Square Dance for the Health of It

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Maintaining our physical as well as mental health should be a priority for all of us. But between our hectic schedules and the stress of day-to-day activities, we sometimes find it near impossible to fit in those rigorous workouts and still manage to have a social life, too.

Square dancers across the nation hold the secret to remaining active and socializing at the same time.  New studies show that the high-aerobic, low-impact movements you do while square dancing provide your heart and muscles with a remarkable workout.  An average 150-pound square dancer burns a whopping 102 calories in only 15 minutes of dancing!  Remembering all the calls - whether it's "doe-say-doe" or "tea cup chain" - constantly keeps the mind sharp, possibly hindering memory loss as we get older.

Perhaps even more important, it's fun. What other exercise can you do (in just two hours a week) that expends as much energy as a 3-mile hike, makes you forget your worries and leads you to new and wonderful friendships?   So get up, get going and get moving. Try a class at a local square dance club today and join in on all the fun you've been missing!

About the author: Michelle Moats, 22, of Bartlett, is a former square dancer who spent two years with the Pistols and Pettycoats Club in Memphis.