[at-l] winter exercise idea?

[janl2@mindspring.com (Jan Leitschuh)]

I am two pounds heavier today than I was on Wednesday. How did that happen?

Ah well, to the Uwharries tomorrow, the local bumps.

I agree with Mara on the contra dancing. The Gathering was my first try. I
even took the class beforehand, so as not to display total ignorance (tip:
this gave us single ones built-in dance partners that evening - by then, we
were comrades).

The actual contra dance was such a blast! Major fun! Big, big fun! I laughed
so hard my head hurt. I literally got a headache from too-wide smiling. I
couldn't stop the facial stretching long enough to relax my head muscles. 

It's one of those things that goes so much better if you know a little bit,
and feels so "YES!" when you get it right - but that doesn't take alot of
skill if the experienced folks are willing to guide the patterns (luckily,
the Gathering folks were either of this ilk or just as novice as me and
totally, hysterically, humbly inpept and willing to be guided.)

It's a way for good dancers and novices to interact, and my lord did I
sweat. Buckets! One friend who contras regularly told me he carries a dry
shirt to change into mid-way. "Women appreciate that," he confided.

If you can't get joints, heart, lungs, legs fit while contra dancing, you're
just not out on the floor! You can catch a buzz on the energy, making a
workout easy. 

And, unlike machines, IT'S NOT BORING!!!





Mara Factor wrote:
> 
> Y'know...  I didn't even think to mention in my original email...  The
> crossover community between the contra and folk dance community and the
> hiking community is quite large.  I've met many of my hiking and skiing
> friends through dancing.  As a matter of fact, I would never have thruhiked
> had it not been for one of those friends.  It was during a contra dance -
> literally - that he asked if I wanted to hike the AT with him.  Well, as it
> turns out, he didn't go, but I did...  :-)
> 
> Also, the number of hiking dancers I've met has at times been a big joke
> with some of my non-dancing friends because I'll often see dancers I know
> when I'm out hiking.
> 
> Mara
> Stitches, GAME99
> 
> >From: SaraSW@aol.com
> >Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2001 17:37:17 EST
> >
> >
> >In a message dated 11/22/01 04:55:56, m_factor@hotmail.com writes:
> >
> > >If you don't want to take lessons, find a Contra dance somewhere.  No
> > >lessons required.  It's mostly just "walking" but it's a lot of fun,
> >
> >...
> >
> >But it's fun in any case, and the dancers are generally neat folks and
> >interesting.
> >Vcat
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT-L mailing list
> AT-L@mailman.backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l

-- 
========================================
    Jan Leitschuh Sporthorses Ltd.

http://www.mindspring.com/~janl2

E-mail:  mailto:janl2@mindspring.com

========================================