pilates

Pilates on Election Day

When you go and vote today use it as a time to fit in some extra Pilates. Try to keep your core muscles engaged the whole time you are voting. Think about your posture and stand tall as you walk your ballot to be deposited into the machine.

Pilates on Election DayMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:03:15-04:00

Pole Dancing

Last week some of the Personal Euphoria instructors got together to go Pole Dancing at Pole Control Studio in Hartford. It was a blast! We had so much fun and all agreed we’d try it again some day.

It’s exactly as you might expect. You learn the “sexy walk” (walking around the pole with a sensual sway); the fireman (climbing up the pole); the ballerina (spinning–oh, did I forget to mention the pole spins–sideways with one leg extended); and what I’ll refer to as knee hikes because I don’t remember what they were called, but you basically let your legs drop, then pull your bent knees toward your chest, drop them again, and pull them up on the other side of the pole. It’s a lot like an ab exercise I’ve done at the gym, except you’re on a spinning pole.

Pole DancingMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:05-04:00

Wednesday Challenge: Plank

Do plank every day this week. You get to decide how long to hold and what position is best for your body. Remember, if you feel pain in your back or shoulders, stop and take a break. To make it more fun grab a friend or relative and challenge each other to see who can last the longest. Make it a little plank Olympics.

Here is how to get into plank position:

On Knees

Lie down on your stomach, propped up on your forearms like you are reading a book at the beach. Bend your knees and lift your hips slightly off the floor. Hold for as long as you can.

On Toes (More Challenging)

Lie down on your stomach, propped up on your forearms like you are reading a book at the beach. With your legs straight curl your toes under and lift your hips off the floor. Hold as long as you can.

What is your longest time?

Wednesday Challenge: PlankMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:03:16-04:00

Wednesday Challenge

Challenge your body and your mind. Can you remember 35 different Pilates exercises? Test your memory by trying to do at least 5 different Pilates exercises every day this week. Can’t remember 35? Do the same five each day every day this week without skipping a day. Do you feel any better by adding that onto your schedule? It doesn’t take more than five minutes per day.

Let us know how many you came up with.

Wednesday ChallengeMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:06-04:00

Gyrokinesis

About a week ago the Personal Euphoria team got together to take a class. About four times a year we try to get together and take a different class or workshop together–something that isn’t Pilates.

We all love movement so we are open to trying new things, but what I like best about our little adventurous outings is that it always reminds me how someone completely new to Pilates feels in my class. Half the time I had not idea what I was doing. I was constantly questioning the movement and wondering if I was doing everything right. You always have to try and let go and know that you’re not going to do everything right your first time out. It takes practice. At some points during the class I’d hear one (or more) of us chuckle because we didn’t know what we doing. But that’s okay. That’s half the fun.

This time we took a Gyrokinesis class will Melanie Johnson, owner of Powerflow Studio in New Haven. None of us really knew what we were getting into. […]

GyrokinesisMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:56-04:00