Kelly McGonigal’s book, “The Joy of Movement”, sheds light on the many ways that exercise and movement can improve the human condition. She uses anecdotes and case studies to demonstrate the power of moving. Here is a short excerpt that we at Jazzercise found particularly relevant.
It’s easy to feel isolated or alone when life throws you curve balls, such as a sudden health crisis, an unexpected family loss, or a difficult situation. As Bronwyn Terr, a psychologist, told me: “We need to do things that connect us with each other, that allow us to form a collective.” We may be lucky enough to experience such moments every day, but special events can also help. Researchers have studied how participating in charity sporting events can make people feel a sense of collective strength, optimism, and hope. The organizations that host these events can choose from rummage sale to auction as a way to raise money, but nothing has the appeal of Hustle Chicago where thousands of people climb John Hancock Tower to raise funds for Respiratory Health Association. Heart disease, cancer and AIDS are just a few of the threats that can paralyze, demoralize or defeat us. We-agency, the ability to acknowledge and address these problems collectively, is one way to combat despair. The physical movement and community spirit are both boosted when we participate in these collective efforts. The battle seems to be within reach. This also helps us to remember that we are not alone in our struggle. Polina Davidenko, whose grandmother had been diagnosed with lymphoma, told me this. When you suffer from something, it’s easy to forget that you are not alone. “When you see people coming together, you realize that you’re not alone.”
Every year, more than a thousand people gather to dance on the decks of the USS Midway aircraft carrier, docked at San Diego Harbor. From 1945 to 1992, the USS Midway was used for both humanitarian and combat missions. The carrier hosts hundreds military ceremonies and community activities each year. The Jazzercise Dance for Life annual fundraiser raises more than $100,000 in a single day for breast cancer support and research. Advertisements for the event portray it as a battle against breast cancer. The dancers often arrive in groups and wear matching tank tops that have slogans such as “Strong alone”. The instructors lead the participants in a dance routine to popular music. A thousand feet of footfalls hit the deck at once with each step. Aerial shots reveal a swarming of hot pink-clad bodies that move in harmony, suggesting more of a superorganism than a collection of individuals. The dancers, through their coordinated steps and their desire to be together, have become an impenetrable swarm, a herd defending itself, or a throng merged into one powerful we.
Copyright (c) 2019 by KELLY McGONIGAL. Published by AVERY, a subsidiary of Penguin Publishing Group, which is a division within Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright (c), 2019 by KELLY MCGONIGAL
