YouAsk Kim
A woman in a seated twist on a green mat in a sunlit room, an olive tree and the sea behind her

Move · 4 min

Dance to one song in the kitchen

Put on one song you love and move to it, however you like, until it ends. Nobody is watching.

4 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
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Exercise does not have to look like exercise. One song, played loud enough to feel, is about four minutes of moving that most people would happily do again. It is also one of the quickest ways to change the feel of a day.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Choose one song with a beat you like: something from your good years, something on the radio, something a child loves.

  2. Clear a little space in the kitchen or living room and put it on.

  3. Move however your body wants to: sway, step side to side, swing your arms, bend your knees. Keep going until the song ends.

  4. When it finishes, stand still for a breath and notice how you feel. Play another if you want one.

The reason

Why it helps

Dancing gets the heart going, moves the joints through their range and asks for a little balance and coordination, all without counting anything. Music also lifts mood and makes effort feel lighter, which is why a song can carry you further than you would go without it.

A gentle variation

If you are tired or unsteady, dance sitting down: tap your feet, sway from the waist, move your arms and hands to the beat. Hold the back of a sturdy chair if you would like to stand.

Friends resting after a game, the sea behind them

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Dance with someone: a partner, a child, the person you care for, sitting or standing. Ask them to choose the song next time. Many people living with memory loss respond to music from their younger years even when words are harder.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

Today, put on one song you love and dance to it, standing or sitting, until it ends.

Add it to your day

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