Dance Blog
Oh, if only I had rhythm, I’d be the perfect psych patient. I take my meds religiously; I pay out the nose for therapy; I watch what I eat; I struggle perpetually to keep a regular sleep schedule; and I think a lot about getting more exercise, even though I don’t actually get it. Sadly, I’ve been a gym-goer for most of my adult life, and I definitely believe that the physical activity helped alleviate my symptoms of bipolar disorder, but my last major episode—several years ago now—crippled me so much that I nixed all workouts. I think I simply stopped enjoying exercise, and I haven’t been able to recapture the feeling that grinding away on an elliptical is fun. Go figure.
So here I am at work, sitting on my too-large-for-comfort fanny, browsing through stories we might use for the Clearinghouse’s monthly Key update e-mail newsletter, and I come across: ‘Latest Fitness Craze? Dancing,’ (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,182919,00.html). So I do a little more research and find that, yes, the headline seems to be true. And, no, this is not your mother’s ‘Sweatin’ to the Oldies,’ nor your Aunt’s Jazzercise class at the local synagogue. This is tango lessons in Billings, Montana, (http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2006/01/29/build/local/30-dance.inc); this is pole-dancing class—yes, of gentlemen’s clubs fame—in the Ahwatukee Foothills of Arizona, (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/mesa/articles/0125ar-poledanceZ11.html); and this is the state of West Virginia phasing in the video game “Dance Dance Revolution,” as part of its physical education program in all 753 of its public schools within three years (http://www.happynews.com/news/1252006/schools-get-game-to-fight-obesity.htm).
Unfortunately, I simply don’t have the courage to sign up for tango, pole-dancing, or eighth grade, so this kinder, friendlier, minimally painful and maybe even enjoyable form of exercise is beyond my reach. However, I suspect some of my peers who have mental illness—especially those whose meds have caused them to put on weight—might be happy to add a pinch of cha-cha to their lives. If that sounds appealing, I encourage you to check out your local fitness centers, YMCAs and night clubs and see if something piques your interest.
In the meantime, I’ll keep thinking about getting more exercise, and hoping all this typing has some effect on my heart rate. I can feel my rump shrinking already…
Posted by Daniele Sadres
So here I am at work, sitting on my too-large-for-comfort fanny, browsing through stories we might use for the Clearinghouse’s monthly Key update e-mail newsletter, and I come across: ‘Latest Fitness Craze? Dancing,’ (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,182919,00.html). So I do a little more research and find that, yes, the headline seems to be true. And, no, this is not your mother’s ‘Sweatin’ to the Oldies,’ nor your Aunt’s Jazzercise class at the local synagogue. This is tango lessons in Billings, Montana, (http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2006/01/29/build/local/30-dance.inc); this is pole-dancing class—yes, of gentlemen’s clubs fame—in the Ahwatukee Foothills of Arizona, (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/mesa/articles/0125ar-poledanceZ11.html); and this is the state of West Virginia phasing in the video game “Dance Dance Revolution,” as part of its physical education program in all 753 of its public schools within three years (http://www.happynews.com/news/1252006/schools-get-game-to-fight-obesity.htm).
Unfortunately, I simply don’t have the courage to sign up for tango, pole-dancing, or eighth grade, so this kinder, friendlier, minimally painful and maybe even enjoyable form of exercise is beyond my reach. However, I suspect some of my peers who have mental illness—especially those whose meds have caused them to put on weight—might be happy to add a pinch of cha-cha to their lives. If that sounds appealing, I encourage you to check out your local fitness centers, YMCAs and night clubs and see if something piques your interest.
In the meantime, I’ll keep thinking about getting more exercise, and hoping all this typing has some effect on my heart rate. I can feel my rump shrinking already…
Posted by Daniele Sadres
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