Maggie Downie, Author at Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

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.

Hartford Marathon Inspiration

Finishing the Hartford Marathon

Thirteen years ago I ran the Hartford Marathon without training. It was a terrible idea and I wasn’t in the shape required to run 26.2 miles. The strangers on the sidelines inspired me to keep going. They had come to see a friend or family member running, but they’d cheer me on by mentioning something specific about me as I ran by them.

You Are An Inspiration

I often remember the crowds that day who came out in the pouring rain and made such a difference in my ability to reach a goal. Do you realize how often you motivate people? Sometimes we take for granted or don’t always recognize the ways in which we inspire others. But we inspire people all the time in ways they remember that aren’t a blip on our radar.

From mile 14 on, I pretty much considered quitting every five minutes. Then a stranger would say something that boosted my spirits. None of them remember me. They saw thousands of runners sprint passed. They stood in the rain for hours to support a bunch of crazy runners and it was their words of encouragement […]

Hartford Marathon InspirationMaggie Downie2019-10-01T16:20:24-04:00

Excuse Not to Meditate

Though I deem them somewhat vain, I’ve been fascinated by personality tests since taking an online Myer’s Briggs test earlier this year. Then over the weekend I explored the Enneagram personality test. I spent hours of my weekend reading about and listening to podcasts trying to describe who I am and what motivates me. Was I actually learning something or just navel gazing? I do think I came up with an excuse not to meditate. Turns out meditation doesn’t suit my personality.

Nothing I learned came as a surprise. In the Enneagram world I’m a One: the Perfectionist (or more endearingly the Reformer). What does that mean? Apparently, I have pretty strong ethics and want to make the world a better place. In my attempt to achieve these goals I keep myself busy, am OCD (or maybe we can call this organized), can be very critical, set high ideals for myself and others, and I may never learn to meditate—the very gift that might most help me improve the world.

The Perfectionist

As a “Perfectionist” I create lists like they are going out of style. Each night I sit down and write a to-do list that is impossible to achieve in a day. […]

Excuse Not to MeditateMaggie Downie2019-08-14T15:04:00-04:00

Meditation: Nothing Required

I got myself geared up to meditate. To prepare, or maybe it would be fair to say to postpone even the prospect of meditation, I considered what I truly required in order to meditate to my full potential. Though all that is essential for mindful introspection is a living body and mind, I decided I needed an entire room devoted to mindful contemplation.

A Meditation Room

Instead of sitting in the chaos of my life and contemplating, breathing, or trying to quiet my mind, I added another item to my to-do list: create a meditation room.

For Christmas I asked for all the items one would need to meditate properly: mandala wall hangings, purple hanging lights made in China, a diffuser with essential oils, and small knick-knacks like a figure of someone sitting cross-legged. With all my items gathered, I took to transforming a small room in the attic into the ideal meditation haven.

Proper Preparation

I entered with vacuum, lemon oil, rags, and paint brushes to wipe the walls of cobwebs and vacuum years of dust and debris. With minimal curses, I dragged out the abandoned futon frame hiding in the room for years. Once […]

Meditation: Nothing RequiredMaggie Downie2019-08-12T12:28:13-04:00

Butt Workouts

For optimal posture, we need a strong glute muscle!

Your gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body. A strong, healthy butt muscle is also important for upright posture, reducing lower back pain, and overall healthy movement. When we sit all day the glute max gets stretched out and often weakened. We need to incorporate butt workouts into our regular movement routine.

Here are some tips for working your butt workouts:

To Work the Glutes You Need the Abs!

Very often when we try to work that largest muscle in our backside, we end up really moving from the back and straining over time. When you start doing a butt workout, you want to make sure your abs are engaged to keep the back safe.

Notice What You Feel

When you start to do any traditional butt exercises, check in with your body. Do you feel the glutes doing the work? Do you feel the back doing the work? Are you unsure? What can you change to the movement in order to feel the glutes? Hint: try engaging your abs.

Small Movements

When your leg and torso are in a straight line, your glutes are already working. […]

Butt WorkoutsMaggie Downie2019-07-17T12:25:11-04:00

Pain in the Buttocks

Sciatica can be a pain in the buttocks —literally and figuratively. The sciatic nerve runs out multiple vertebra in the lower back and down both sides of your legs passing through the glutes (butt muscles). The compression and inflammation of the nerve at the spine can cause the pain in the glute and down the entire leg. In addition sometimes one of the muscles in your butt called the pyriformis can be adding to the pain. If you do the four stretch and you feel relief, you might have pyriformis syndrome.

How to do the Four Stretch:

Note: You can do both sides, but the side with the pain should get relief when crossed over.

Sit down on a firm chair.

Cross the leg with pain over the leg without so that the ankle rests just above the opposite knee

Sit up Tall.

Stay for 3-5 deep breaths.

Relax and Repeat Up to 5 times.

OPTIONAL: Hinge (do not round) forward slightly for […]

Pain in the ButtocksMaggie Downie2019-07-17T12:26:58-04:00

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