My wife, Carolyn, and I have a small room dedicated to spiritual practices, especially mediation. On one wall hangs a sign: "I hope you dance!"
"Dance" in this context is used as metaphor for approaching life's many challenges and opportunities. Move freely, be playful, find your rhythm and go with the flow while having some fun. Some of the greatest contributions of dance are health and fitness. Yep, turns out that those who dance regularly have better balance, neuromuscular coordination, endurance and flexibility. These are qualities absolutely essential to everyone, but particularly for those approaching their fifth decade of life and beyond.
Too many people in mid- and later life throw in the towel, resigning themselves to a swivel chair at a desk and a seat at the dinner table. The longest walk they take is to the bathroom and, as their leg strength atrophies from disuse, can the bed pan be that far off? True, some find routine exercise boring, confusing and just no fun. And far too many just didn't learn the joy of exercise in school because their Board of Education and PTA didn't insist on quality P.E.
Last month, the founder of Aerobic Dance, Jacki Sorensen, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the President's Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition at a prestigious ceremony here in Washington, D.C. I have known and worked with Jacki and her dance leaders for decades and was honored to submit her nomination. Hundreds of her dance instructors and students of all ages attended the presentation. I mean all ages. You'll never find a more fit and fun group of ladies than Jacki's students.
After the award ceremony, you know what they did to celebrate in Jacki's honor? They danced! Yep, about two hundred gathered at a community recreation facility and danced for joy!
But, wait a minute. What if you're old (I mean really old)? Is it too late to dance? Not at all. With the right supervision and support, all you need is a walker or a couple of sturdy chairs. Heck, if that's too much, just sit in a straight-back chair and move your feet and arms. I'm going to do a video on "chair dancing" to share on this site soon. So stay tuned.
Meanwhile, click on the video below to watch Mathilda Kline, who is 94 and going strong. Enjoy.
I HOPE YOU DANCE!
Da Coach