AlexSandra Lett "Lett's Set a Spell"

Lett’s Set a Spell:
Lett’s Get Physical!

For many folks summer exercise is often the quick dash from their air-conditioned vehicles to their cool homes. When winter arrives they use cold temperatures as an excuse to run from the car’s heater to the house’s warmth. And this is why most Americans are out of shape and/or overweight and therefore more prone to illness. As fabulous fall arrives and wonderful weather thrives we feel a shift in energy, so lett’s get physical!

To balance my focus on the mental due to writing and editing on the computer I need the physical so I often take brisk walks in the morning with my neighbor Wanda. In the late afternoon I often work—which is my play—in my yard. Being outdoors invigorates me as I dig in the dirt, set out bushes, and plant flowers.

In watching my parents grow older, I noticed that my Daddy missed his therapeutic walks in the fields and in the woods. Like him I have the call of the wild and we would lose track of time when we were hanging out with Mother Nature. Mama would yell and get peeved when we didn’t come a runnin’… she would blow the horn on the family’s car to let us know we were staying gone too long.

After they died I started looking more closely at how I wanted to live the next 40 years. I started back dancing and am now taking shag and ballroom classes at the Sanford Ballroom studios and welcome the dances on Fridays where we can practice what we’ve learned. When I am waltzing I feel poised, and when I am doing swing I feel carefree. When I dance the cha-cha I am dramatic and dashing, and when I do T-A-N-G-O I am sensual and exotic. Dancing makes me feel alive and joyful!

In thinking about how important it is to move our bodies every day, I researched some of the main benefits of activity. Activity:

• eases tension, soothes emotional upset, and stimulates the mind;
• improves balance and builds coordination;
• tones and strengthens the whole body;
• turns fat into muscle;
• uses calories and burns away substances related to food abuse;
• encourages the release of toxins;
• depresses appetite in many people;
• helps the processes of digestion, absorption, metabolism, and elimination;
• strengthens blood vessels, lungs, and the heart, resulting in improved transfer of oxygen to the cells and better circulation of the blood and lymph systems;
• stimulates the internal organs and glands;
• develops grace and poise;
• helps in soothing some tender spots;
• provides relaxation when viewed as enjoyment;
• promotes therapeutic use of time and/or inspires productive hobby;
• offers time for aloneness or can provide opportunities for social interaction;
• encourages social games and activities;
• promotes general well-being and encourages energy.

With most physical regimes health experts say it’s better to start lightly and gradually increase the time and effort involved. When individuals undergo a rigorous exercise program they should seek medical advice.

For me walking, gardening and/or dancing help me feel healthy, happy, and slim—I still weigh what I did when I graduated from high school. More importantly, I feel better now than I did as a teenager. I believe motion heals emotion, that activity renews the spirit, and that my energetic rituals bring me a little closer to Heaven every day!