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30 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | AUGUST 2014 | CLUBS & GROUPS "Osteoarthritis (OA), a progressive disorder of the joints caused by inflammation of the soft tissue, which worsens over time and leads to thinning of cartilage, is the leading cause of chronic disability among older adults. Knee OA is the most frequent cause of mobility dependency and diminished quality of life, and obesity is a major risk factor for knee OA," wrote Stephen Messier, PhD, of Wake Forest University. About 97 million Americans are overweight or obese, making them at higher risk for osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting over 27 million people in the United States. About one-third of adults over the age of 65 are suffering from this disease. As one of these OA sufferers, dancing has helped to reduce my knee and hip pain. I have been dancing for most of my life, have always exercised, played tennis/racquetball, and participated in activities that kept me moving. This disease has shown me that it has nothing to do with being immobile. I use dancing as a mind/body activity that keeps me engaged. When I'm dancing, I can't zone out. If I do, I wind up tripping (anyone at the fashion show), or stepping on someone else's feet (ouch). Dancing is an example of a full body workout. It helps you lose excess weight, improves muscle tone and joint mobility, and it increases endurance and strengthens our bones. Dancing can also improve your ability to walk faster. Walking faster can make a difference in getting across the street quicker, getting to the restroom sooner, walking up stairs, and getting up and down in a chair. Reducing joint pain reduces pain medication consumption. Reducing mobility joint pain reduces depression, anxiety, fatigue and tension which are all positive changes that improve the quality of life. Let your body tell you what you can and cannot do. Give yourself a treat and get out on the dance floor. Enjoy the time to meet new people or reconnect with old ones. Your mind, body, heart and soul will benefit in the long run. See you on the dance floor. ~ Priscilla Robles, Heart & Soul Line Dance Our Fall Fling dinner dance will be Friday, Sept. 12, in our Ballroom. Couples, singles and guests are welcome. Tickets go on sale Aug. 1. Along with a full dinner, we'll have the Rainbow Cottage band for our entertainment and dancing enjoyment. Cost is $20 per person. Our last two events were sold out, so get your tickets right away. June found us doing the East Coast Swing, with about 14 different routines for that one dance alone. We then learned how to incorporate a few basic steps into a wide variety of dances. And we'll be visiting the Rumba, Fox Trot and Waltz again. It's all for our enjoyment. No one judges or finds fault. Cindy and Rhonda, our professional instructors, provide excellent help no matter what our dance knowledge or experience is, so we can learn as much or little as we want. Dance instructions are Monday nights in our Ballroom from 6:30 to 7 pm for beginners, and from 7 to 8 pm for more advanced. Cost is from $5 to $10, depending on the lessons you want. Contacts: Puring and Gary Stifter at (951) 922-8333, or at purings@verizon.net. ~ Willis Fagan Ballroom Dance Club

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