Gordon County residents will join 70 other communities across the nation to take a stand against heart disease by observing the National Day of Dance for Your Health on Saturday, Feb. 19.

Through its Spirit of Women program, Gordon Hospital is proud to host the event, planned for 6:30 p.m. at the Sonoraville Recreation Complex. The free event will combine the fun of dancing to different kinds of music and a variety of dancing demonstrations with health screenings and consumer education on heart disease and other important health topics.

“We encourage everyone to come out and have fun with us as we learn more about heart health and what we can do to make our hearts healthier,” says Gordon Hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer Amy Jordon. “We have a wide variety of dancing and activity demonstrations planned for this year that promises to be not only entertaining, but inspiring as well. Our goal is to inspire our community to get active to have a healthy heart.”

Among the groups slated to perform are Calhoun High School Majorettes, Education Playstation Tumbling/Aerosport, Expressions School of Performing Arts, Family Fitness Demonstration from Education Playstation, Georgia Cumberland Academy Acroflyers, Get Your Groove On Fitness Demonstration, Group GROOVE Fitness Demonstration, Renegade Athletics, Ballroom Dancers, Cherokee Promenaders, Unspeakable Praise Mime Ministry and Davidic Praise Dancers with Pastor Reginald McDaniel from Friendship Baptist Church, Mechowlah Dance Ministry and MORE.

Dozens of informational booths will also be set up at the event to offer information on a variety of health-related topics. In addition, several health screenings will also be provided, including blood pressure checks, blood sugar checks, body mass composition, cardiovascular risk assessments, strength testing, and more. Giveaways and door prizes will also be awarded.

“While enjoying the dancing demonstration or even learning a new move or two, attendees will also learn about healthy choices they can easily incorporate into their lifestyles and find out their personal warning signs and risk factors for heart disease and stroke,” added Karen Shaw, coordinator for Gordon Hospital’s Spirit of Women program. “Coronary heart disease, which causes heart attack, is the single leading cause of death for American women. Nearly twice as many women in the U.S. die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases than from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer.”

Spirit of Women focuses on dance as a way to take steps for a healthier life because dancing can burn as many calories as swimming, walking, or riding a bike (as many as 200-400 calories per hour). Many health benefits may result from dance if it is done on a regular basis as a form of exercise. Benefits include weight maintenance or weight loss, blood pressure and cholesterol management (lowering), increased energy, decreased sadness and depression, increased coordination and muscle strength, and an overall sense of well-being.

For more information about Day of Dance, please call Shaw at 706-879-4764.