tips – Page 22 – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Laugh It Up

Laughing works the core and makes you feel good. That’s just two good reasons to laugh today. Plus it’s Friday. That should put a smile on your face.

Get together with some friends or your family and do something that will make you laugh–go see a movie (comedy, ideally), hit up one of Connecticut’s comedy clubs or, keep it cheap and get together to play charades or another board game.

Balderdash is a fun game for a good laugh. You get to make up the definition of strange sounding words.

Think of an activity that made you laugh until your stomach hurt and try to get others to join you. Have funny laughing your heart out.

Laugh It UpMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:07:02-04:00

Seasonal Affective Disorder

We’ve seen a lot of grey days this November and it’s only the beginning of the winter season. While November started out warm, it’s been getting colder. If you’re starting to feel down from all the darkness or still haven’t adjusted to the fact that it’s dark by 5pm, you’re not alone.

You could be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). People experience SAD to varying degrees during the winter months. SAD can make you feel tired and crave sweets. If you know you tend to get stuck in a rut during the winter months, make a pact with yourself early this season.

When the going gets tough and you don’t feel like making it to a fitness class, force yourself to get up and get moving. You know the difference between when you really need a break and when you just don’t feel like it. Believe it or not, forcing yourself when you don’t really want to is a good habit–at least when it comes to exercise. Once you’re there you are likely to have a good time. Plus, you’ll feel better afterward. When you […]

Seasonal Affective DisorderMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:07:02-04:00

Invest in Your Health

With all the chaos going on in the economy right now, there is something you can invest in that you can’t lose: your health. When you workout and become healthy no one can take that away from you. It is like investing in an education (although, ultimately, probably much cheaper). The knowledge you gain won’t be lost when the market crashes.

I have to admit, it wasn’t my idea. Susan, one of Personal Euphoria’s instructors, thought of the concept of investing in your health. But it’s a really great concept and one of the best ways that I can think of to invest your time, money, and energy. It’s on the top of my list of priorities anyway.

Invest in Your HealthMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:07:04-04:00

New Ball Pilates

I’ve been getting lots of questions about the new ball Pilates class we are starting in Newington this week. I hope this blog will answer some of the questions:

1) Even if you’ve never done the ball, the intermediate level stays intermediate and the beginner level stays beginner, so you don’t need to start at beginner because you haven’t done it yet.

2) On the first day of class I will tell you if you have the right size ball for your body, so save your receipt in case you need to exchange the ball. There are height measurements on the ball, but they aren’t always accurate. When it is fully inflated you want to sit comfortably on it, with a 90 degree angle at your hips and knees. You do not want your hips sinking lower than your knees, but a little higher is okay.

3) You can purchase a ball almost anywhere: Walmart, Target, Marshalls (usually), TJ Max (usually), and sometimes even at a major bookstore.

4) The ball can be used like any prop. It has the potential to make some exercises harder and make others easier. […]

New Ball PilatesMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:47-04:00