Dancing has become a part of my daily routine since the beginning of being quarantined in March, and if you follow me on Instagram, you most likely have seen me busting allll the moves everyday.
So why do I choose to dance everyday?
The answer is simple: Because it makes me happy.
Covid-19 has brought a lot of us down. We've all be going through such high highs and low lows and I think most could agree that it can get pretty exhausting. When I was sitting on my parent's couch jobless for months on end, I needed something to lift my spirits and look forward to everyday. It wasn't long until I started Rachel Hollis' #next90daychallenge and noticed that she urged us to dance at the start of each of her inspirational weekly chats. Rachel would tell her viewers to turn the music on, turn the volume up, and dance it out until we were ready to sit down and learn.
I was so obsessed with this idea that I began doing research on how dancing can actually affect one's health and overall wellbeing. Do you know how great dancing is for you!?
Through extensive research by multiple sources, dancing is known to improve your mood, certain cognitive skills, visual recognition, and decision making. It helps reduce stress, increase your serotonin levels, assist in helping develop new neural connections like long-term memory, and also spatial recognition. Harvard University has conducted many studies to show that dancing is also now being used to help treat Parkinson's disease, which is a progressive neurological movement disorder. How incredible!
After learning about the in-depth health benefits of dancing and seeing Rachel Hollis shake her toosh, I easily knew that I wanted to start incorporating this into my own daily routine. Plus, I was on a mission to uplift those around me, because I knew that they could also benefit.
This is how I decided to start filming my "daily groove" on my Instagram story everyday.
In addition to using dancing as a tool to make myself happier each day, I also do it to amp myself up before starting a workout...which is why you may always see me in my gym clothes! I have found that it is the perfect way to get me into an upbeat zone before starting a HIIT class, weight training, or going for a long walk. I now look forward to getting home from work, throwing on a fun gym outfit and dancing through one full song to get me ready for the second half of my day; it's the first time during the day that I have time to focus on myself!
One of the greatest takeaways from sharing my dancing on Instagram has been connecting with the community and spreading these vibes on a daily basis! When I record and dance and sing into my camera I feel so empowered by the music and know that the person watching it from the other end is most likely singing along and smiling to my *interesting* moves. Or at least I hope so!
I want more than anything to show both women and men how you can take a low and negative day and turn it into a positive and happy moment by just getting up, putting your iPod on shuffle, and dancing to whatever random song plays next. We can't forget to put ourselves first sometimes! Our bodies, our minds, and our hearts, will most certainly thank us for a daily groove, even if it's just for a short while.
Get up and move today and everyday BECAUSE YOU CAN.
Have you not had the pleasure to see my moves + grooves yet? Check them out by following me on Instagram here!
Outfit Details: Leggings (Gymshark), Crewneck Sweatshirt (Joy Lab - Target) (similar), Sneakers (Nike), Headphones (Bang & Olufsen)
