Rebecca’s Beginner (Level 1) class is having a ball and already has learned that mistakes don’t matter–in fact, you have to make them or you are not learning. Fun is the ruler is these classes.
Dr. Mark Magdanz
Classes started January 18 with a fun loving bunch of SaddleBrookers and Ranchers having a ball on various dance floors. The 2016 Winter/Spring class series runs through April. Rebecca’s line dance classes and happy feet sessions serve all skill levels from novice through high intermediate. Year round classes are always the rule, but you don’t have to be in every series as they stand alone. Each week six classes and three practices occur.
Research says you can live a longer, happier life. How? Let’s describe steps you can take to achieve better quality golden years.
1. Vary Rhythms Within Your Exercise — Dance! Sway! Move to the beat! Latest research suggests that music with exercise is better. Studies show adding music to rehabilitation improves outcome. If you want the most alternating rhythms with your exercise—-Line Dance!
2. Sleep – Your immune system finally relaxes, reloads and repairs during sleep. All kinds of important and wonderful processes take place so recharge your mental and physical batteries.
3. University of British Columbia research finds that regular exercise actually increases the size of your Hippocampus – the part of your brain that helps you learn and remember. Therefore, memory and learning through dance in choreographed movements requiring memorization, concentration is a proven brain capacity builder. Dancing is very much like a new language for feet and brain.
4. Balance/coordination: Step/movement skills are learned in classes and provide directional changes supporting inner ear training/desensitization that improves balance.
5. Exercise: Doing a fun activity means you’ll do it more regularly. Dance gives mild to moderate cardio work out and increased strength to muscles and bones.
6. Socialization: In class people meet and make new friends. This is vital to mental health and happiness.
Line Dance is a form of Interval Training. Dancing is alternating periods of high intensity work with periods of low intensity recovery. The key to interval training is to continue to push the intensity of the work intervals over the course of several weeks. Each dance series starts slower and builds intensity with your improving fitness—-and as always the best exercise is the one you actually do. Interval training is the way to go period.
Rebecca gives you the fundamentals of dance for years of dancing enjoyment. It’s an activity that allows you to get exercise, improve your balance and coordination and enjoy new friends. Classes in adult communities must be mindful of physical limitations so Rebecca takes pride in professionally modifying dance components to accommodate class and each individual’s physical safety and comfort.
Her classes for Spring/Summer 2016 are accepting reservations so now is the time to place your name on one of the class lists for May. Contact Rebecca Magdanz at [email protected] or phone 818-2656. Rebecca is an 11 plus year full-time SaddleBrooke resident teaching classes about 44 weeks per year. Rebecca has taught for nine years to our senior residents in Robson Communities.