Dancing is a great way to keep fit and lift the mood. But there are wider benefits too. In this blog, Caralinda Jefferies tells us more.
For nearly a year now a group of enthusiasts wishing to improve their fitness and well-being have been meeting every Wednesday morning during school term times in Reynoldston Hall, and the great news is…we have all improved our fitness and had a great laugh in the process. We were tested after 6 months of exercise and the tests included both balance and mobility. The results are sent to Aesop, the charity that devised and runs the Dance to Health programme throughout the UK.
“Dance to Health is a pioneering, nationwide falls prevention dance programme for older people. Dance to Health sessions combine evidence-based exercise with the creativity, energy and sociability of dance.
“Our dance artists complete the same PSI training NHS physiotherapists receive to build strength and balance as we age. They then receive more training to help them smuggle the strength and balance exercises into dance. We use dance because it is hugely powerful. Not only does it encourage us to build strength and balance. It’s fun, playful and liberating. It can be the source of incredible focus. It also gives us the opportunity to improvise and be creative.”
It’s fun, playful and liberating. It can be the source of incredible focus. It also gives us the opportunity to improvise and be creative.
Research at Sheffield Hallam University has shown:
- Dance to Health offers the health system an effective and cost-effective means to address the issue of older people’s falls.
- Dance to Health reduces falls by 58%
- If an older person visits A&E because of a fall, the likelihood of the becoming an in-patient is 35%. This reduces to 13% for Dance to Health participants.
- Dance to Health is true to existing physiotherapy programmes.
- 95% of participants said they enjoyed Dance to Health.
- 96% of participants said they are more physically active as a result of Dance to Health.
- 87% of participants said they have made friends as a result of Dance to Health.
- 96% of participants said Dance to Health has improved their mental wellbeing.
- 98% of participants’ families and friends said they would recommend the Dance to Health programme to people who have fallen or who are at risk of falling.
The sessions in Reynoldston are are held every Wednesday morning from 10.15-12.15 at Reynoldston Village Hall, Church Meadow, Reynoldston SA3 1AA. Contact Alison Pugh 07988 666 179 or email alisonpugh@ae-sop.org to find out more.
Our sessions are led by fun-loving Vicky Hole. Vicky is a registered Dance Movement Psychotherapist (DMP), an experienced Dance Teacher for GCSE and A-Level courses and an Executive/Life Coach. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science, a PGCE in Education, an MA in Dance Movement Psychotherapy and an ILM Level 7 in Coaching and Mentoring. She is a member of the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK (ADMP UK). She has recently filmed a Disco Video for Aesop to help people get fit and healthy from home. Her favourite genres are Street, Contemporary & Latin.
Vicky also came to our local WI meeting (Llanddewi with Knelston WI) at Rhossili Village Hall, to give us a ‘taster’ of what she does in her classes. That was very interesting and great fun too. She had us on our feet, moving around with ribbons, bells, tambourines and more in no time!
More details about other classes are on the flyer below.
