CASE STUDY HOW FIVE MINUTES OF DANCING TRANSFORMED THE TRICKY RELATIONSHIP AND HEALTH OF A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

At first, neither of them could get to the end of the song without stopping

It was the height of the scorching summer of 2018, and I could see how uncomfortable the heat was making Letitia. She was a 48-year-old single mother who’d always struggled with her weight. She’d tried the gym and various workout classes but was concerned that people would stare at her because of her size. That day, Letitia had come in with her daughter, who was also overweight, and about whom she was worried.

Sixteen-year-old Namono seemed quite low and moody. At one point, she snapped at her mum, saying: “Well, you never go out either. You’re just in the kitchen all day, listening to music.” I got the strong impression that there were difficulties in their relationship.

I wondered if music might be the key to begin solving their worries around weight. Letitia always seemed to be wearing a Lady Gaga T-shirt, and her daughter had a pair of headphones hanging off her neck. I mentioned that they both appeared to be music fans and that dancing could be a great way of exercising. I asked them to both choose one song, up tempo, and dance to it.

When they started, neither of them could get to the end of the five or six minutes of the song without stopping for breath. But after two weeks, Namono could, and her mum, feeling competitive, soon caught up. They were both thrilled to experience themselves becoming fitter in such a short time. It was a small victory.

But it’s also had a brilliant ripple effect. It gave Letitia the confidence to start the “Couch to 5K” running programme, and motivated her to begin to change her diet. Not only are they both now losing weight, Namono has recently decided to join her mum on her running journey. They’re fitter and healthier than they have been for years, and their tricky relationship has been transformed. And it all started with just five minutes of dancing.