00