In this episode we talk with Avery Vitemb, a Clinical Research Coordinator for the UAB School of Health Professions and Instructor for the Movement-2-Music (M2M) study. Movement-2-Music is a 12-week rhythmic-based exercise program on health and fitness outcomes in people with neurological disabilities. To help express the health benefits of movement and dance, Avery shared her insight from her personal and professional experience with dance to encourage others to move your own way.
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Episode Transcript
Quick Navigation (click the linked text below to jump to a new section)
- Intro
- About Avery and Movement 2 Music
- How Avery got started in dance
- Avery’s professional growth and M2M
- How M2M is adaptive and enjoyable
- How M2M is more than just dance
- Common misconceptions around exercise
- M2M’s community involvement
- How Avery balances research and fun
- Avery’s adaptive advice for dance professionals
- Health benefits of dance
- Simple ways to get started in dance
- How to add dance to your daily routine
- How individuals with hearing, visual, or mobility limitations can enjoy dancing
- What Avery enjoys most about this role
- Conclusion
*Edited for clarity
Intro 0:01
Host 00:03
This is Wellness, Health and Everything Else: A NCHPAD podcast.
Welcome to Wellness, Health and Everything Else: A NCHPAD podcast. NCHPAD is the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability, the nation’s premier center dedicated to promoting the health and wellness of everyone. In each episode, we’re exploring topics at the intersection of health, wellness and mobility limitations. If you have an idea for a topic, would like to learn more about a topic or are interested in our free resources, programs and partnership opportunities, email us at nchpad@uab.edu, give us a call at 866-866-8896 or check out our website at nchpad.org
Musical Interlude
Host 00:50
In this episode, we talk with Avery Vitemb, a Clinical Research Coordinator for the UAB School of Health Professions and Instructor for the Movement-2-Music study. Movement-2-Music is a 12-week rhythmic-based exercise program on health and fitness outcomes in people with neurological disabilities. To help express the health benefits of movement and dance, Avery shared her insight from her personal and professional experience with dance to encourage others to move your own way.
Host 01:14
Here’s Avery discussing how she got started in dance.
Avery 01:18
So, I actually started playing soccer as a kid. I actually played on two teams, one was co-ed, and one was all-girls. And I really enjoyed playing soccer and being outside and stuff like that. And then in elementary school, there was, like, a clique, a very popular clique that I wanted to be a part of. And, you know, so I overheard the leader of the clique talking about how she started dance classes, and I thought, this is the perfect opportunity. So, I went home and I asked my parents, can I try dance classes at this so and so place? And they’re like, well, I don’t know where it’s coming from, but why not? And so, I started dance classes, not at the beginning of the, you know, school year or whatever, so I was kind of a new person coming in. And first day there, I looked for the head of the clique, and she actually wasn’t there. So, I went to school the next day, and I was like, “Hey, where were you at dance yesterday?” And she was like, “Oh, I don’t do dance. I do art now.” But it just sparked my journey in dance and after I started going to those classes, I kind of caught on pretty quickly. And I just really liked that sort of movement with the music and the artistry with it, so I just kept it part of my life, long term.
Host 02:46
Avery discussed her professional growth to her current position with M2M and how it’s grown.
Avery 02:51
I actually have had the opportunity to see the study move from the previous version, which was in-person local participants with copywritten music for the theme classes that we have, and then we had to, you know, adapt everything with COVID. So, since COVID, we’ve been moving fully remote, shipping all of the equipment, doing all the testing remotely, and all of the classes through Zoom or pre-recorded videos. So, it’s been a transformation from that, and even the music’s changed from copywritten to royalty-free. So that’s a different, you know, version too, but it’s really interesting because we get to use M2M, not just for our main study, but we get to also work with the Chime study and work with participants, one-on-one versus like a group setting, and it has evolved over time. It’s been really cool to see that.
Host 03:52
We asked Avery how M2M makes routines not just adaptable but also enjoyable for participants.
Avery 03:59
I think each instructor brings their own vibrant style, and to each participant that gets to experience their instruction. The music, along with the choreography, has a lot of high-energy routines and makes the Movement 2 Music classes really fun. We do have one routine that’s specific for Movement 2 Music, called cardio imagery, and that’s where we take the participants through a story while we’re doing pretty high-intensity cardio movements. So, it takes your mind away from this exercise mode to this wonderful story we’re going through and being creative and acting out the movements together. And it’s really evolved and it’s great because all the instructors get to make live adaptations, too, to make it more adaptable for each participant with the classes.
Host 04:56
We wanted to know if M2M is just about dance, or if there is more involved.
Avery 05:00
So, Movement 2 Music, we call it a rhythmic-based exercise class. So, these movements and routines are closely choreographed to the music piece, and we target range of motion. [We] want to get all the joints warmed up, from the top of the head to the toes, and we do some strengthening with some hand weights as an option to add in. Of course, we got the cardio, the cardio imagery, some balance in there, and with our cool down, we add a mindfulness quote to kind of bring this into that realm as well. So yeah.
Host 05:43
Avery addressed some common misconceptions related to her work.
Avery 05:46
I think that a lot of people think [who] aren’t as exposed to the different modes of exercise think there’s just one type of exercise, and if I don’t like doing that, then maybe it’s not for me. But there are so many types of exercises out there, and it’s easy to give up if you don’t find one you enjoy. So, try to keep looking for a different mode and different kinds of exercises until you find something that you actually like because that’s going to insinuate you to go and exercise more often because you’re getting enjoyment out of it. And there’s all sorts of – you know, pickleball is big now – there’s all sorts of things out there, and lots of adapted versions as well that we can look into.
Host 06:31
Here’s how M2M has been involved in the Birmingham, Alabama area with more than just participants.
Avery 06:35
We’ve [had] the opportunity to work in the community with a couple of things. First, we actually partnered with the local YMCAs a few years ago, and we got the chance to train two YMCA instructors in our Movement 2 Music curriculum. And they actually helped us with some of the study participants with teaching after they were trained fully. So that was a really interesting experience. And then just starting last summer, the Movement 2 Music instructors partnered with Stephanie Ward and the Women Under Construction for an outreach event called Freedom Friday in the Park, where we went to Avondale Park on the first Friday of every month in the summer. And this event was for coming together and dancing and having fun and learning about what’s in the community. And we got there, and there was line dancing and praise dancing and West African dancing, and we helped adapt the movements for anyone that was seated. So, we were on stage with the main dance instructor, but we were in the chairs kind of doing the movements behind them. So that was a really good experience, and we’re actually gearing up to do that again this summer, and our first one is next Friday the second, May 2, so it’s coming up really quick.
Host 08:09
Avery discussed how she balances the research and fun of teaching classes.
Avery 08:13
I really like the balance, because to be able to help coordinate and train team members on specific tasks. It’s like very important for me that everyone feels confident and comfortable in their role. And I also really love being able to interact with participants, talk with the other instructors [about] how we can better the experience and just progress and stay creative together.
Host 08:45
Here’s Avery’s advice for dance professionals or educators who want to make their instructions more adaptive.
Avery 08:51
I would suggest learning more [about] the research studies that are evolving with adaptive dance that are out there right now and in the recent past. Also, just to inform yourself on any adaptive physical activity or exercise or even sport that you’re looking at. There [are] lots of resources out there, and one of the biggest is NCHPAD’s resources. They have, like, videos, articles, contact information and all sorts of things you can find. It’s all located [on] their website right now – great website. It’s just a really great resource. So yeah.
Host 09:34
Dance is often seen as a fun activity, but Avery discussed how it can also be an effective workout with great health benefits.
Avery 09:41
Dance can be seen as fun, for sure, but there are also so many benefits [to] putting dance into your normal routine. Dance can strengthen muscles, improve cardio fitness and increase your coordination, all physically. But dance is also used as a way of expression – an art modality. So, dance can be a way to communicate, like a feeling or an emotion that may be harder to express maybe verbally. So, there’s actually a whole world of dance movement therapy that focuses on treating people with their mental health. Overall, I think dance can benefit people in many ways.
Host 10:29
Avery also talked about the simple ways people can get started in dance without feeling overwhelmed.
Avery 10:35
To just get started, some ways people can try dancing is to find [their] favorite music. Start by playing maybe one song and try to respond to the melodies and rhythms in that song. I actually have a specific playlist that I save songs to, and I have it specifically to dance to that playlist. It may feel a little silly at first but keep going and you might find a new feeling come out of it. Some other ways you can get started in searching for beginning dances [is by] going online and looking for a basic introduction to dance. But do keep in mind there are tons of styles of dance and types of dance out there, so even if you want to start with maybe like a simple salsa step, you can look that one up. Another way (last thing I’m going to say about getting started) is line dancing and Zumba dancing for all sorts of people out there. So that’s another way to kind of start with a group of people, follow an instructor. And there’s a lot of repetition in those classes so it’s easier to catch on for those who might be busy or feel like they don’t have enough time.
Host 11:57
Avery has advice for adding dance and movement to your daily routine.
Avery 12:01
Some of the things I mentioned earlier about getting into dance, [you] might just try those in separate ways. But if you are really busy, it might be easy just to start with that one song. Start with one song at your preferred time of day. Maybe it’s when you get off of work, or maybe it’s part of your morning routine that you want to add in. But stick to a time frame that you think you’ll be more successful with boogying for a few minutes. Eventually, this one song may turn into a couple of songs, and then eventually a full playlist of your favorite songs to groove to. So, make it fun and enjoyable so you’re more likely to repeat it.
Host 12:45
Here are Avery’s thoughts on how people with mobility, hearing or visual limitations can enjoy dancing.
Avery 12:51
I believe anyone can try to enjoy dancing because it’s so versatile and it is based somatically in the body. So, using the body as an instrument. It’s not only fun, but it’s a simulation of all of our senses. For an individual that has a hearing disability, they can connect through touch and vibration, visual cues and body awareness to connect to rhythm. For individuals with visual disabilities, auditory cues, verbal descriptions and physical sensations such as tactile experiences can help with more enjoyment in dancing. Individuals with physical disabilities can come to adapted dance classes where movements are modified and offered to get the best ability for that individual. For example, with Movement 2 Music we actually have specific classes that are primarily focused on seated, hemiparesis and ambulatory. So, give dancing a try – you may see what comes out of it.
Host 13:58
And finally, Avery told us what she enjoys most about this role.
Avery 14:02
I love to be able to offer this mode of exercise and show, you know, there’s not just the typical [having] music on in the background and you’re pumping the weights. There [are] different styles and types that you can go with. I love being able to offer that to people with disabilities, and one of my favorite parts is watching the facial expressions throughout the class of the participants and especially their smiles and different expressions during cardio imagery. It’s very rewarding as well to see their journey throughout the study. I just like that the participants, when they get done with classes, they’re like, “What’s next? Can I get more? Can we get some more? Will you let me know when the next class is?” And we love having that kind of response, so hopefully we can get that offer to them pretty soon.
Host 15:01
Thanks for listening to Wellness, Health and Everything Else. We’ll provide a link with show notes, including full transcripts, links and more in the podcast description.
If you have questions about NCHPAD’s free resources, programs and partnership opportunities, email us at nchpad@uab.edu, call us at 866-866-8896, or check out our website at nchpad.org.