move – Page 5 – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Eight, Easy Exercises Everyone Can Do

Everyone is always a strong statement. There is always a reason someone shouldn’t do certain movements, but for the most part these moves are pretty safe. And what is better is they are good for just about everyone. If you aren’t typically very active, this is a good way to introduce movement. If you are super active, this is a great way to make sure you focus on every part of your body in a gentle way to help recuperate for you next workout. The body wants to move. So here are eight exercises to incorporate throughout your day. You can even get your coworkers doing them. If they hurt anything, stop. Try these every other day at least. It shouldn’t even take ten minutes.

The order doesn’t matter, but remember START UPS!

Try them morning, noon and night. Do them to your heart’s delight. (Uh, oh, I’ve started rhyming…time to move so I stop yammering…)

Shoulder Lifts: Shoulders Up, Shoulders Down…OR…One Up/One Down

Sitting or standing with your arms long at your sides, slide your shoulders […]

Eight, Easy Exercises Everyone Can DoMaggie Downie2017-12-29T21:47:56-05:00

Learn to Love Moving & Be A Part of the Movement Movement!

Your mindset can make all the difference as to whether or not you stick to a new plan. So let’s try to change some common misconceptions about moving. Let’s learn to love movement.

I Don’t Have Time

This is never really true of anything. We have the time. It’s about how we prioritize our time, and it this case whether we prioritize movement. Most of us have the ability to reorganize our schedule. If you get together with friends you could ask to go for a walk instead of meet up for food or coffee. If you sit down in front of the couch you could get up and march in place. When you pump gas you could do some exercises. On a phone call at work you could do some exercises. But we often feel embarrassed to move in front of others. Screw them. They aren’t moving. And if they aren’t they don’t feel as good as you when you move. Most likely they are just jealous that you don’t care. And, you might even inspire someone else to move.

As a side note, even if you think you don’t have time, you can tweak little things. Park far away […]

Learn to Love Moving & Be A Part of the Movement Movement!Maggie Downie2018-01-13T16:39:42-05:00

Wiggle Your Tail Bone Because You Can

Did you know that you can move your tail bone just like you can move all your vertebra? At least you should be able to, but to feel it you may have to do a little digging. The best place to try it is in the shower. Next time you take a shower, find your tailbone with your finger. You don’t actually have to go too deep into any crevices to find it. When I was in China and getting a massage, the therapist rubbed my tailbone. That was shocking and unwelcomed, but when you are searching for your own it’s not that invasive.

Once you find it, by engaging your pelvic floor (think do a Kegel) you should be able to feel it wiggle just a little bit. Think of the range of motion you can get from the first joint of your pointer finger. It’s not a big movement, but you should feel something.

The tailbone is really the last bone of your spine. If something in the body is meant to have mobility, we want to keep it mobile. Since everything is connected, if your pelvic floor is too tight or too slack that effects the positioning of the […]

Wiggle Your Tail Bone Because You CanMaggie Downie2018-02-14T15:33:38-05:00

Movement Beats Polio

My Grandma inside the igloo!

My grandma contracted polio when she was nine. She was so sick her mother had to push her in a baby carriage to walk her to the hospital. She was embarrassed and mad at her mom because she was nine and didn’t belong in a baby carriage. No one else in the Waterbury area had been diagnosed with polio so at first the doctors didn’t know what was wrong. Before long there was an entire ward of children with polio.

For six month, my grandma was strapped to a wooden plank to immobilize her. It was the early thirties. The hospitals didn’t have air conditioning and she talks about how hot it could get in the room she shared with a group of polio-infected children. Those that died were wheeled out. One of her best memories from her time in the hospital was on summer Saturday nights when the nurses would wheel patients who were well enough out onto a patio for fresh air. The nurses would turn on music and dance.

When it was time to go home the doctor told her mother […]

Movement Beats PolioMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:42-04:00

Movement is Maintenance

Body vs. Machine

Your body is not your car. You can bring it in for regular checkups, but you can’t replace the parts anytime you want. And if you need to and the part is available, it might be VERY, VERY expensive.

So do some regular maintenance (code for movement) and help your body feel better and last longer.

Movement is MaintenanceMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:42-04:00