movement

Why I Move

My Grandma at 88 on a Stability Ball.

There are lots of reasons I move. It makes me feel better physically, mentally and emotionally, and there are a lot of physical activities I think are fun that I want the freedom to do. I’m also really antsy, and I use movement to burn off extra, jittery energy.

But if I’m going to overanalyze it and step back into the reaches of my brain for why I move and believe it’s so important to creating a better life, I have to, at least in part, attribute it to my Grandparents. My Grandpa Downie was antsy too. I never saw him sit without a foot tapping, and he was really active until he hit about 80. But it was more my Grandma. When I was born she’d been wheelchair bound and bedridden for thirty years.

Why I MoveMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:51-04:00

Handstand to Peacock

Handstand to PeacockMaggie Downie2017-10-25T14:26:33-04:00

Stabilize Without Tension

Stabilize Without TensionMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:52-04:00

Inspiration

I have a friend who often tells me that my blogs or Facebook posts motivate her to be healthier or to get to the gym. That makes me happy. In my career, getting to hear that you motivate people is some of the best news you can get.

But it’s important to know that everyone I work with motivates me too.

On a very obvious level, as a Pilates instructor I generally think it’s important to stay healthy and active in order to physically be able to do my job and to stay fit. But when I have a client trying a new activity for the first time, they remind me everything there is to try and experience out there. When I have a client who eats healthier than I do (which is probably many), I feel like I should be more like them. They set a good example for me. When a client has been struggling with an exercise for a long time and they finally get […]

InspirationMaggie Downie2017-10-25T14:30:12-04:00

Is Exercise Killing Me?

Last week I was frustrated by an article headline I saw somewhere on the Internet. It read “Is Exercise Killing You?” The topic of this new study on exercise was also discussed (thankfully very responsibly) on The View.

So, is exercise killing you? The article I actually found on the topic published in the New York Times was called: “For Some, Exercise May Increase Heart Risk.” A much less fear mongering header which always makes me happy.

The answer is a resounding NO. Exercise is not killing people. The study currently getting a lot of attention found that for 90% of the population exercise has benefits for the heart, lungs and body. But it turns out that for 10% of the population exercise may increase blood pressure and cholesterol. There was no shown increased risk of heart attack of this small group of the population.

I hope the article doesn’t give people an excuse not to exercise. “What if I’m one of the ten percent?” The best thing to do is to get a baseline from your doctor before starting an exercise program. And check in a few months later to compare. Exercise […]

Is Exercise Killing Me?Maggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:54-04:00