Gym Class-Part 2

Everyone I know had dance instruction as part of their gym class. The public junior high school in my hometown requires dance for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. I believe they run through dances like the Fox Trot and Waltz. They probably cover other ballroom dances. I didn't go to public school until 9th grade, so I avoided that.

I did have square dancing in third grade. One year of learning how to dosado and promenade. I thought that was pretty silly until I learned that, because Illinois's offical state dance is the square dance, they have to learn how to perform it for years on end. It's either 4 or 5 years, I can't remember which. I can't imagine what great skill you'll gain in the 4th year that you didn't get in the 3rd year.

The only other dance I learned in high school was Tinikling. I do not know why a traditional Philippine dance was taught to high schoolers in Wausau, WI, but we spent two months on it. Instead of bamboo poles, we had PVC pipes. Instead of gorgeous outfits, we had a gym teacher with Parkinson's in coaches shorts. A quick Google search reveals that this dance is being taught to many students in states all over the US.

If you compare this to the other humiliations that gym class provided, they're not so bad. I just not sure if they really taught me anything about being physical in a way that would carry over to adulthood.

Dancing

Dancing is a great way to get fitness into your routine. It's something most of us have been doing since we were babies. It's only as we get older that we tend to dance less often.



It brings us joy to dance with abandon. Singing is another activity that all children do with no self-consciousness or shame. It is only as we get older that we allow the opinions and potential opinions of others interfere with these joyful actions.



Stop letting fear and others stop you from doing what you want. Dance and sing to your heart's content. Laugh loudly and freely. It's good for you physically and emotionally.

Day 4B--Dancing fools

Spending an hour in the dark dancing without alcohol or talking may seem weird, but it's liberating. You can feel the music and focus on it. You can move however you feel. It's a great way to get in touch with your body. It gives me the same feeling as running, but more creative. If you're in a city that has a DDPP, I highly recommend that you check it out. If not, put on your favorite cd or mix, turn the lights low and just dance until you're too tired to dance anymore. It's more vigorous than walking a 15-minute mile, and it's more fun, too. I didn't just dance for an hour, I also did the EA Active workout, too. I've kept up with all my activity the last two weeks and am starting to notice the difference. I haven't lost any weight, but I can run up the stairs to the train or work much more quickly & easily.

Day 2B--Wii to the rescue

In my quest to get back on track and into shape, I've turned back to the Wii. I'm about 1/3 of the way into the Six week challenge of EA Active More Workouts. I'm also dancing more. I've been going to Dance Dance Party Party in Chicago. It's a great cardio workout, and just plain fun. One full hour of dancing with no judgment. That's really, really hard to beat. At home, we've been doing some of the dancing games on Wii. Just Dance 2 has dance, cardio and simon says dance. The play list is pretty good to begin, plus you can buy additional songs for $3.00 each. Dance on Broadway has fewer songs, but they're Broadway tunes.

These workouts have put the running bug back. I am really looking forward to warmer weather and less snow cover so I can get back out there. It's really easy to be a sloth, but it feels so good to be physically active. I keep forgetting that, but really need to hammer it home.