Think about the song that makes you close your eyes and sway no matter where you are. Music has carried us through church pews, cookouts, kitchen dance parties, and hard seasons. It is part of who we are.

Dancing is also good medicine. Moving to music supports heart health, balance, and mobility, and it lifts your mood and sharpens your memory. And it doesn’t have to look like anything but joy.

Ways to get moving:

• Take a class. Line dancing, salsa, ballroom, Zumba Gold, and West African dance are all welcoming to beginners and to women with years of life behind them.
• Join a community group. Check your local recreation center, church, or senior center for dance and movement programs.
• Create your own playlist. Fill it with Motown, soul, gospel, jazz, R&B, and the songs of your youth, then dance around your living room.
• Pick up an instrument or join a choir. It is never too late to learn the piano or find your voice.
• Make it social. Invite your girlfriends, and turn exercise into a party.

You do not need permission, a partner, or perfect rhythm. Put on your favorite song and move however it feels good. Your body remembers the joy. Let it lead.