Among the many physical activities you can do, dance is an effective method of burning calories. This is essential for those who want to achieve weight loss, and is also highly beneficial for those who wish to tone their muscles and improve flexibility.

Why Should You Dance: Moving for Health

So what is the importance of integrating dance as part of your workout routine? If you are thinking about personal enjoyment and socialization through dance, these are already known benefits which make people want to do it more. But on a more scientific perspective, there have been hundreds of investigations and clinical tests to prove how well dance exercises can contribute to health. Mentioned below are more recent studies in the 21st century.

Millions of adults suffer from heart failure around the world. Because of this, a research team from Italy did a study on the effects of waltz dancing for patients of chronic heart failure. This was published by the American Heart Association in May 2008. Waltz dancing on a regular basis can have benefits similar to that of having aerobic exercise routines.

In a study done among elderly persons in Japan in 2002, dance based exercises were performed and tested on women aged 72 to 87 years old. This paper was published in the journal Age and Ageing, and was able to conclude that aerobics combined with dance exercises help improve balance, locomotion, agility, as well as coordination of elderly women. This helps prevent the risks of falling or encountering accidents.

In 2007, Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine investigated the effects of a type of Qi Dance on the psychological behavior of test subjects. It found that having this form of dance as a regular exercise routine for several weeks helps reduce the symptoms that are associated with mental stress. Truly, dance exercise is more than just for making the body healthy, but also for keeping a sound mind.

On another note, did you know that scientists and doctors even analyze the psychological, social, and even emotional implications of dance? Dance as a motivator for exercise is related to peer influence as well as the aspect of socialization. The impact of dance as a form of exercise in the realm of video games and culture is also being investigated, such as in the examples of Dance Dance Revolution and others of the same genre.

Dance Workout during an Aerobics Session

Exercises for Dancers

First of all, if you want to dance, what do you need? Since dancing exercises use your body as your exercise equipment, you just need some comfortable shoes and clothes. In some forms of dance exercise, you can rehearse with or without a partner.

Dance Aerobics – It can be noted that this may be the most basic form of dance exercise, in which much focus is given on cardiovascular endurance. Aerobics are given the name because of its involvement with increasing the flow of oxygen for the body as it elevates the heart rate. Aerobic dancing is also effective in burning as much as 500 calories or more per hour.

Belly Dancing – Originating from the Middle East, belly dancing had the original name of raqs sharqi form Arabian language. If you have heard of music artists like Shakira and Beyonce, you probably are already familiar with how this dance is performed. Belly Dance Exercises involve hip movements along with some arm and leg movements. It is considered as an effective core exercise which can focus on muscles of the torso, according to Mayo Clinic and other health sources.

Ballroom Dancing – Many of the ballroom dances like tango, the waltz, cha-cha, have been around for centuries, with various countries of origin. Today, ballroom dancing is considered as an athletic event, and at the same time a hobby for many men and women who enjoy music and who want to improve their health. Most senior programs include ballroom dancing as a form of workout to help reduce the risks associated with arthritis.

Pole Dancing – Just when you thought this type of dance only existed in strip clubs and night clubs, pole dancing has now become a popular alternative for women who want to stay fit and sexy. It involves the use of an upright pole, with a series of upper body and leg holds which help tone the muscles and improve strength and flexibility.

Power Dancing – In a way, power dance is a general term to refer to various forms of dances with a more aerobic ring to them. For example, power tap or power jazz. These dances incorporate the same movements as the more familiar dances, but are performed at a much higher intensity so dancers work out a sweat in a shorter period of time. These are perfect for burning fat.

There are other forms of dance that you can try out, whether you just want to have a feel of ballet, jazz, or even interpretative dance. There are many community programs that locally encourage young kids to get into hip hop dancing, break dancing, as well as other dance types. You can also sign up for special aerobics and dance classes at your gym, where you have tons of options to select from. Whatever you choose to do, just have an open mind and enjoy yourself.

Dancing, as a form of exercise can definitely benefit you physically, mentally, as well as socially.

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