Mindful Eating February

We pick February for our Mindful Eating Challenge because it’s the shortest month of the year.  We are not ashamed to admit it.  Dry January.  Veganuary (being vegan for the month of January).  They got it all wrong with a month with 31 days when they could pick a month with 29.

Food challenges are hard.  At Personal Euphoria, we are all about fitness, not typically food.  But what we put in our bodies matters.  It impacts how we feel.  It is helpful to take a window of time and try to consider food.  Food fuels us and when we exercise how we refuel matters.  Sometimes, once I get started, I actually continue for more than 29 days.

Here’s the challenge if you choose to accept it:

You pick any food-related challenge you want—big or small.  I usually give up sugar.  I still eat fruit and a piece of toast if it has sugar.  But I cut out all desserts and snacks with processed sugar.  Sometimes I make an exception with honey.  I am a beekeeper, after all.

You don’t have to give up sugar.  Here are examples of ways others have participated before:

  • Give […]
Mindful Eating February2024-01-19T12:48:34-05:00

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

Fitness Trends 2022

As we start a new year, we are seeing two distinct splits in the fitness trends for the coming year. At first appearance they seem in opposition (and may be), but they might just help create a good balance between each other. One had been building since the pandemic, the other is a return to basics and simple movement.

Virtual Classes

Just like in 2020 and 2021, people still are turning to virtual classes. Virtual classes remain easy, convenient, time efficient, and an option when spikes of illness appear. From the privacy of our own home we can still get our workout in, but see others and get instruction in a virtual class.

Maggie's virtual Pilates

(Want to try one of our pre-recorded virtual classes? Click here.)

Wearable Tech

We continue to see people using wearable technology like Fitbits and Apple watches. These tools are used to track steps, mileage, heart rate and other health and wellness variables. People are posting their results on social media, which can sometimes help maintain accountability to reach our goals.

Fitness technology companies revealed at this year’s CES (a massive consumer technology trade-show that just […]

Fitness Trends 20222022-02-06T13:34:37-05:00

The No Pain, No Gain Fallacy

We’ve all heard the phrase, No Pain, No Gain in relation to exercises.  It’s a popular expression but it is not true.  Actually, it’s potentially harmful.

 

When we think No Pain, No Gain in terms of exercise we tend to think that either our workout should be grueling, or we should be sore the day or two afterward.  If we aren’t then we presume we haven’t done enough.  The problem is working out and pushing through pain increases our risk of injury.  Once we are injured our whole workout plan can be derailed.  Plus the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) we feel 24-48 hours after a workout isn’t practical or functional.  We are more likely to get injured then because we have to alter the way we naturally move to work around how sore we are.

 

While you can choose to only do an upper body workout every other day, you can’t not use half your body for a whole day.  We need our arms to pick up our children, reach for something off the top shelf, and open the refrigerator.  We need our legs to go upstairs, get in and out of […]

The No Pain, No Gain Fallacy2021-10-15T16:20:14-04:00
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