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How a Dance Journey helps you to "stay young"

4/14/2016

You may have seen the recent BBC TV programme "How to stay young" with Angela Rippon and Dr Chris van Tuleken where they discussed various scientific studies that have been undertaken to establish how best to keep our bodies functioning well into older age.

A fascinating study recently carried out on two groups of older adults proved that a 6-month recreational dancing programme was significantly more effective than a gym-based exercise programme of similar duration in boosting muscle strength, partly because dancing requires a greater range of movement and challenges balance and agility. Not only that, but researchers found that there was a greater number of connections between muscles and nerves in the dancers, the significance of which is still being explored but indicates a stronger body-mind connection as a result of dancing compared to exercising on static machinery.

What I would anecdotally add to this wonderfully positive research into the benefits of dance on our bodies is a sense of wellbeing brought about when dancing with others because it is a social activity and, in particular, dancing expressively (ie without having to learn specific steps but exploring one's own response in movement to the music played) engages a different part of the mind that connects with the body and can stimulate new neural pathways in the brain which enable us to become more creative in our everyday life and enhance our ability to problem-solve in situations that arise.

This is where Dance Journey plays a unique role. At every session of Dance Journey we play a carefully selected range of music that is designed to inspire you to increase your movement range and experiment with different tempos and rhythms. Along with subtle facilitation that encourages you to explore new ways of moving and expressing yourself without words, you can also find yourself releasing chronic stiffness and tension without even realising it. By the end of a Dance Journey, participants regularly feed back how much more relaxed, yet alert and clear-thinking they feel. Sometimes individuals report having had sudden insights into a situation or personal sticking point whilst dancing in this expressive way. And we are also given the opportunity (always invited, never obligated) to dance with others, encouraging each other to move and enjoy communicating non-verbally and without judgement. So many people have arrived at a Dance Journey for the first time feeling nervous and inhibited about dancing "in front of other people" only to find themselves dancing with complete freedom and enjoyment within minutes of the music starting.

Here are just a few comments made by participants at recent Dance Journeys: "It's been the best night on a dancefloor I can ever remember!" "That was a brilliant night, thank you!" "Wow- amazing, wild and fabulous!" " I had to fight a few demons to get (through the door) but I really, really enjoyed myself!".

We run Dance Journey on the third Friday of each month in Cheltenham - the next one is on Friday 20 May. Join us from 7.30pm for 2 hours of dance bliss and brain (and body) rejuvenation! Our Dance Journey Fridays page has more details.

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How a 'Roo can help You!

1/28/2015

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Surprising as it may seem, visualising a heavy, kangaroo-style tail attached to your tailbone when walking will help you maintain optimum balance and improve your gait. You may notice that your hips swing a little more to accommodate the imagined tail, your tailbone will be pulled down towards the floor and the extra "limb" will add more stability to your movement (the tripod being more stable than the biped!)

This exercise is especially helpful for those of us who tend to walk with body weight leaning forwards (particularly leading with the head) and into the balls of the feet. This often happens when we're in a hurry to get somewhere, so...take a deep breath, relax the shoulders, bring your head and neck back so that your ears are in line with your shoulders and add that tail to your walk.

Try it and comment below on whether/how this one change makes a difference to your posture, balance and ease of movement. For more advice, contact me directly - I'll be happy to help :-)

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How "old" are you?

7/20/2014

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"Next week, the Marathon!"

An easy question to answer, you might think? When it comes to our overall ability to function well physically and feel healthy, however, chronological age doesn't really come into it any more.

Members of my 50+ exercise classes span a range from 50 to 100yrs old and I find that many of the older attendees are fitter and more functionally capable than those much younger.

This could be down to the fact that the older generations have generally led more active lives than the rest of us (no computers, less driving, more physical housework), they've lived through food rationing years (when the possibility of over-indulging wasn't possible) and have arguably suffered less from the effects of a junk-food diet full of "processed" foods, high levels of fat and sugar (or artificial low-calorie sweeteners) and preservatives, not to mention the effects of increasing pressure to live life at a faster pace these days.

There's been an explosion in recent years of what are referred to as "lifestyle diseases" (Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases including heart attacks and strokes for example) in people in their 30s and 40s. So, rather like the pension savings plan that we keep putting off until we realise that the consequences of ignoring it have become scarily expensive, maybe we need to consider undertaking a Functional Fitness MOT before the high cost consequences of our neglect creep up on us!

If you would like your own personal "MOT", do get in touch and we can arrange a 1-1 session in your own home, where we will assess your level of fitness, mobility and functionality, discuss your personal health goals and devise a programme of exercises to follow with regular check-ups to see how you're doing. You will also receive a free resistance band and sheet of personalised exercises to act as an aide memoire between sessions. Contact me now if you have any questions or would like to explore how this might work for you.

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Want more energy?

6/16/2014

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Ever feel like this zebra?

Want to feel better?

If you're feeling tired and lacking in energy and you haven't been doing anything physically taxing, it's time to ask yourself whether the answer isn't to crawl into bed and pull the covers over, but to GET UP and DO SOMETHING!

The fastest way I know to gain energy is to play my favourite dance track and bop around the room for 5 minutes. It automatically switches off my brain and, by engaging my muscles instead, helps to eliminate toxins in the body that can make me feel sluggish and releases endorphins (those feel-good hormones) to help me feel happier. A bonus is that it also helps me to think more clearly when I have to switch the brain on again. Exercise doesn't have to take long - any movement is better than none!

Having said that, simply moving around more in our daily lives will also help our overall health a lot. For women especially, being on our feet for at least 4 hours a day will help stave off the possibility of developing osteoporosis after the menopause. Extending our normal range of movement is even better, which is why dancing can be so good for us. If you think you "can't dance", try a Dance Journey class - you might just surprise yourself!

So if you're feeling more like a zonked zebra than a bouncing Tigger, treat yourself to a 5-minute "exercise break" - walk around the office (or go and see your colleague in person rather than email them!), pop out to the corner shop on an errand, try balancing on tiptoes while waiting for the kettle to boil for your next cuppa, or have a mad dance around the living room - with or without music! Have fun :-)

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Are you in the Goldilocks zone?

5/23/2014

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We all know the Goldilocks fairytale, wherein she tries out the bears' porridge to find one too salty, another too sweet and the third "just right" - and how, finding the beds similarly too hard, too soft and the third "just right", climbs in and enjoys the perfect sleep.

So how does this relate to exercise? Well, too much in one go can leave us feeling stiff and achey for days afterwards. Too little and...guess what? We can feel stiff and achey for not having moved enough!

Little and often is the key to quicker progress when we want to get fitter, become more flexible, build strength & improve our co-ordination and balance. Thirty minutes 3-4 times a week is much more effective than a 2-hour marathon once a week. As regards effort levels, making sure you're still able to talk (rather than gasp!) whilst exercising is a useful yardstick to go by.

When we find a new activity that we enjoy, we can go a bit mad initially and end up overdoing it (ever tried a strict new diet in January only to fall off the wagon spectacularly a week or two later?!). This can be counter-productive to our desire to improve and even put us off the activity when we don't progress as quickly as we'd like.

So, do you stay within your "Goldilocks zone"? Does it serve you the perfect portion of exercise to help you sleep soundly (rather than groaning in pain as you turn over in bed!)? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear your view :-)

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Feet first!

3/11/2014

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I'm frequently told by class members how helpful they find the foot exercises for reducing fluid on the ankles, which can cause them much pain and discomfort (not to mention that stiffness in the ankle joints impacts on their ability to balance). For this and other reasons, we focus a lot on foot exercises.

Those with low blood pressure (sometimes caused by medications) can prevent feeling dizzy or light-headed on standing by taking the simple precaution of rocking the feet on the floor a few times before getting up - this stimulates the blood flow and increases the volume of oxygen to the brain.

Ankle rotations and foot flexions (good toes/naughty toes!) are also useful and easy seated exercises to do on long-haul flights to prevent deep vein thrombosis (blood clots brought about by poor circulation).

At home, these exercises can also be done whilst watching TV (during the ads, when you've got a couple of boring minutes to fill!) as an easy way to stimulate the circulation and ease ankle joint stiffness. To make it more interesting (and stimulate the brain at the same time!) try spelling your name backwards/upside down with each foot in turn, making sure to keep your knee still and make your ankle movements slow and smooth. Your feet will thank you for it :-)

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The fastest, cheapest way to feel fabulous?

11/13/2013

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Sit Fit group enjoying a cuppa after class

St Aidan's Sit Fit group enjoy a cuppa and chat!

We all love a BOGOF (buy-one-get-one-free) deal - and regular exercise offers us even more than a BOGOF! Not only does it help us to feel fitter (which improves how we feel about ourselves - and how we look in that new outfit!), it also boosts our endorphins, the hormones that help us to feel happy... AND it contributes to maintaining our health generally.

Exercise helps to stabilise blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure and improve mental alertness (which staves off and mitigates the effects of diabetes, heart conditions and dementia, some of the most common yet debilitating health issues). It's also cheaper than going out to dinner, buying an outfit or having a beauty treatment (all of which can contribute to feeling fabulous but without the health benefits!).

The good news doesn't even stop here - if we exercise with a friendly group of people, we also enjoy the moral support and camaraderie to be had from getting to know each other. It's a well-known and scientifically corroborated fact that having friends with whom we interact face-to-face on a regular basis (and not just remotely via email, telephone or social media) inherently helps us feel better, gives a sense of belonging to, and keeps us at the heart of, our local community.

As we get older, however, we may find ourselves living alone with family members living far away and we may not always have the financial means or confidence to get out and socialise as much as we used to. This is why Zest for Life exercise classes purposely incorporate activities designed to foster fun and friendship and are followed by an opportunity to chat over a cup of tea or coffee and help turn newly acquainted attendees into firm friends. Would you like to feel fabulous without spending a fortune? Get in touch and find out more about a class near you!

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What's mindful movement and how can it help you?

9/18/2013

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It's so good to be moving mindfully again after the summer break! Some feedback from participants in the first of 4 monthly sessions that are taking place at the Isbourne Centre, Cheltenham have included comments such as
"I feel much better now"
"I feel so relaxed"
"I'm much more aware of my body and less caught up with thinking, I feel more balanced". In essence, mindful movement is simply paying attention to the moving body and to the senses so that you become more aware of what's going on inside you and around you.
In so doing, it helps the busy mind to relax while giving it something simple on which to focus. The benefits are many and varied, including feeling refreshed, clearer thinking, more relaxed in the body and more peaceful.

Maybe you would like to feel like this too, but caught up (as we often are) in the busyness of everyday life, possibly working at a computer all day for example, you think it may be difficult to achieve - especially if you can't move around?

So, especially if you are currently tied to the office, and working with technology in particular, here's a minimalist movement exercise to help you relax the mind and feel more refreshed by becoming more aware of your senses and surroundings - and it will only take a couple of minutes!

Look away from your PC/laptop/iPhone now and, without hurrying, see if you can identify at least 4 circular objects, then 4 blue objects, 4 square objects and 4 red objects. Then simply gaze softly around and notice how many shades of white you can see. Drop your shoulders whilst doing this and maintain an awareness of any inner body sensations. Place your hands on a small object in front of you and really touch, feel and see this object. Notice its size, its weight, shape and texture. Put this object down and refocus your attention onto a more distant object such as a picture on the wall and allow its shape, colour and size to fascinate you for a few moments. Finally, bring yourself back to an everyday awareness of the room you are in and where you are in the room, the support of your chair and feel your feet on the floor.

How did you do? My guess is that the more you allow your senses to "wake up", the more you begin to notice and the less preoccupied your mind becomes.

PS It's also a useful demonstration of the old adage that what you focus on expands in your awareness, so make sure your focus, as much as possible, is on positive things

PPS If you'd like to know more about my mindful movement sessions, visit the
mindful movement classes page now. Next session at the Isbourne Centre will take place on Thursday 10 October, 2-3.30pm. Cost £9. Please book in advance, either by phone (01242 254321) or online at www.isbourne.org

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Here's your starter for 10...

11/26/2012

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I switched the TV on today to find that the quiz University Challenge was in full swing. I can hardly believe its still going after all these years although Bamber Gasgoigne, the original host, has long since retired his practised sneer at the hapless students, lined up like skittles to be mown down with a sarcastic comment or harried impatiently for an answer. It was easy for him, of course, he had all the answers on a card, unlike the academic hopefuls in front of him.

It feels great when we have all the answers and actually, we know more than we think we do. Often, we just don't stop long enough to recognise it, especially when we're so busy doing one thing after another that we've forgotten to step back, re-evaluate priorities and ensure we're looking after ourselves from time to time, even though we know how important it is.

Which brings me to an interesting chat I had with a friend recently about the value of doing a "life audit" every now and again to check whether what you're doing is giving you what you want from life, or is at least taking you in the right direction rather than making you run around in ever-decreasing circles to keep everything going. And in this exam, you have all the answers to hand, which is a fantastic starter for 10!

So here we go, life students, fingers on buzzers....

What does good health mean to you; in other words, what does it look, sound and feel like? What could you be doing if you were in the best of health?

If you were to rate your health today on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best ever and 1 being "scrape me off the floor, I can't go on"), where are you right now? Draw this scale on a large sheet of paper and mark where you are so you can take it in visually. Mark where you want to be too. That's your aim.

What 1 small, achievable thing could you change right now that would help to nudge you up the scale towards where you want to be? For example, it could be as simple as giving yourself a 10-minute feet-up break in the afternoon, knowing that you'll have much more energy for the rest of the day if you were to do this every day. Result!

Knowing it will make you feel better, what stops you from taking action and what do you need to do, by when, to help you move past this hump in the road? In our example above, it might mean changing your routine to ensure you're in the vicinity of a sofa at a particular time, putting your phone on silent and closing your eyes to any visible tasks awaiting your attention. Write the action down under your chart, highlight it however creatively and attention-grabbingly you can - and put your "chartwork" where you can see it (the fridge door is a good place, I've never yet gone a day without opening it at least once!).

How will you know that your health is improved from taking this action? (Taking our example above, it might be that you realise your legs no longer ache all evening from being on your feet all day long). See, hear and feel how good you'll be feeling when you've done it so that your subconscious is motivated towards helping you achieve it. Generally speaking, anticipating pleasure as opposed to fearing unpleasant outcomes is a more effective - and enjoyable - motivator.

Take your action and repeat daily for a month (the amount of time it takes the brain to instil a new habit properly). Record your progress towards better health on your "chartwork". Give yourself a pat on the back for doing so well!

Once you've taken one small change in the direction you want to go and you can see and feel the results, it can spur you on to find other ways to feel better. This will ensure that your energy is expended in the most effective and enjoyable ways (or E = E2 as Einstein might have said, whereby you find more energy than you ever thought you had). You may not win any trophies for "getting it right" in this quiz but you most definitely will enjoy more Zest for Life!

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Have YOU had your 4-a-day today?

11/8/2012

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You're already likely to be well aware about the health benefits of eating 5 fruit and veg each day - but I'm referring, rather, to the number of hours you spend on your feet every day.

Did you know that to maintain your bone density at its current level, you need to be supporting your own body weight for 4 hours a day?

Any less than this and your bones start to lose their strength, which ultimately can lead to painful fractures when we slip and trip.

Our lifestyles today tend to be pretty sedentary compared to even 20 years ago - just think how much time you spend sitting in the car/bus/train, on the sofa, in the office or at a computer. It soon adds up, doesn't it? Add in your 8 hours of horizontal "work" (i.e. sleeping!) and, well, it seems there's hardly time to stand up at all!

You might not want to go as far as the Japanese, who purportedly run stand-up business meetings to reduce time-wasting chit-chat and improve productivity by making people literally "think on their feet", but if you can adopt a general attitude of "if I can stand rather than sit, or walk rather than stand" you'll do a lot not only for your bones, but for your circulation too (always a bonus as its gets colder) and you'll be boosting your immune system by activating and strengthening your muscles. As an added bonus, you'll also be helping to keep yourself trim!

If you need a little motivation to become more active and would appreciate a few more useful pointers, do give me a call - and bring a little Zest into your life!

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