Dancing – and romancing in the “air”
Stepping to a more lively heart
It’s Valentine’s Day as I’m writing this, and my mind’s on love
I’m sitting here, as I hope you are too, thinking of (and thankful for) all the love that’s in my life. My lovely wife and my grown, healthy children, my grandkid and extended family – even my lovable little dogs. And yes, you readers, too.
It’s wonderful to be surrounded by such warmth, affection, and – I’ll say it again: Love. And in the spirit of the day, I’ve got a few love-related stories for you. Sort of, anyway. Here they are
First up, there’s this, from the Associated Press back in November: Italian researchers (speaking of the romantic) have discovered that there’s an especially “lovely” form of exercise for cardiac rehabilitation patients that’s every bit as beneficial for them as mainstream staples like going to the gym or putting in time on the treadmill or stationary bike – waltzing.
But if you ask me, this dance of love is FAR BETTER, since these other things are just as likely to harm (or kill) recovering heart patients as help them.
In their study of 110 heart patients, performing the waltz proved to be just as effective at increasing the heart’s capacity for exercise as bicycling and running. Better, actually. Oxygen uptake was 12.5% greater among waltzers than those who relied on running or biking for their heart reconditioning. And the anaerobic threshold (the point where muscles fatigue) was 5% higher among dancers than the spandex crowd
Not only does a nice turn around the dance floor invigorate the whole body in a low-impact way – but it’s good for the heart in another way as well: By making it beat faster and stronger from the loving feelings that inevitably accompany a nice, intimate waltz with your lover
But it’s not good for only the heart, apparently. According to the research, the “dancers” didn’t just fare better in the cardiac department – they also reported improvements in sleep, mood, their zeal for hobbies, and their ability to have sex, too. Now that’s good news for love AND the heart.
And in some perhaps slightly less romantic news about the sexes and the dance of love
