How to Stay Young, and nights out when you 're not

[Jive Knight]

How to Stay Young

Very good programme from the BBC, telling us what some of us have known for years. To use a quote they didn’t: “you don’t stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.”

 

If you want to stay young, you need to keep both mind and body fit by doing something physically active that exercises the brain too. To no-one’s surprise, they found the best way was dancing. The physical benefit is obvious, but mentally it is a workout too. Even after learning it as a new skill, you are constantly using your brain: picking up on the music and signals and body-language from your partner and translating that into movement.

 

They followed a group study comparing people who did a regular gym workout against those who did regular dance sessions to the same music, to make sure they exercised at the same rhythm. The dancers improved their fitness more than the gym bunnies. When the study ended the gym-goers’ exercise dropped off, the dancers organised the dancing sessions for themselves and kept on with it.

 

And finally, dancing can be a very social activity. How often have you heard people moaning that now they’re out of their 20s and the nightclub scene no longer appeals, there’s nowhere to go apart from the pub? Well, why not come dancing? And I know quite a few people who have found new partners through dancing – including me!

 

I recommend Blitz at Crookes (don’t be put off by the rubbish website!): they do modern jive, a style that’s easy to learn and you can dance to any kind of music. You don’t need to bring a partner: the whole modern jive ethos is that it’s social dancing so you will mix and dance with everyone in the classes and the freestyle afterwards. Come on Thursdays – it’s the quieter night at the moment so there is a special offer. Pay for your first lesson, get a voucher for the next four free. Five nights out for £7 – how can you get a better bargain than that?

[lawro]

What time does the beginners class start on Thursday as it only gives the ending time on the website?

[Jive Knight]

It's supposed to start at 7.30, but waits till there is a good number of people so currently it starts about 7.40. if you get there at 7.30 it gives you time to settle down and get a drink.

Edited April 17, 2016 by Jive Knight
Corrected start time - d'oh!