Not only does dancing raise the heart rate through movement, it also tones and tightens the major muscle groups of the body. It can burn as many calories as walking, swimming or riding a bicycle.
A half hour session of sustained movement can burn a lot of calories. One of the best things you can do to lose weight is to find an exercise that you actually enjoy doing, because you won't stick to an exercise routine that you don't really like.
If you are serious about losing weight through shimmying, be sure to choose the right type of dance. Some styles are much more strenuous than others.
For example, a fast-paced jazz class will burn more calories than a slow and graceful lesson in ballet. Choose a fun class that gets you up and moving.
Zumba is a popular fitness program inspired by Latin dance. The word "Zumba" comes from a Colombian word that means to move fast and have fun, which is just how people describe the routine.
Using upbeat Latin music together with cardiovascular exercise, Zumba is aerobic fitness that is lots of fun and easy to learn. Zumba seems to be an optimal fitness choice, mixing cardio intervals with resistance training.
Many experts believe that an interval/resistance combination maximizes caloric output, fat burning, and total body toning. Zumba mixes effective body sculpting movements with easy-to-follow, fun steps.
People seem to forget about working out during a Zumba session, allowing them to exercise longer, and burn even more calories. A typical Zumba session lasts about an hour and incorporates several styles, including cumbia, merengue, salsa, reggaeton, mambo, rumba, flamenco, and calypso and Salsaton.
The Latin music includes both fast and slow rhythms, allowing for a great cardio workout as well as body sculpting exercises. Depending on the instructor, you may even get a taste of belly shimmying or hip-hop dancing, too.
If you enjoy high energy, motivating music, and like to try unique moves and combinations, Zumba may be your ticket to fitness. With thousands of Zumba instructors worldwide, locating a Zumba class should be easy.
A single Zumba session costs around $10 to $15. If you would rather stay home and exercise, DVD's and videos are also available for purchase.
Dancing is a great way for people of all ages to get and stay in shape. Besides being fun, it has many positive health benefits.
One of the first benefits is increased flexibility. Flexibility is an important part of being healthy.
Dance requires a great amount of flexibility. Most classes begin with a warm-up including several stretching exercises.
Dancers must strive to achieve full range of motion for all the major muscle groups. The greater the range of motion, the more muscles can flex and extend.
Most forms of dance require dancers to perform moves that require bending and stretching, so dancers naturally become more flexible by simply moving. Increased strength is another bonus of dancing for fitness.
Strength is defined as the ability of a muscle to exert a force against resistance. It builds strength by forcing the muscles to resist against a dancer's own body weight.
Many styles, including jazz and ballet, require jumping and leaping high into the air. Jumping and leaping require tremendous strength of the major leg muscles.
Ballroom builds strength. Consider the muscle mass a male ballroom dancer develops by lifting his partner above his head.
Dance is physical exercise, which means you develop endurance. Endurance is the ability of muscles to work hard for increasingly longer periods of time without fatigue.
Regular dancing is great for improving endurance, especially vigorous dancing such as line and ballroom. Elevating the heart rate can increase stamina.
Just as in any form of exercise, regular dancing will build endurance. A sense of well-being is established in the social activity of dance.
Studies have shown that strong social ties and socializing with friends contribute to high self-esteem and a positive outlook. Dancing provides many opportunities to meet other people.
Joining a class can increase self-confidence and build social skills. Because physical activity reduces stress and tension, regular dancing gives an overall sense of well-being.
Author Resource:-
Ignacio Lopez is a personal trainer and has authored hundreds of articles relating to physical training and treadmills. He has been a health expert and physical trainer for over 15 years.
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