GET JIGGI AND FIT: DANCE AS THE BEST WORKOUT

Holidays are over… It’s a new year! Whoohoo! “New Year, New Me” they say…  and perfect time to start to work on resolutions you the carefully planned over the last half a year. I know, gym is not always as exciting as a preparation for it, like buying new trainers, new sports bag etc. It also can get quite boring going to the gym, especially if you don’t have a workout buddy. So obvious (to me!) but there’s not much talked about DANCE as a workout. Yet you can DANCE and get fit! Are you excited to learn about this fun and effective way to stay in shape regardless of the amount of biscuits eaten during Christmas? Let’s go!

Benefits of dance as a workout:

CARDIO

Dance is very effective for working up a sweat. Did you know that while working out you are often neglecting a variety of muscle groups (e.g: Rotator cuff, Erector spinae, Gluteus medius and minimus, etc.)? While dancing, on the contrary, you engage every single muscle in your body. Every time!

If you choose wisely, certain dance styles burn more calories than running, swimming or even cycling, researches from University of Brighton say. Think about it next time you feel like skipping the gym… No harm will be done! Take a dance class instead and burn up to whopping 600 calories! 

COORDINATION

According to NHS, regular dancing helps keep your bones and muscles strong. It also improves co-ordination and overall balance. When you learn a dance routine, it doesn’t always feel right to your body. It can feel awkward at times, and you might not get the moves right straight away .  However, the more you dance/learn to dance the more you start to understand your body, and control your muscles and joints. Your body awareness improves, hence your co-ordination gets better.

WELL-BEING

Did you know that not only for losing weight, dance has amazing effects on your mental health as well! Even if you don’t have rhythm (yes you heard it right!), shaking your booty boosts your confidence and keeps your brain sharp. A number of researches show that dancers’ long-term memory performs better than non-dancers. If you think of it, how many choreographies and moves a dancer learns within a year!? This constant learning keeps your memory in great shape.

Also, being ‘social’ on the dance floor lets you make stronger social bonds with others, which is one of the key factors in both physical and mental health. The more you dance, the more your body releases feel-good chemicals, such as serotonin, that in turn triggers your overall wellbeing.

Now it’s time to take action… TAKE A DANCE CLASS!

Great news! Most of the gyms have Zumba classes, so now it’s easier than ever to start dancing! But if you feel like you’d also like to pick up some dance technique as well as staying fit, check out what dance studios near you have to offer. There’s great variety of dance styles to choose from! Ballet, Contemporary or Jazz dance, Pole dance, Street Styles, such as Hip Hop, House, Break Dance, Voguing, Popping, Locking, Waacking, Krumping, Dancehall… You choose!

If there’re no classes available where you live, no worries! Go out and hit local dance floors. Make-up on, hair on flick and lets go! Not only you’ll lose unwanted pounds and stay in great shape, but you will also impress the crowd with your moves!

If you’re a fellow photographer, give A Workout for Photographers a read!

This is all for this week! Please let me know if I missed any other benefits of dance as a workout in the comments below.