About Maggie Downie

Thank you for giving your time to stop and read my blog. I hope it encourages you to keep moving. Move and the body will be happier. And when you're moving you can hike, run, swim in Jell-O, race over non-Newtonian fluids, travel the world or build igloos--if that's your thing. If not, you can watch me do it. This is just a spot to try and feel good about life.

Trip to Disney Star Wars

I don’t like Star Wars (un-American, I know).  But I love someone who loves Star Wars.  So I found myself on the Disney Star Wars Galactic Space Cruiser.  My presumption was that we’d have an interesting, albeit cheesy experience.

Having taken this ride with Disney, I can say they did something impressive, and I also understand why it’s failing.

From the moment we boarded the “shuttle” to our space cruise, it was fully immersive.  The set was all consuming and the entire crew played along.  Audience member costuming was mixed, but most came in costume and many had elaborate backstories they had prepared—some even with props.

I didn’t fully know what I was getting into until I was there. It’s a new style of tourism, and Disney’s advertising didn’t make it seem appealing. But, what they designed is a ton of fun and clearly took a lot of work.  In addition to games and puzzles on your phone and throughout the elaborate, large spaceship, there is a cast that basically puts on an 8-hour play each day.  They move the story along.  They have lines they need to get through, but when they aren’t […]

Trip to Disney Star Wars2023-08-22T11:32:03-04:00

Tips for Healthy Hiking

Tips for Healthy Hiking

Hiking is one of my favorite pastimes.  And it feels so much better when your body is ready to trek up a mountain.  So how do you train for a hike? Here are some tips:

 

Pack Your Weight

Wear your pack when you train and put some weight in it.  If you know how much weight you’ll be carrying on hike day, build up to that quantity.  Getting a pack filled with weight can take time and extra effort.  If that’s getting in your way of prepping, start moving without the pack.

Trekking Poles

Trekking poles are a lifesaver.  If you want to hike into your 70’s and 80’s you want to get trekking poles today.  Not only do they save your knees, but they turn the hike into a more full-body workout.  On a typical hike, the arms aren’t that involved.  Add trekking poles and now your arms and shoulders get a workout too.

Cardio

Any hike will feel better if you are ready for the cardio it will require.  You can build up by hiking, biking, running, or picking up the pace when you go for a walk.

Core

It’s easy to forge

Tips for Healthy Hiking2023-08-01T14:00:29-04:00

Most Beautiful Place on Earth

“Namibia,” the flight attendant said when I asked her where the most beautiful place she’d ever been was.  It took us years to get there after her suggestion, but we finally made it last month.  There is a lot of pressure on a country when someone tells you it’s the most beautiful place they’ve ever been. I kept trying to remind myself to curb my expectations.  How else would Namibia have a fighting chance?

Matt and I spent hours of our trip (there were many lengthy car rides) discussing what makes a place beautiful and how we rank or rate beauty.  Architecture can be beautiful.  A landscape can be stunning.  A sunrise or rainbow with no specific place can catch your eye.  Does a beach or a mountain provide more beauty? I love the mountains.  Others prefer the beach.  How does your mood in any given moment impact how you perceive a place?  Can a spectacular place override any mood?

Namibia is striking.  I found myself gobsmacked more than once and audibly and unintentionally would utter, “wow” in the awe of the landscape before me.  One sunset we rode ATVs across the desert […]

Most Beautiful Place on Earth2023-07-18T17:20:44-04:00

Where is My Body in Space? Aerial Circus Class

Taking an aerial class has been on my bucket list for a while. This involves two silks hanging from a tall ceiling that you use like Cirque du Soleil would (please don’t think for a second I think I’m ready to join Cirque du Soleil). They refer to it as ‘circus.’

Most of the Personal Euphoria team wasn’t available to attend, but Jeannine and I thought we’d go anyway.  After a dynamic warm-up, they got us in the silks.  Honestly, I was surprised at how much we could both do.  I was a little worried this might wind up like the pole dancing class we once took as a team.  None of us could even begin to do the moves.  But here, Jeannine and I could actually (with assistance) get into the positions they prepared for us.  A big part of that was that they selected moves that were manageable but still made us feel like we were doing something cool—flipping upside down, arching into a backbend like a crescent moon hovered in the air.

I’ve never been able to climb a rope—not in […]

Where is My Body in Space? Aerial Circus Class2023-06-29T23:32:12-04:00

Keep Kids Moving This Summer!

Your kids are home from school.  You’ve played all the board games you can.  And, maybe it’s even a rainy week.  What can you do to burn off a little of that excess energy building up in both you and the kids?  KEEP MOVING, of course.

You probably have items in your home that can help create a playful, imaginative workout.  Here are some ways to help kids stay active with household items:

 

Painters Tape

Put a strip on the floor—young enough kids can use it as a balance beam.  They won’t be balancing, but they can try to walk along it and stay on the line.  You can make it straight or zig zag it.

If you have a hallway, use painters tape to turn the floor into a hopscotch.  Swap a bean bag for the rock you’d use outside and now your child can hop their way down the hall.

Or, in the hallway, put tape at different intervals and different angles to create a “Mission Impossible Laser” hallway.  Your child has to try to get from one end to the other without touching the tape.  This one is easy to make easier […]

Keep Kids Moving This Summer!2023-06-21T17:05:02-04:00
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