Are you looking to improve your fitness but dread the thought of going to a gym to exercise in place? If so, it’s time to try a different route to get the health and fitness benefits you seek! The answer? Dancing.
No longer reserved for a Saturday night out on the town, dancing is a fun and enjoyable way to move your body and burn off excess calories in all the right places.
The Benefits Of Dancing
Dance is an ideal way to get your body in motion. Since it is a weight-bearing and aerobic exercise, it offers multiple benefits to people who participate in the activity. If you’re ready to put your body into burn mode by dancing regularly, you’ll enjoy:
- Stronger heart
- Cardiovascular health
- Increased strength
- Higher endurance
- Better mood
- Increased energy
- Decreased stress
- Mental clarity
- Better circulation
Another reason dancing is such an entertaining way to exercise is there are multiple variations and types of dances from which to choose. Generally, traditional dance is associated with a specific kind of music because of the beats and rhythms are ideal for the corresponding dance moves.
Popular Dance Styles
- Salsa: Uses Salsa Music. Salsa music utilizes a combination of Latin musical genres. The dominant element is Cuban dance music.
- Ballroom: Ballroom dancing may use a variety of music with different tempos, including waltz, cha cha cha, samba, and rumba. Each has a different beat per minute (BPM), so some are slower, and others are faster.
- Tap: Tap dancers make music with their feet! In some cases, tap dancers may be accompanied by guitar, piano, trumpet, saxophone, or other musical instruments.
- Swing: Swing dancing uses ‘big band’ music to get bodies moving. This dance style was initially made famous in the 1930s and 1940s.
- Hip-Hop: Hip Hop dance dates back to the 1960s and uses Hip-Hop genre music.
- Line Dancing: Line dancing dates back to the 1970s. This dance genre uses country music. Participants dance in a line – hence, the term ‘line dancing’ was born.
- Tango: Tango music is preferred when Tango dancing. This distinctive music style dates back to the late 18th and 19th century.
Dance Your Way To Fitness
If traditional dancing isn’t for you, you don’t have to give up the dream of dancing your way to fitness. These days, many gyms and fitness centers offer classes, such as Zumba, that use dance moves from all genres to help people get fit and feel terrific! Regardless of your age or fitness level, dance is an activity that incorporates all of your muscle groups. It helps strengthen your core and improve your balance for stability.
Zumba is a terrific way to blast calories. While individual calorie burns vary based on a variety of factors, an average person can burn anywhere from 500 – 1000 calories per hour. As you can imagine, this type of calorie burn is significant for anyone who wants to lose pounds and improve their overall health and physical appearance.
Get Moving!
For people who have struggled with boredom at the gym, dancing offers a fun alternative to get fit. If you’re interested in starting, check with your local business community, fitness centers, and gyms for upcoming classes.
Depending on the model of the business, dance classes could be free as part of your membership or may follow a ‘pay as you go’ payment model. In many cases, fitness centers and gyms offer prospective new members a free pass or free class so they can decide whether they want to join. Take advantage of this offer to dance your way to fitness!