It works almost as well as keeping our sense of humor. When all else fails around here, let’s dance!

LuLu and I often use dancing as our break from school work and our release when the pressure cooker of life starts getting a bit much. I’ve been known to pop in our old Wiggles VHS tape and have the two of us Mash Bananas for a few minutes. It’s hard to be serious when you’re dancing with four grown men in bright primary colors singing kids’ songs.

And if that doesn’t work, we jam to big sister’s show tunes. Yes, my teenager’s choice of music is show tunes! I’m so grateful it’s not one of those music genres I detest. Lately it’s been the soundtrack from Footloose the Musical, because that’s what her high school will be doing in the spring. That’s some music that mandates you get up and dance to it!

So being the neuro-nerd I am, I googled “dancing and exercise” and eventually found a link to this site – Sharp Brains.com that talks about how dancing has neurological benefits, including reducing dementia.

There’s all kinds of physical benefits to dancing, from improving coordination to getting an aerobic workout to reducing stress to overall toning. And there are so many kinds of dancing you can do, from ballroom to square dancing; from hip hop to pole dancing. Yes, there are all kinds of videos and websites that promote the exercise benefit to pole dancing…with your clothes on from what I understand.

Of course the You Tube video cited on the Sharp Brains website is one of the all time most-watched You Tube video called Evolution of Dance. It’s worth the time just to browse through and remember a few of your own dance moves. (I cracked up at the Brady Bunch part – guess that shows my age!)

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