Dance your way to fitness.
Have you tried dancing to get in shape? With the popularity of TV dance shows these days, there’s never been a better time to put on your dancing shoes. You don’t have to be a celebrity have all the fun?
Even though you’ve probably danced a little here and there, you may not have considered it to be “real” exercise because it’s so enjoyable. This element of fun is exactly what makes dancing such a great way to get in shape.
I recommend 45 minutes of exercise each day and dancing can be a cardiovascular & overall physical workout. If you pick up the pace, you can burn as many calories as walking, swimming or riding a bicycle. In one study, researchers attached pedometers to square dancers and found that their steps covered nearly 3km in a single evening of dancing.
Treadmills and exercise bikes are great ways to get in shape, but your body can quickly get used to the technique and movement pattern—meaning you begin to see fewer results over time. Dancing, however, is multi-directional and forces your muscles to move in new ways. By working your muscles in new ways, dancing can help you get over or prevent that dreaded plateau and threshold (when you stop getting results from your fitness routine).
And while it’s easy to zone out on the treadmill for thirty minutes without paying attention to the sensations in your body, dancing is different because it stimulates your mind during the entire session. You have to pay attention to your steps at all times and anticipate your next move, which keeps you connected to your body the entire time, without getting bored.
This mental connection may be just what you need to stay sharp into your senior years too. Studies have found that frequent dancing offered the greatest protection against dementia as compared to other physical activities like golf.
Not only does dancing increase blood flow to the brain, the social aspect of dance reduces stress, depression and loneliness. The need to memorize steps and work in sync with a partner also provides a mental challenge that keeps the mind active.
Dance also counts as weight-bearing exercise, which means that it can help strengthen bones and fight osteoporosis. It requires agility, balance, and grace—qualities that hard to stimulate in a typical gym workout.
So if you’re looking to improve your health and fitness level, a wide variety of dance styles can do the trick. From Salsa to bellydance, ballet to ballroom, and Hip hop to swing, you can get a fun aerobic workout that also offers the following benefits:
- Stronger bones
- Greater endurance and stamina
- Stress relief
- More flexibility
- Better posture
- Improved balance
- Total body toning
- Enahnced weight loss
- Cardiovascular benefits
- Reduced back pain
- Calorie Burn (hourly average for a 55kg person): Ballet (300), Ballroom (265), Bellydancing (380), Salsa (400), Hip Hop (400), Swing (280)
If you’re a little shy, don’t forget that you can always crank up the tunes in your own living room and dance away to your heart’s content. The kids can even join in making for a fun family fitness night. So put on your favorite music, grab a partner and start grooving!
I am starting a whole range of Salsa-based fun dance classes in the coming months so stay tune to this blog or email me at berdytan@singnet.com.sg or call me st +65 91110270 to find out more.
Yours in sports & fitness,
Albert.
