Running, walking and gyms are the standard way most people think about getting active and physically fit. I have included martial arts and dancing as other means to reach the same ends for the last three years. Eric Sabo published a medical paper titled “Tango Forever to Age Well.” The following is a copy of what he found in his study.

“The sultry moves of the tango can keep your mind sharp and improve your balance, a new study suggests. With its basic steps and an always improvising style, the famous dance from Argentina struck Canadian researchers as an ideal form of exercise for seniors, especially when faced with the cold winters of the North. The only challenge: finding enough dancing partners for the women.

“For the French men, it wasn’t a problem,” says Dr. Patricia McKinley of McGill University, who presented her study at a recent Society for Neuroscience meeting. “But some of the English guys were a little insecure at first.”

With a little coaxing, McKinley’s team found 30 willing men and women between the ages of 62 to 89 who had fallen down once during the past year. Half were instructed to walk a couple of hours a week for two and a half months. The others were given tango lessons twice a week for the same amount of time. Soon, even the shyest among the group was moving gracefully on the crowded dance floor, with some dressing up to fit the part.

McKinley says the allure is understandable: couples romantically twirl around to the rhythmic sounds of a violin and piano orchestra. From a scientific perspective, she adds that the continuous swivels and turns force dancers to be quick thinking and light on their feet.

“It’s not like line dancing,” says McKinley about the repetitive, Western-style dance steps. “Tango is constantly changing.” As part of the traditional Argentinean dance, everyone moves counterclockwise to a different pattern of steps, which can change in an instant. When it does, dancers pivot on one foot in a move known as the Ardono. Couples must learn to both lead and follow.

“It really taxes your ability to take information and reorganize it quickly,” she explains.

By the end of the study, McKinley found that the tango group had better balance than before and scored higher on several complex memory tasks, such as receiving a grocery list over the phone and remembering what to buy without writing it down. The fast-moving tango also showed several advantages over walking. Compared to those who walked several times a week, the dancers scored higher on balance and complex memory tasks.

McKinley says this does not mean that everyone should give up other activities in favor of the tango. Indeed, each type of dance or exercise may have its own place in improving memory and balance. The walkers in the study, for example, did better than the tango group with remembering directions and following the correct path back from an unfamiliar place.

What the tango seems best suited for, according to McKinley, is aiding the ability to multi-task and preparing for quick changes in direction. The dance is also quite appealing. One of her students, a vivacious 78-year-old woman, was so taken by the tango that she recently booked a trip to Argentina to practice with the best. Another student said the tango changed his life.

“Now he’s trying to get his friends to join in,” says McKinley.

The point you should take from this study and this weekly article: your ability to get active is only limited by your imagination and determination. You can add an active lifestyle to improve your quality of life in many ways – it is up to you to decide what way(s) you will add the activity.

If I can do it, I know you can. The hardest step is the first one. Are you ready to dance your way to better health?



The fourth edition of the St. John Road Race is being presented on Oct. 27 at 8:30 a.m. People have already started to register. Go to www.getactivevaldosta.com and request your application. Applications are also available throughout the area in gyms, at the school, church and Get Active.



Valdosta State’s men’s and women’s cross country programs are preparing for the Gulf South Conference Championship to be held in Birmingham, Ala. on Friday. Both teams have been training effectively to improve on their placing from the last few years. Results will be offered in next week’s article.

St. John Catholic School’s middle school cross country teams traveled to the 17th annual Bleckley County Cross Country Invitational on Saturday. They returned with two individual first place finishes, and the girls won the team championship with five girls in the top 10, and the boys team placed second with three boys in the top 10. Doyle Wallace and Mary Alice Smoot each won their respective two-mile events. These two teams are preparing for the GISA state meet, which will be held on Oct. 27 in Macon.



More information about events in the surrounding area of South Georgia:

Oct. 25 – The St. John Road Race will occur at the campus on Gornto Road for its fifth year. This is the largest event in our area and continues to grow each year. Applications are available to get you involved. Contact Get Active via e-mail to get more information.

Nov. 1 – The Memory Run 5K on the Valdosta Middle School Track has been canceled, because the VMS track is being resurfaced. The Memory Walk will still be held, however.

Nov. 8 – The VSU Student Rec Center presents its annual 10K Turkey Trot. Applications are now available.

Nov. 15 – The 5K Turkey Trot presented at the VMS is a road race that supports the Special Olympics and the Azalea Cheerleading Extreme competitive cheerleading teams. Applications are available at Get Active.

Dec. 6 – The Women’s Junior Service League presents the third annual Jingle Bell Classic 15K and more. Put this family event on your calendar today.

All of these events will be good for the entire family to be involved in. Be sure to put the dates on your calendar right now. Applications are either at Get Active, or will be soon. Make the decision now to be a part of these events.

When you participate in an event where A Course/Line, LLC is the timing group, you can bring your race number to Get Active – Running and More on that Saturday or Sunday and receive 10 percent off purchases of in-stock items regularly priced. The 10 percent discount is not to be combined with any other offer, discount or coupons.

If you have questions about your walking, running or other training, drop me an e-mail and I will do my level best to answer your questions. Check out www.getactivevaldosta.com to get connected. Become a member of the GetActiveSouthGeorgia yahoo group with over 100 other people. Listen to the Get Active South Georgia radio program on Tuesday evenings from 6-7 p.m. on Talk 92.1 FM.

to receive additional information or to ask questions.