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Recently, a friend sent me this link about a “Hip-Shakin’-Granny” that won the '65 and over South Florida Dance Contest’. It made me smile… and think.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32418610

They say “you’re only as old as you feel.”

If this woman isn’t an inspiration, I don’t know who or what is.

Clearly, she didn’t just wake up the morning of the contest and say to herself, “I think I’ll enter!” It seems as if dancing and “hip-shaking” is a specialty of hers. Her spirit and energy are overwhelming and I caught myself with a HUGE grin on my face as I watched this. I would LOVE to know her story. As I watched her sashay around the floor, quick and light on her toes and not just following the beat but LEADING IT, I began making up scenarios in my head about her life. Perhaps she was a classically trained dancer as a young girl, maybe she was a regular on America Bandstand, or maybe, she just knows how to have a good time.  She looks like the grandmother at the wedding reception that starts the party for everyone else. The woman everyone looks at and says, “When I’m her age, I hope I’m JUST like her.”

Whatever her story, she looks like she truly enjoys to dance which is not just beneficial for her boredom but as the announcer on the video said, “Dancing is the single most important exercise one can do for their brain, heart, lungs and muscular skeletal system.”

This brings me back to my original statement and title of this little ditty, “You’re never too old… or too young.” It is the response I give people when they jokingly make fun of me for obsessively ordering the latest and greatest Avon eye cream, the reason I’ve been taking calcium and joint supplements since my early 20s and the reason I have now introduced Benefiber Powder into my diet. HAA! Prevention. It’s never too early to start taking care of yourself and it’s never too late, either.

Find something that makes you happy and keeps you active. You don’t have to enter dance contests to prove you “still have it” but you could turn on some music while you cook, clean or do yard work and “move to the beat!”

The actual music that you turn on may be just as beneficial! While you may think that listening to music is just a way to relax and ease your mood, research shows listening to music can lower blood pressure (which can also reduce the risk of stroke and other health problems over time), boost immunity, ease muscle tension, and more. The benefits are amazing… click the link to see the other positive effects of simply listening to your favorite tunes! http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/music_therapy.htm

Couple that with a little “hip-shaking” and you’re well on your way to being the new poster child of health!

So what are you waiting for!? Go turn on the radio and start feeling better immediately! Hey, maybe you’ll be the next winner of a local contest.