Happy New Year! Here we go 2015! The holidays, time off, and parties are all over and it’s time to get back to work and our fitness goals. This is a great time of year to not only think about what our goals are, but also to look at the mindset surrounding our goals. What are we getting out of our work? How do we feel about what we are accomplishing? How is it all ultimately benefiting you?
Before the break, I asked a few of my classes why they liked to dance and they had some great responses. One of my middle school students said her favorite part of dance was that it makes her feel smart. Of course I wanted to hear more about that and asked her to go on. She told us that “you could get lucky and do something right once or twice, but if you wanted to do it over and over again you have to really understand how to make your body do it right.” This sparked a conversation among the class and one of their examples was pirouettes. They discussed how when they actively thought about the process, like standing in high releve, stretching the back of their supporting leg, and lengthening their spine, they had better, more consistent results. When they didn’t begin the movement with the technical process in mind, they were not nearly as successful.
Then, we got to my very favorite part of the discussion. Another student said she likes dancing because it makes her feel accomplished and good about herself. Upon further questioning, she said “the teacher tells you what to do, but you have to make your body do it. I used to be kind of lazy until I figured out that if I worked really hard then everything got easier and it started to be so much more fun.” I wanted to record her little voice and play it for all my classes! This conversation while focused on dance is truly a parable for life and a great reminder at the start of the new year. How awesome would it be if we applied this wisdom to everything we do? This is one of my goals moving forward. I want to have no regrets about anything I work towards so I will be putting 100% into everything!
I discovered that my students are going to be more likely to continue dancing because they have identified exactly what they get out of it and they feel good! What can you learn about something you love (or are learning to love) that will allow you to evolve to 100% effort? Maybe give a little thought to what YOU like about your dance classes or workout of choice. Whatever you choose, let’s do it with a renewed sense of purpose! And remember, a new year is also a great time to add something new to your repertoire. Check out JOMDC’s new enrollment classes starting this week! These classes can really help the unmotivated – it’s six classes over six weeks. People will miss you if you don’t come to class!
TRY KELLY’S NEW CORE STRENGTH SIX WEEK CHALLENGE
$108 for 6 weeks
Level: All Levels
If you have thought about wanting to improve your dancing or athletic ability, decrease injuries and back pain, improve your posture, or feel stronger doing everyday tasks than a good place to start is improving your core strength. This doesn’t just mean doing as many crunches as you can, the core includes the rectus and transverse abdominis, erector spinae, obliques, and lats for a start. This six week course will put you on the road to a stronger core and improved movement quality. We will cover techniques to strengthen the many muscles included in your core. At the end of the six weeks participants will have improved core strength and will have learned and feel confident using many tools and techniques to continue their path to a stronger body. This workshop is appropriate for all levels.
FOLLOW Kelly’s Awesome get fit blog:
https://www.joyofmotion.org/2014/12/get-fit-kelly-welcome-december/
