Day of the Dance

Make your feet — and your heart — happy. Join Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s Second Annual Day of Dance, a free community wellness event designed to get you dancing to good health.
Held in celebration of American Heart Month, the event takes place from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 25, at Sun City’s Pinckney Hall and will feature dance demonstrations, health screenings, light refreshments and mini-classes, including Zumba, a Latin-inspired, calorie-burning fitness dance that’s all the rage.
“It’s cardio exercise that’s fun to do,” said Hollie Smith, an exercise physiologist at Beaufort Memorial’s LifeFit Wellness Center.
Along with the dance classes and demos, Beaufort Memorial clinical specialists will be offering blood pressure, blood sugar, ankle brachial index (ABI) screenings and cholesterol screenings. And rehabilitation specialists will offer free balance screenings. The cholesterol test is $10; all of the other screenings are free.
Cardiologists, orthopedists, a vascular surgeon and general practitioners will be on hand to answer questions and offer tips on how to reduce risk factors through lifestyle choices.
Cardiologists participating in the event include Drs. Stuart Smalheiser, David Harshman and Shannon Shook. Also scheduled to attend are orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ned Blocker and vascular surgeon Dr. Chad Tober, MD, as well as Internal Medicine Drs. Philip Cusumano and Erik Baker.
“Dancing is a great form of exercise that’s fun and engaging for everyone,” said Courtney McDermott, who is helping coordinate the event for BMH. “It offers tremendous health benefits — both physically and mentally.”
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.  To sign up, visit, www.bmhsc.org/spiritofwomen or call (843) 522-5585.