Dancing To Get The Heart Pumped Up

Back in the days, I used to find myself on the Parkway for the Labor Day parade dancing to and enjoying all the Caribbean music blaring on Easter Parkway in Brooklyn.

It was always a good time seeing a plethora of people from all different regions of the Caribbean Islands gathering together and representing their countries.  Who could deny the fun of dancing in the streets? 

This year though, I didn’t get a chance to make it. I missed all the working out I used to do dancing to the reggae, calypso, soca and Haitian music.

 

I really like to dance. To move to the beat is always a fun thing for me. Especially to the sounds of live music. I think the instrumentation of live musicians just agrees with my spirit and makes me want to move.

Since I didn’t get to go to the parade this year, I decided to get creative with my workout tonight and assembled a playlist of dance tunes to just groove to. That is exactly what I would have been doing on the parkway if I had gone to the parade; swinging my hips and moving my feet. The only difference was that this dance workout I did was in the comfort of my home.

 

It has been said that a person needs about 15 minutes of working out every day to be heart healthy. And so, that is exactly what I did; about a half hour of just pure dancing to get my heart pumped up.

Some of the songs used were songs I’ve heard in my Zumba class like “I Love Salsa” by N’Klabe and “Zumba He Zumba Ha” by Dj Mam featuring Soldat Jahman & Luis Guisa.  I have grown to really love these songs and the dances the instructor taught. I also danced to songs that I have learned to love from going to parties like “Electric Slide” by Marcia Griffiths and “The Wobble” by V.I.C. If I were in a club, my feet would not allow me to just hold up the wall if these songs were played. I’d be moving as if I had no choice but to dance, all through the night.

I’ve realized that even at home, I can do fun workouts that keep my body moving without an instructor or machine.  It was a good cardiovascular workout and I feel great.  

Here is an easy one to try at home. The "Electric Slide" is usually done as a group dance, but as a workout, seems like a great song to pump that heart with. Check out this video and dance along to the music rendered by the live band.