Sometimes in life, you see things that you can’t quite believe. You may rub your eyes and squint a little, wondering if it’s really happening. And diners at a restaurant in Douglasville were doing just that— before pulling out their cell phones, of course!
A few years ago, patrons at the Waffle House in Douglasville, Georgia, were treated to free entertainment when they captured an unlikely scene unfolding in the restaurant’s parking lot.
Abby Tucker and a group of people were dining when they noticed an older woman emerge from her vehicle and start to act strangely. As young people these days do, they immediately decided to record her actions— and man, am I ever happy they did!
In the clip. the older woman busts out some fancy footwork in the parking lot, without a care in the world.
Clad in a turquoise sweater and black pants, she shimmies and jives in front of the restaurant, showing the world her sweet moves.
As you can imagine, the diners were completely surprised by the performance, laughing through the woman’s Presley-like steps. “Whatever she’s got, I want it,” one diner laughs.
“She is killing it!” exclaims another.
For the duration of the video, the woman bops back and forth, swinging her arms around her.
At one point she drops low to the ground, inciting whoops and hollers from the audience
Now, the woman’s public routine could be perceived as odd, but dancing provides a ton of benefits for seniors.
First off, it’s a great way to get in shape, and it doesn’t require any equipment. It can be done anywhere, from the comfort of your own home to… well, a Waffle House parking lot, for instance.
The workout provided by dancing depends on the type of movements performed— but dancing does more than just get you moving.
When it comes to seniors, dancing has actually been shown to reduce cognitive decline.
In a study conducted by Ana Burzynska, seniors aged 65-80 were assigned different activities to practice three times a week. In the end, they performed brain scans on the participants, noting those who had been assigned to dancing showed less deterioration in their brains.
For Burzynska, this made total sense, because “there was definitely a lot of memory involved and a lot of learning,” she told CNN.
It also improves body awareness and coordination, which helps to prevent falls.
It may not sound important, but considering a quarter of adults aged 65+ suffer some kind of fall, the benefits shouldn’t be understated. Emily Sandow, a supervisor of dance physical therapy, explained:
“The aging population is at high risk for falls, and we think dance especially, can be beneficial in reducing the risk of falls because dance is just a series of balance tests.”
So, not only was the woman in the parking lot having fun— she was improving her physical and mental health!
Since being uploaded to YouTube, the senior’s impromptu routine has been viewed more than a million times.
People love the way she struts her stuff. She is the living personification of ‘dance like nobody’s watching’:
“If I was there, I’d be dancing with her.”
“She is living the life!”
“The world would be a better place if everyone did this.”
It’s so refreshing to see someone having fun while being completely true to themselves.
This woman is a reminder to all of us to enjoy every moment while it lasts!
If you like dancing seniors, then you’ll also love our story about Shirley Clements. The 60-year-old dance teacher reminded everyone that age is just a number when she joined in on a hip-hop performance, outshining every teen on stage. The antics won her an invite to The Ellen DeGeneres Show and a check for $10,000. Click here to see her story.
See the woman’s parking lot dance routine below!
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