Shake That Booty

It is party time, and everybody is waiting to see me dance. I am the talk of the town, for shaking a leg. People mention it as a stress buster. It blows away all their worries. After all, who will not enjoy seeing a monkey jump on the dance floor? 

Besides, whenever I hear some music, I just can’t stay still; and as though possessed by a spirit, I am out of control with my moves. It is hard not to present myself like this, but there is nothing much I can do; other than, express my gratitude for not having music played at funerals (At least the ones I have attended, did not have any). So this is my obsession with dance, but this post is about the way I exercise.  So let’s see why I am mentioning my weird way of dancing in this post.

I always felt super excited about exercise; the problem was, I lacked consistency. I was charged up for a few days and then it was followed by many days of rest. I was back as a couch potato, resting and killing time, just doing nothing. I hated it when I did like that. A voice inside me, constantly told me not to do so, but the adhesive by which I was stuck on the sofa was too strong; and the motivation which flashed inside me, just too insufficient.

The story was always the same. I worked out hard; reduced those few inches of my bulging tummy. And then a few days later I was back to square one. I gave up exercising and the belly balloon got inflated once again.

Also with many minor health issues cropping up, it was now necessary for me to have a serious exercise routine. I checked all the available ways to keep myself motivated. I enrolled myself in various activities so that I would not be bored, sticking to one form. I joined the gym, then after a few months tried Zumba, later switched to yoga; went on long walks, went hiking, sweated out on the treadmill. There was nothing left out. But my lazy tendencies would not leave me. I was bored with almost all the activities that I did.

Then one fine day, I sat in solitude and contemplated my attitude towards exercise. And trust me; I never found a solution to that. So I asked myself, if there was anything I could do, to keep myself healthy and be free of ailments.

Just then something flashed in my mind. I recalled my childhood when I would dance and dance and was never exhausted. I remembered the parties where I burnt out the dance floor. At once, I sensed some energy flowing within me. I stood up and played my favorite music and began dancing the same way as I danced when I was young, when there were no worries, no inhibitions, and no interference by anyone to stop. And I danced my heart out.

From that day onwards I replaced my exercise routine with my awful, crazy dance. I danced to songs which I liked and the style which made me happy. It might be one reason; I was not charmed by the dance classes which I attended earlier, as the steps they performed did not appeal to me.

Dancing was so much fun for me. Taking a break for a few days made me restless. It has been three years, I have been sticking to this practice.

I know the dance that I commenced with, in the beginning, was so absurd that the world might not even claim it as an exercise. And it certainly wasn’t. Then I realized that this style might not be beneficial to my body, and would instead cause damage. Hence I started following online dance videos by dance professionals; to avoid any injury. And after some time I got so involved in it, I found ways to make it more and more perfect.

I realized that the thing I was looking for, was hiding somewhere in my mind. I just needed to unlock it. I found it was dance that delighted me. For others, it could be something as simple as running or participating in their favorite sport. You just need to search for that one thing.

There was another thing that I understood. Just because someone is following a trendy style of workout, I need not worry and feel miserable, as to why I am not doing it. It might work with their bodies. This does not mean, I too have to perform the same way. I have to adopt the exercise that I will enjoy and will go with my lifestyle and personality. This approach will make me stay more interested, motivated and help me to avoid unnecessary stress.

Also, it is always better to consult your doctor, before starting any form of workout especially if you are suffering from any ailment. Also, considering your age, you have to be careful, because what you did when you were young, you might not be able to do it now. So you can always look for some modification or some milder version of the same exercise; and don’t skip the warm-up and cool-down exercises. They are important😊😊

So get started friends, Shake that Booty…and make your workout a fun activity.

Image: pixabay