When I watch the Olympics I am always amazed at how fit the competitors have to be just to get there, whether they win a medal or not. I don’t excel at any of those sports. But I do have my own favorite way to keep moving that has a lot in common with what they do. And if I was awarding the medals, I’d give myself a gold!
My favorite Winter Olympic event is figure skating. I love the artistry and the way the skaters express so much emotion in connection with their music. It’s a joy to watch the beauty and the technical skill.
I also love the danger and excitement of downhill slalom skiing. It boggles my mind to think about how the human body can do such amazing things with such precision. It’s an astonishing combination of conscious decisions and automatic, instantaneous responses from the brain to let them stay upright and on course as they fly down the slope.
That same amazing combination of strategy and instant control by my brain are what let me do one of my favorite activities – dance! If you had a sneak peak at my bedroom most mornings and evenings, you’d probably find me wearing comfortable workout clothes and high heels dancing to my favorite song of the week.
I’m not talking about the kind of random hip sway you see on so many dance floors. I’m talking about the latest dance steps that I teach myself as part of a full dance routine. Every week, I choose a new song from the 9000 plus songs on my iPod. Then I spend the first couple of days working up my moves to create a dance routine and spend the rest of the week perfecting it.
Most of the time, no one else ever sees my routines. But that doesn’t matter. This isn’t about performing in front of an audience. It’s about moving. It’s about rhythm and emotion and expressing how I feel in connection with that piece of music. It’s the exact same thing the ice skaters do. I’m just doing it in heels instead of on the ice!
For me, there is no better way to start the day. I always start with stretching and a slow warm-up just to get loosened up. Then I spend 30 to 45 minutes working on my song. It gets my heart rate up, boosts my endorphins which are “feel good” chemicals from the brain and lowers my stress levels. It also tones a lot of muscles all at one time including my legs, arms and butt. Who would complain about that!
Best of all, dancing brings me joy. I just feel good when I do it! And that is really the point.
I don’t like to use the “E” word, so I don’t talk about “exercise”. Dancing is movement and that’s what I think we all need. If you can find a way to keep moving that you enjoy, you’ll be excited to do it and you’ll get great health benefits at the same time.
I don’t plan my dancing because I need 45 minutes of cardio. I don’t high step because I need to do 20 leg lifts a day. But I do share some common traits with the Olympic athletes. I plan my routine and I stick to it whenever I can. At the very least I make sure I take my iPod and headset when I travel so I can speed walk to the beat as I move through the airports, hotels or malls wherever I am. I do my best every day to follow through on my plan to get gold-medal results.
Now that I’ve found an activity that I love, I don’t have to think about the details even though I know what I’m doing is good for me. I dance because it feels good. That’s what helps me jump out of bed to get started every day.
Some people feel that way about biking or tennis or hiking. They don’t wear a pedometer or count their steps. They just keep moving and enjoy the scenery. Their lives are fuller because they are doing something they love.
For me, moving is like eating. You can’t do it just once a week. You need to do it consistently to feel good. When I’m dancing, I don’t just feel happy. I feel alive and sexy and feminine. Dancing inspires me to feel like a woman – something no one else can do for me.
So I’d like to invite you to join me in my favorite activity. Pick a song you love and give yourself the freedom to move. You can dance in high heels or in your bare feet. You can glide around the room or pick a corner or a spot in front of the mirror for your personal dance space. Whatever moves you choose to do I hope you’ll find, as I have, that connecting your body to the music is an uplifting and joyous experience.