{"id":2850,"date":"2015-06-20T16:17:55","date_gmt":"2015-06-20T16:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/?p=2850"},"modified":"2015-06-20T16:17:55","modified_gmt":"2015-06-20T16:17:55","slug":"i-have-arthritis-can-i-still-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/blog\/uncategorized\/i-have-arthritis-can-i-still-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"I have arthritis, can I still dance?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, even getting out of bed in the morning can be a struggle. Whether you suffer from pain and discomfort in your knees, hands or hips, the crippling feeling can be overwhelming. But staying active is important to keeping rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups at bay.
\n\u201cDancing is a mind\/body activity because you have to be engaged in what you\u2019re doing \u2026 . There are a lot of benefits to staying active in an engaging mind\/body way, especially for people with arthritis,\u201d said Steffany Moonaz, PhD, and founder of Yoga for Arthritis. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to always consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine, but for arthritis sufferers, dancing can be a great way to stay in shape and overcome some of the chronic pain.<\/p>\n

Here are a few tips to keep in mind before taking your first dance class:<\/p>\n

Be sure to find a qualified dance instructor, and speak to them before class about your ailments.
\nIt\u2019s important to find an instructor who has the knowledge and experience to teach everyone, regardless of skill, age or ability. Tell your instructor about any physical issues you may have, so they can modify moves to fit your comfort level. <\/p>\n

Every dance move can be adjusted to fit your abilities. If something hurts, speak up, and try an alternative.
\nIf you suffer from knee or lower back pain, ask your instructor for a better move that\u2019s more in line with your restrictions. Or you can concentrate on a few steps that don\u2019t cause you discomfort. If your back is in pain, concentrate on moves that focus on your abs. If your knees hurt, you can always march in place to the rhythm. <\/p>\n

Whenever possible, try to avoid repetitive movements.
\nIf a part of your body hurts, the worst thing you can do is aggravate it. Even\"arthritis\"<\/a>down. Never add stress to your mind or body by trying to dance at the same pace as those around you. Try the same dance in half-time. And if you\u2019re embarrassed, bring a friend to class and pick a spot in the back. <\/p>\n

You can always change up the moves, but never stop dancing.
\nIf at some point during the class, the discomfort becomes too much, give that part of your body a rest. If your hands or wrists begin to feel pain, let them relax and just move your legs. If your knees or back start to ache, you can always clap in place. This is your dance class too, so have fun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, even getting out of bed in the morning can be a struggle. Whether you suffer from pain and discomfort in your knees, hands or hips, the crippling feeling can be overwhelming. But staying active is important to keeping rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups at bay. \u201cDancing is a mind\/body activity because […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fredastaire.com\/mamaroneck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}