exercises – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Indoor Workouts

It’s winter. That can mean chilly weather, icy sidewalks, and messy precipitation. But that doesn’t have to derail your workout.

There are great moves you can do with items in your own home that will add some variety to your regular workout routine. Variety is essential for a healthy body. So if you are missing outdoor workout routines, know that staying in can help make you even stronger when you head back outside in spring.

Plus a little variety is fun.

Here are some tips for your at-home workout:

Use a full laundry detergent bottle as a kettle bell
Use cans or water bottles as weights
Lately, you can find all sorts of wall workouts online—some of them put your feet on the wall so make sure you pick a place in the house you are okay with that.
Chairs are very versatile. They can help modify a workout or make it harder
Stairs are great for climbing or working on general leg strength.

Here is a sample Chair and Stair workout.

So what fun workouts can you create? There is no limit. Get creative. Play with the items in your house and the structure of your house. Let us know what you come […]

Indoor WorkoutsMaggie Downie2024-01-26T12:04:37-05:00

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 HikingMaggie Downie2023-08-01T14:00:29-04:00

Family Fitness – Fun for the Whole Family!

This is a great time of year to start a family fitness routine because with kids heading back to school we all tend to get back into a schedule after summer vacation. If you are looking for a family fitness routine your whole family will enjoy consider keeping it simple, incorporating variety, and looking for fun ways to move.

Simple

Probably the most basic way to incorporate movement with the whole family is to plan a walk after dinner. You could do this three, five, or seven nights a week if you are feeling ambitious. It would help instill great habits.

In case you’re not sure you could convince your whole family to walk every day, here are some other ideas. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty more and you can come up with anything and try new things daily or weekly, depending on how often you want to move with your family.

Play a Game

You could always use the technology kids love and play a game. The Nintendo Switch has boxing, bowling, and dance games you can play that will keep you moving. Or go old school and pull out a game like twister.

Bike Ride

You can take a […]

Family Fitness – Fun for the Whole Family!Maggie Downie2021-09-14T23:03:26-04:00

Feel Sluggish, Hot, & Tired?

Movement can be fun, playful, & silly

Feeling sluggish, hot, & tired? Let’s blame it on the previous year we all survived living with and in COVID-19. And now, as we step out of the tunnel into the light, let’s find tools to help ourselves. Here are some tips from Maggie at Personal Euphoria:

Have you been feeling sluggish?

You aren’t alone. It’s guesstimated that we put on 2lbs a month (on average) this year. I know I put on 8 and my doctor told me that was less than half what she’d seen this year. It can feel disheartening and putting on weight that quickly can slow you down. But you can make a change at any time. You can say, “Enough is enough. I’m getting back on track.” And this time of year is the easiest and best time of year to do so.

Get outside. Take walks. Exercise doesn’t have to be grueling. If you feel like you’ve fallen behind where you were a year ago, give yourself time to get back to where you want to be. These changes didn’t happen overnight (though it may have felt that way a […]

Feel Sluggish, Hot, & Tired?Maggie Downie2021-06-07T16:24:09-04:00

Pelvic Floor…what is it good for

Notice the little arch in my low back. This doesn’t have to be a big move.

I often get asked about the pelvic floor muscles. It’s not an area that everyone is comfortable talking about, but it is quite important to our health and wellness.

We all—men and women—have pelvic floor muscles. I’ve found that not all men know they have pelvic floor muscles unless they wind up with a prostate issue and they learn about them. Men should be aware of these muscles because improper tone of the pelvic floor can be linked to low back pain while proper tone can help provide sustained erections. These muscles matter.

Most women are familiar with their pelvic floor. It is very common for women to urinate a little when they sneeze, cough, or do a jumping jack because the pelvic floor isn’t firing properly, especially after having children. Again, while this is a common occurrence, it is a sign that the pelvic floor muscles are not engaging properly. Also, when women experience pelvic prolapse (something men can experience too, but less often), parts that belong inside can find their way outside. The proper tone […]

Pelvic Floor…what is it good forMaggie Downie2020-02-07T18:12:57-05:00

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