Day Of Dance Promotes Women’s Health By Olivia Simeone Ladies, find a pair of dancing shoes and mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb. 24 for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s “Day of Dance for Cardiovascular Health.” Not only are women encouraged to dance, but to learn about health. More than 50 other U.S. communities are involved in the “Red Shoe for Action Initiative,” which strives to educate women about how to prevent heart disease and strokes. This marks ARHS’ first year of participation with the Spirit of Women Hospital Network, a coalition created to provoke action among women on local, regional and national levels. Network programs address health topics such as menopause, cancer, incontinence, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and healthy pregnancy. The Spirit of Women network has also attracted celebrities as well including, Christina Applegate, Patrick Swayze and Debbie Allen. “We move for our heart movement,” Watauga County Healthy Carolinians Director Gillian Baker said. The event will include a variety of activities, including dance instruction, dance, a physician speaker, blood pressure screenings, healthy cooking tips and stress reduction. It’s designed to enhance the total well-being of the body, mind and spirit and hopes to make the educational process entertaining so that women desire to stay healthy. “I’m going to be learning the dance steps, it’s going to be a really, really fun day,” Baker said. “You can learn some stuff that you wouldn’t normally learn.” This is a chance for women to be exposed to valuable information as well as valuable dance moves. The dance-off will be Saturday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Watauga Medical Center auditorium. It’s one dance step closer to a healthier heart.