Body & Movement Maggie Downie Body & Movement Maggie Downie

Raise Your Hand if You Can’t Meditate!

There are lots of reasons that keep us from meditating—a busy schedule, feeling like our mind is too scattered to quiet (that's okay, by the way), finding it boring, or sometimes struggling to visualize images in our mind's eye in a world where so much meditation is based on visual cues.

If you're the latter, this post is for you.

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Body & Movement Maggie Downie Body & Movement Maggie Downie

Spinal Flexion

Is Spinal Flexion Safe if You Have Osteopenia or Osteoporosis?
If you've been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, you've probably heard that you should stop flexing your spine. Flexion means rounding forward. You may have also heard that you should avoid twisting.

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Body & Movement Maggie Downie Body & Movement Maggie Downie

Stick the Landing

Jumping and bounding are getting a lot of attention for their ability to help build bone density. But when you hear that bounding is good for your bones, you might assume you're supposed to land hard with a slamming or jarring sensation. That's not the case. In fact, you're aiming for the opposite.

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Body & Movement Maggie Downie Body & Movement Maggie Downie

Yes, 1-pound weights CAN build muscle!If you use them the right way.

We don’t require heavy weight to stimulate muscle growth—it just makes the process faster and more efficient. Light weights tend to produce the biggest gains in beginners, those recovering from injury, or when working smaller muscle groups. For example, doing leg presses with one pound would take a long time to build quad strength, but using one-pound weights for shoulder work can absolutely make a difference.

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Body & Movement Maggie Downie Body & Movement Maggie Downie

5 Simple Tools for Dealing with Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can be draining, and when you're dealing with it, it can feel like it will never end. The good news is that research continues to uncover simple tools that may help reduce chronic pain. Even better, many of these strategies cost nothing and carry very little risk. If you’re living with chronic pain, these techniques may be worth trying.

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