Senior Pair Stays Active and Connected Through Dance
by RYAN MILEJCZAK
photos by JESS McDONALD
Staying active physically, mentally, and socially can be a challenge for anybody, and even more so for seniors. But for Bartow’s Cynthia Aycock, 65, and Polk City’s Doug Wright, 69, the solution was simple: dance.
“I grew up dancing, and my parents were always doing these dances when I was little,” reflects Aycock, a retired Polk County teacher who taught at Haines City High School, Ridge Technical Center, Lake Regional High School, Frostproof High School, and Polk State College. “I didn’t know any of the techniques, but I always loved dance and music. When the kids left the house and I had an empty nest, I decided I needed to do something new.”
This was when Aycock discovered Lakeland had an inexpensive option for dance classes through the city rec program, and so she signed up.
“I ended up loving it more than I thought I would,” she says.
Doug Wright, who worked as an Army Military Police Corporal and a Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy before retiring as a sergeant from the Auburndale Police Department, has a similar story.
“I’d always loved to dance. Any time there’s music on, I’m dancing, and my sons are the same way; I think it’s genetic,” he says with a laugh. “I was sick of doing the same old stuff, and I wanted something new to do, and that’s when I found dance.”
Wright started taking lessons privately with an instructor who also worked with the city rec program. His instructor recommended the city’s evening program to him, where he and Aycock first met. Before long, they were inseparable.
“When she came over that first evening, I just felt there was a special connection with how we danced together,” remembers Wright.
These days, they know 23 different dances, including smooth ballroom dances like the waltz, foxtrot, and tango, and Latin ballroom dances like the rumba, chacha, and bolero. Their favorite, however, is the West Coast Swing, which is one of the newer, more popular dances.
The pair participates in dance at a variety of venues and events.
“The Chain O’ Lakes Big Band out at Polk State College has events here in Lakeland and Winter Haven for those 55 and up,” explains Wright.
“They’re really good,” adds Aycock.
“They do a first and second session with a 15-minute break, and we’ll be out on the floor the whole time,” says Wright.
The pair also dances at Just Dance Academy of Dance and Etiquette in downtown Lakeland.
“We go to Just Dance to take lessons, go to socials, take classes, and we even use one of the rooms for practice time,” says Aycock.
Besides dance, Aycock and Wright also stay active through the Polk Senior Games.
“The Polk Senior Games are a part of the National Senior Games Association,” explains Aycock.”
“They do anything from mental acuity sports like trivia to physical ones like bowling, basketball, pickleball, anything that’s current, really,” adds Wright. “I wanted to see how good we were, so we went to the competition.”
“I was petrified,” says Aycock with a laugh.
“We did really well,” assures Wright.
These activities help Aycock and Wright stay active physically, socially, and mentally, something many seniors struggle to do.
“I think it can be hard for people to shut off the TV and get up and move around,” says Aycock. “But with dancing, the community is so warm and welcoming. I would recommend it to anybody sitting at home looking for something to do.”
Wright agrees, saying “I think if you’re feeling isolated, like you have nobody available to you, you can find that through dance. It’s very welcoming to beginners. If you’re a beginner, people will happily pull you out on the floor and dance with you.”
Thanks to this activity, Wright and Aycock are able to stay in good health.
“My parents both had dementia. I read studies and they said that dancing is one of the best exercises for preventing dementia,” explains Aycock. “Every time you forget a word you worry, but I read everything, watch everything, and take every precaution that I can. And dance fits really well into that.”
“For me, my mom and dad lived until their late 80s, and the last couple of years were really difficult for them. It was hard to watch their physical decline,” remembers Wright. “So I’ve always wanted to maintain the highest activity level I can.”
The pair has faced a variety of health challenges over the years, with Wright having undergone open-heart surgery, and Aycock experiencing a fall that left her with a damaged vertebrae in her neck. But through it all, they kept dancing whenever possible in order to stay active.
“She couldn’t use one hand for a while after the fall, so I had to learn to lead her another way,” recalls Wright with a chuckle.
BayCare Medical Group’s Dr. Robin Baker, who works in internal medicine, emphasizes the benefits seniors can get from staying active.
Baker cites a recent study that showed that just 15 minutes of walking a day for those over the age of 60 can help increase life expectancy without disability for four to five years.
He says walking is a low impact form of exercise that is great for this time of year, but as the weather gets warmer, those walks can be done very early or later in the day. There are also options for walking indoors.
In addition to dancing, Baker says other good forms of exercise for seniors include swimming, bicycling, pickleball, tennis, and golf.
“I recommend to my patients that they do at least three hours a week of continuous aerobic activity, along with resistance training at least twice a week. They can start with 2- to 5-pound weights. Joining a gym can be a good option for treadmill, stationery bikes, and resistance exercises, although everything can be done easily on one’s own.”
He goes on to say that for those with limited mobility, chair exercises are also an option.
Wright and Aycock couldn’t be happier since they started dancing.
“We dance probably five times a week at a minimum,” says Aycock. “That means aerobic physical activity that’s also mentally stimulating, five times a week, and we love it so much.”
Wright also underscores the value of the social aspect of these activities.
“The social bonding that we used to have through the PTA, or church, or things like that has fallen away in many places, but the dancing community is still holding on strong,” he said.
Aycock left off with one final piece of advice.
“If you’re feeling lonely, sign up for a class!”