Feeling the Burn! Unexpected Benefits of Joining a Fitness Program

As the clock tick-tocked its way to midnight on December 31, 2018, were you one of the millions who thought, “2019 is the year I will [get in shape/get healthy/eat better/exercise more/insert your own version here].” I was! Well, in a way.

I allowed myself to indulge in any and all treats put in front of me during the holidays, and the scale showed it. Not that I care that much about what the scale says. It’s a number that is only one variable in determining a person’s health, and is affected by so many things, you can’t put that much stock in it. That being said, the number on the scale kept creeping up. By the end of the year, I was up about 5 or 6 pounds. The thing that really pushed me to make a cliche health-related resolution though was the fact that I could feel the difference in my body. I didn’t like it.

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Guest Post: Writing the Prescription for Ballroom Dance

Erin Drake is a professional ballroom dancer and teacher in Orange County, California. When I heard about her new nonprofit, Rx Ballroom Dance, I knew it would be something you guys would love to learn about and support. Please read on to hear about the amazing progress her first participant has already made.


NOW THROUGH DECEMBER 25: When you buy the Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing, I will donate 25% of the sale to Rx Ballroom Dance.


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Guest Post by Elsa Queen – Mind, Soul, Dance & The Connection Between Them

Please welcome Elsa Queen as she shares her thoughts about how dancing is so much more than just a physical activity.

ElsaQueenGuestPostImage

Credit: Pixabay

Learn How Dance Can Transform Your Body, Mind and Soul

For many of us, dancing is just a fun activity, for parties or just moving to a good beat. But a few of us know that dance has an immense power to dominate mind, body and soul.

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My Aching Back

The title isn’t a metaphor. I’m wrote this post while sitting against a heating pad. This month’s guest article, Life Outside of Dance…, came at the perfect time for me. The night I reviewed Birgit’s final draft was also the night I woke up with a painful muscle spasm in my back. A cluster of muscles in my upper back took it upon itself to seize up and refuse to be moved. It made that painfully clear every time I tried to roll over or shift my position in bed to get more comfortable. The next morning was Friday. I was able to get out of bed and walk. I could even bend down and touch my toes! I just couldn’t rotate to the right. At all. You never realize how many actions require at least a small turn to the right until you can’t do it.

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Mandy Mykitta: Daring to Turn Disabilities into Dance Abilities

I met Mandy Mykitta, this month’s interviewee, at the Murdy Park community center in Huntington Beach, California. When I arrived, kids were outside playing on playground equipment and a game was in session on a basketball court while parents watched and chatted. Families spending time together outside? Imagine that! After a long day and getting stuck in traffic on the way to the interview, seeing some pure and simple positivity lifted my mood.

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I haven’t been dancing, and my body hates me for it.

I’m going through ballroom withdrawal. It’s been almost two weeks since my last lesson with Teacher. I did have a social dance lesson with Teacher’s friend almost a week ago. But since then, I’ve been travelling and all the non-routine activity makes it seem like ages since I last danced. My next lesson is hopefully this coming Friday, but I still need to confirm with Teacher.

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Ask the Girl Episode 3 – Practice

I didn’t get any new questions for today’s episode, so I went back into my emails to see what people have contacted me about before I started this series.

The most recent question was from Nick; he just started blogging about his own ballroom journey here: http://theballroomjourney.com.

He asked how I fit in ballroom practice with work and the rest of my life. Since I had been thinking about doing a “how I practice” post anyway, it seemed like a good topic for this week’s “Ask the Girl” post!

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