Live Ten Years Longer

Square Dancing will add ten years to your life; a surprising new study shows. Dr. Arron Blackburn states "It's clear that square dancing is the perfect exercise. It combines all positive aspects of intense physical exercise with none of the negative elements."

Dr. Blackburn said square dancing is a low impact activity requiring constant movement and quick directional changes that help keep the body in shape. The study was based on their physical examination which indicated that both female and male square dancers could
expect to live well into their 80's.

Square dance movements raise heart rates like many good aerobic exercises should. All the quick changes of direction loosen and tone up the muscles -- but not so severally as to cause injury. In square dancing, when you're not moving, you're clapping hands and tapping your feet, which all contributes to long term fitness. "You don't see a lot of 55 year old basketball players, but that's just the age when square dancers are hitting their peak", he said.

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Why Square Dance?

Most dancers give the following reasons why they enjoy active square dancing:

Family Fun
Friendly People
Good Exercise
Mental Stimulation
Social Contacts
Economical Entertainment
Good Wholesome Fun
Many Friendships Developed
Good Healthy exercise without physical exertion
Keep the mind Active & Alert
Group Activity
Less that $10.00 a night

America's Favorite Pastime ~ It's a Party...

Square dancing is a party time every time you do it. Square dancing brings people together for fun and fellowship - even when learning how. The fun starts right on the very first night. You meet new people and make new friends. And the fun keeps right on going as long as you do - most square dance groups meet twice a month. It's a wonderful way to share common interest with other people, and to escape the worry and pressures of today's busy world.

It's The New Generation of Square Dancing....

Perhaps you think you know square dancing from your school
days. Well, think again, because this is not the same. You will hardly recognize Modern Western Square Dancing. There is new music, from Golden Oldies to Elvis to current hits. There are new dance steps, exciting new patterns that keep changing, and unique calls to
learn. No more rough dancing in a barn.
Modern Western Square Dancing happens in church halls,
school halls, dance halls, resorts and cruise ships. Square dancers travel to new places all over the world. Even people who don't speak English square dance! You will find square dance clubs within most countries of the world including Japan, Sweden and Germany –
they dance in English, but they don't speak it.
Learn to dance and a whole new world of opportunities for fun and fellowship can open up for you.

It's About People From All Walks...

Square dancers are all kinds of folks sharing a love of action and teamwork. Square dancers are company presidents, secretaries, machinists, farmers, corporals, colonels, doctors, whatever you think of. When square dancers get together they talk about square dancing. No one knows who's the corporal and who is the colonel. What they want to know about you is can you really dance. That is what matters.

Social Dancing....

Dancing contains a social component that solitary fitness endeavors don't. It gives you an opportunity to develop strong social ties, which contribute to self-esteem and a positive outlook. Tomorrow night when you consider settling down for a little television, turn on the music instead. After a few spins around the living room, you'll have so much fun you may forget you're exercising. Jazz up your fitness routine
with a regular dose of dancing! The stationary bike can be boring. The rowing machine and treadmill at the YMCA can hold little appeal. Exercise doesn't have to be a chore. It's true. Whether you're swirling across the dance floor to a Strauss Waltz or doing do-si-does to the commands of a square dance caller, you're getting exercise, and probably having fun too. Dancing pairs you up with more
than a partner. From burning calories to socializing with friends,
dancing offers these health benefits:

Calories: Dancing can burn as many calories as walking, swimming or riding a bicycle. During a half-hour of dancing you can burn between
200 and 400 calories. One factor that determines how many calories you'll expend is the distance you travel. In one study, researchers attached pedometers to square dancers and found that each person covered five miles in a single evening.

Cardiovascular Conditioning: Regular exercise can lead to a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol profile. Experts typically recommend 30 - 40 minutes of continuous activity
three or four times a week. Dancing may not provide all the
conditioning you need, but it can help. The degree of cardiovascular conditioning depends on how vigorously you dance, how long you dance continuously, and how regularly you do it.

Strong Bones: The side to side movements of many dances
strengthens your weight bearing bones (tibia, fibula and femur) and
can help prevent or slow the loss of bone masses (osteoporosis).

Rehabilitation: If you're recovering from heart or knee surgery, movement may be a part of your rehabilitation. Dancing is a positive alternative to aerobic dancing or jogging.

So ... Are You Interested In Square Dancing?

How Can You Get Started?

How Can You Get More Information?

Clicking any of the e-mail links below will get you in contact with someone who can help you on you way to a better life style,
and lots of fun.

Jim and Mary Knight - Kent, WA
Dick Beham - Issaquah, WA
Ron & Nancy - Covington/Maple Valley, WA
Jim & Vicki - North Seattle, WA
Ruth and Dave - Woodinville, WA
Brent Mawdsley - Burnaby, B. C. Canada
Olympia Square Dance Association- Olympia, WA