Movement to Music Update

I hope you are all keeping upbeat – no doubt you are finding many new/different activities, as well as familiar ones, to keep you motivated in our current situation with its unprecedented constraints.

In the April newsletter I have recommended some ‘mini workouts’ which can be found on YouTube for any members who would like to ‘Keep Moving @ Home’, as the steps and movements are very similar to the low- impact dance component of our sessions.

However, as most of you will be aware, there are Health & Safety issues with any form of exercise – so I will run through the relevant ones briefly. Some of these (eg. suitable clothing & footwear, minimum jewellery etc.) will be familiar to you and the rest is more or less common sense, but they need to be mentioned.

Safety – the right environment:
You will need adequate space to move safely, both on the spot and when travelling- mainly forward and back + side to side. (3/4 steps). The floor should be non-slippy and free from any potential hazards mats, cables etc). Arm movements can also be potentially hazardous so it might be a good idea to clear the area of breakables, valuables etc. (I’m writing this from experience as some of my lights, photographs and plants have a habit of getting in the way of my prep)! Also, if you need support (when balancing for example) it’s a good idea to make sure that it is ‘strong and stable’ and an appropriate height.

Health:
You are advised not to exercise until at least an hour after eating and to keep warm and hydrated throughout. You are encouraged to work within your own range of movement, but stop if you feel any discomfort, dizziness or become out of breath. You know your own body and its capabilities/medical issues so please be EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS if you have any of the following – heart problems, respiratory problems, high/low blood pressure, joint and/or back problems – or a feeling of being generally unwell.

Further information:
The workouts are fairly short (12 – 18 minutes) but ideally you should start with about 10 – 15 minutes of warming- up movements and static stretches, in order to; mobilise the joints, increase circulation and stretch the major muscle groups. Also it is advisable to repeat the stretches at the end in order to avoid any delayed muscle strain. (At the warm-up stage the stretches should be held for 8 seconds, and for cooling down at the end it is increased to between 10 and 15 seconds).

I have a print-out of a 30 minute workout devised by the KFA which illustrates and includes the above format, and I would be happy to send a photocopy to anyone who would like one on request. Alternatively, if you prefer, you could always find a piece of music that makes you want to dance and improvise your own moves. (‘Brown Sugar’ by the Rolling Stones usually works for me)! Let me know if you have a particular favourite and we could probably draw up a group playlist.

I hope I haven’t overloaded you with too much detail! Keep Moving, and keep in touch.

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