Hula for Health!

by Maria Langlais

A Hawaiian vacation may be just what the doctor ordered! A new program at local senior nutrition sites is using Hula dancing as a means of improving the health of participants.

A demonstration project of the Cross Cultural Health Care Project (CCHCP), the Hula program targets ethnic communities with a high incidence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and obesity. One of the project's health promotion goals is to improve the physical fitness of these populations. Through Hula, the indigenous dances of Hawaii, participants experience the benefits of exercise while having a great time. They also get an opportunity to learn about other cultures and to share their own traditions. 

Hula is a wonderful low-impact fitness activity for seniors. It is easy to learn, and the combination of music and movement makes it fun to do. Hula improves mobility, strength and flexibility. A happy and joyful dance, Hula is also a great stress reliever. In Hawaii, Hula has long been recognized as a form of therapy for older adults. 

Jason Sloan, a staff person at CCHCP, is also a Kumu Hula, or Hula instructor.  According to Jason, when they first began introducing Hula lessons to the Polynesian Nutrition Program at the South Park Senior Center, "the people mostly watched us dance." Eventually a few brave souls got up and started moving. Now a majority of the participants do a full 30 minutes of Hula before lunch, and they are also sharing their own traditional dances from Samoa and Tonga with the group.

Most importantly, the seniors are exercising and loving it.  "When they finish dancing they are sweating and smiling!" says Jason.

Throughout the course of the project, participants will learn a series of dances to five Hawaiian songs. One favorite of the seniors is a song called Tutu`e (an affectionate term for "grandparent" in Hawaiian). The song is about a mischievous grandmother a story which makes the participants laugh, but which is also about the respect and love that Hawaiians have for their elders.

Project staff have become skilled at adapting the program to meet the unique needs of each site. For example, because of limited mobility among participants at the United Indian Elders site, the instructors modified the dances to enable the more frail elders to participate while seated in chairs.  And participants at the Hmong and Laotian site follow the Hula dancing with their own traditional dances.

Plans are in the works to produce Hula videos that will allow sites to continue dancing after the grant funded program ends. In the meantime, as evident from the smiles seen on the dancers, participants in the Lao, Hmong, Polynesian, Filipino and American Indian nutrition programs are enjoying the personal instruction. 

Le`a le`a enjoy!

For More Information

The Cross Cultural Health Care Program
270 So. Hanford St., Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98134
Phone 206-860-0329 or 206-860-0331
Fax 206-860-0334

Click here to find a list of certified Halua Hula (Hula class) instructors in the area.