February is American Heart Month, and there’s no better time to reduce your risk of heart disease by making a commitment to get moving! One way that I stay moving is by playing Just Dance for the Nintendo Wii.
We bought the Nintendo Wii system several years ago, and my kids played the usual video games of car racing and climbing objects to collect gems of sorts. After buying the Just Dance 1 and Just Dance 2 video games, both of my children and their friends often stayed up late, dancing to the random, upbeat songs.
Coordination has never been one of my strong suits, but I got up enough courage to try and keep up with the “fast-paced” dance moves. To my surprise… WOW!! What a workout!! My heart was pumping harder than it has in a long while, and I was trying hard to catch my breath. It didn’t even matter how coordinated I was (or wasn’t), I still got a really great workout! I am sure that I burned a lot of calories while I was ”moving and grooving” to the beat, and having a good time laughing at myself and at each other with all of our silly moves… 45 minutes really goes by quickly when you are doing something enjoyable. It was a LOT more fun than doing regular sit-ups or jumping jacks or walking on the treadmill.
Now I try to get together with my niece and my 11-year-old daughter several times a week to “exercise” to Just Dance 3. This new version plays longer and more up-to-date hip-hop, Zumba and pop songs. It is a video game for all ages and genders. The more people that participate, the more fun you have. Even though it may not be like real dancing in a studio, it is a lot more fun being with our family and friends…dancing, laughing and getting exercise, all at the same time.
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