Ulster Publishing’s
Healthy Hudson Valley Magazine Magazi 2019-20 201
Dance your way to health Local practitioner offers 17 useful tips to enhance your movement experience By Sparrow
B
DION OGUST
elieve it or not, science has studied the health benefits of dancing. Dancing improves balance and coordination, muscle strength, flexibility – and increases metabolism. The most immediate improvement, I find, is to the back. Properly executed, gentle undulation relieves lower back distress. Once you continuously move for 20 minutes, you receive the blessings of aerobic exercise, including cardiovascular enhancement and even better memory. And don’t forget mental health. It’s hard to be despondent while you’re dancing. A “dance doctor” examines the patient and prescribes particular movements to improve bodily functioning. Visit a dance doctor today! And here are some further tips:
1.
Begin with video. Ask a friend to videotape your walk. Study the way your body habitually negotiates a sidewalk or country lane. Consider how to develop these motions into a dance.
2.
Dance a simple dance. I once heard an interview with jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who said: “It took me a long time to learn, while composing, that no idea can be too simple.” Follow this principle in your dancing. Don’t be afraid to sway back and forth repetitively, or to slide one foot along the floor. Sometimes the most basic dances the most salutary, and lovely. Continued on page 15
Artist and dancer Eileen.