As we get older we all want to stay independent, active and part of a community for as long as possible. To prove that ageing doesn’t necessarily mean slowing down, New Zealand company Lifemark™ teamed up with the Hip Op-eration Crew to create a flash mob dance routine in Auckland, NZ. The crew, whose current oldest member is an impressive 96 years old, use dance to form stronger connections with young people and promote attitudinal change in our society towards aged persons. With many of there dancing crew impacted by some form of physical limitations from legally blind and profoundly deaf,requiring a mobility aid, previous major heart surgery and artificial knees and hips.
So some of you maybe wondering what a ‘flash mob’ is all about. Well, it’s a surprise public dance event where members of the public appear to going about their daily activities when spontaneously they join each other in a dance performance taking bystanders by surprise. When in fact the routine has been choreographed and planned out.
As we get older we all want to stay independent, active and part of a community for as long as possible. To prove that ageing doesn’t necessarily mean slowing down, New Zealand company Lifemark™ teamed up with the Hip Op-eration Crew to create a flash mob dance routine in Auckland, NZ. The crew, whose current oldest member is an impressive 96 years old, use dance to form stronger connections with young people and promote attitudinal change in our society towards aged persons. With many of there dancing crew impacted by some form of physical limitations from legally blind and profoundly deaf,requiring a mobility aid, previous major heart surgery and artificial knees and hips.
So some of you maybe wondering what a ‘flash mob’ is all about. Well, it’s a surprise public dance event where members of the public appear to going about their daily activities when spontaneously they join each other in a dance performance taking bystanders by surprise. When in fact the routine has been choreographed and planned out.
Having said that there were no auditions held, no judgement passed and anyone was welcomed regardless of their ability to dance or walk. The flash mob of dancers met every Tuesday for two months before the performance outside an Auckland city shopping centre. The over-65s had been learning their moves in the village hall after signing up to become the “Lifemark Flashmob”, the oldest surprise dance crew anywhere in the world.
The purpose behind the Lifemark™ Flashmob is to create awareness about older people’s needs for purpose-built housing. Sponsored by Lifemark™, a certification awarded to homes built to accessible and adaptable standards.
To learn more about Lifemark™ ratings visit Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin
Research published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal reviewed Australians’ exercise habits of more than 200,000 Australian’s. With the results suggesting moderate exercise such as a long walk isn’t enough to provide optimal protection from decline in health and even premature death. With such a focus by authorities on just getting us up and moving there has been lesser emphasis on the type of exercise one should do.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported participants in the study that did vigorous exercise were thirteen percent less likely to die prematurely than those who did moderate exercise. Dr Klaus Gebel, author of the study (James Cook University’s centre for chronic disease) was published as saying there was a nine percent decrease in risk of early death if people made less than a third of their exercise vigorous.
