Well-being and health are extremely important areas of your life to focus on and maintain, especially as you grow older. This blog will be covering two amazing senior health classes in Raglan and online at Dance NZ, and the dance form they practice. It’s important to stay on your feet through joyous activity and live the life you want to live to the fullest.
The best way to focus on your health and well-being is through exercise. Exercise is one of the most strongly advised activities for seniors and can take many different shapes i.e. yoga, walking, and dance. Dance is a great form of exercise as it can cater to any individual and is a more enjoyable way of working out.
In fact, dance is a great way to exercise without actually feeling like you’re working out. Exercise is also beneficial to one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. But there are so many types of dance fitness available to choose from, so what’s the best one for seniors?
Why Nia Dance is the Perfect Fitness for Seniors
Nia Dance is a fantastic dance practice and form of exercise for seniors, however, it is not widely known. This movement form is a non-impact exercise that is highly adaptable to any individual’s specific needs or ability levels.
Many studies have discovered that kinds of exercise such as dancing and Tai Chi have extraordinary positive benefits on specific issues that seniors face. Nia Dance is comprised of 9 total movement art forms that include tai-chi and 3 different forms of dance.
These forms that inspire Nia Dance movements originate from various and unique martial, healing, and dance arts. It also incorporates the spoken teachings/ideas from these various arts into mindfulness techniques that you can take home and apply to your everyday life.
Nia Dance is comprised of 52 different movements that adapt and change based on your body and abilities. This means you’re not forcing movements through your body that don’t feel natural which means no risk of injuring yourself, as well as not feeling tired or sore after a Nia Dance workout.
There are many well-being and health benefits that arise from participating in Nia Dance. Some well-being benefits include decreased anxiety and depressive symptoms, renewed productive energy, increased self-esteem, a peaceful and joyful attitude on life, and increased joy through new social relationships.
Some health benefits include reduced muscle aches and tension, pain relief, increased mobility and joint flexibility, supported posture, enhanced cognitive and organ functioning, increased circulation, improved cardiovascular health, and muscle toning.
Dance NZ Waikato Strength and Balance Approved Classes
There are two Nia Dance classes available at Dance NZ that are perfect for seniors to participate in: Gentle Nia and Nia Dance Move to Heal. Due to lockdown, physical classes are not currently running. However, online classes are still operating and will continue to run after lockdown is over and physical classes are back.
This allows those who are not located in the Raglan and Hamilton area, located overseas or prefer participating in the comfort of their own home the ability to still take part in Nia Dance classes at Dance NZ. All online sessions are held live on Zoom and you can read more about optimising your viewership and participation in classes from home here.
Gentle Nia is the class that is best for a wide range of elders, as it reworks the Nia Technique’s motions to make them suitable for people with limited mobility and flexibility, as well as beginners of any age. It can be performed standing up in a spacious environment or sitting down using only your upper body.
Nia Dance Move to Heal is a licensed ACC rehabilitation program that is a Waikato-approved Strength and Balance class for seniors and those with limited mobility. It’s an ideal class if you’re suffering from any injuries or ailments, from pulled muscles to back pain.
The movements in this class are similar to Gentle Nia, but they are considerably more gentle and specifically developed to accommodate persons with specific ailments or movement difficulties. This class also follows the nationwide Live Stronger for Longer initiative and is a Waikato Strong & Stable program.
Book Now
Take ahold of the wonderful holistic fitness practice of Nia Dance and feel your mind, body, and life improve. Perfect for all seniors at any mobility level or fitness and dance abilities! If you or someone else has any concerns or questions, feel free to submit your query in the submission box below and we’ll get back to you as fast as we can.
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Weekly Dance classes to choose from , dancing Live Online or In person at our Dance Venues
In order to book a class, you must be a Dance NZ member. You can become sign up to be a member for free here.
• Nia Dance Move to Heal: 11:15 a.m every Tuesday. The location is at Saint Aidan’s Hall. Zoom sessions are also available here.
• Classic Nia One: Every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The location is Waikato Sports and Fishing Club, which is on Grantham Street in the Hamilton area. Zoom sessions are also open here.
• Gentle Nia: Every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. The location is at Raglan Town Hall, which is on 41 Bow Street in Raglan. Zoom sessions are also open here.
• Classic Nia Two: Every Friday at 9:30 a.m. The location is at Saint John’s Hall, which is at 20 Wellington Street in Hamilton. Zoom sessions are also open here.
• Nia for Parkinson’s Freedom Dance: 12:00 pm, every Friday. The location is Saint John’s Hall. Zoom sessions are also open here.
Want to hear more about the Nia Technique? Head over to nianow.com.
Still got questions? Contact us here.
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