Dance Dance Resolution

Okay folks, here's a New Year's dare for you.  Keep up with this anime dance video on YouTube.  Beat my time limit of 2 minutes, 16 seconds.  It's 4 and a half minutes out of the video that is pure anime/para para cardio. Make it past the 2:16 marker, and I applaud you, because...  Well, I can't.  But I had a helluva lot of fun trying to keep up with the dance moves!

Here are some other ones that you might like to work out to...  Just load them up on your computer screen, push the chair away, make sure nothing fragile is in your way (particularly if you are like me and dance in a manner that resembles a drunken elephant in a china shop).  Then hit play and have at!  I know not all the dance moves are easily visible, just do what I did and make some up... it's supposed to be fun!

• Yogurting Dance
• AMV Boom Boom Boom Boom
• Caramell - Caramelldansen (English version)  (this one is pretty easy- same thing over and over.  Make it a little harder by holding 5lb weights in your hand and do curls every now and then instead of just holding your arms over your head and bouncing, like I did!)
• Lucky Star Caramelldansen  (I used 1lb weights instead of pompoms... That was mostly to keep me from whanging myself in the head with the longer/heavier 5lb weights I have.  All I need is a broken fridge AND a concussion, right?
• Anime Dance AMV (Because this is to The Ramones "What I Like About You" it's a little slower, and it also has lots of room for improv or little breaks if you need them!)
• Anime Dance AMV - Dam Dadi Do  (This one has a lot of the same moves, but it's really clear and a much faster beat... for people who, unlike me, are either dancing queens or suicidal.  This'll definitely give you a workout!)
• tetris dance - AMV (Not a lot of dancing, so you can find your own beat and just play with the song, which is totally awesome and lots of fun to listen to.)
• anime very beautiful dance amv - just be conscious  (This one's a mix- you can pick either the fast beat or chose your own beat to have this be your cool-down song.)

And don't forget your warm-up and cool-down exercises- they are very important for your muscles, so you don't strain anything or accidentally hurt yourself!  Tai Chi Follow Along Warm-up and Tai Chi and Qi Gong: Warm Up [Part 2 of 5] are good warm-ups, and Tai Chi and Qi Gong: Cool Down [Part 5 of 5] is a nice, relaxing cool down that you can follow with meditation (like this video: Kundalini Yoga for Beginners : How to do the Kundalini Yoga Sa Ta Na Ma Chant) for a thorough workout.  And yes, I have done all the warm-ups and cool downs and meditations in this ending section.  The Sa Ta Na Ma I find a little fast for me, but after a few times through the video to get the hang of it you can probably do what I do and pace it to fit your own natural rhythm, and make the chanting/mudra section last as long as you feel you need it to.  You might get a little head change-- you can definitely feel your body relax, and when that happens I at least feel improved blood flow to my head, which makes me all tingly on my scalp and a little dizzy from extra oxygen hitting my brain.  If you're anything like me... do this up against a wall and not near anything sharp, you might need the extra support for a minute or two!.