When was the last time you danced around with your kids, your partner or your friends? Or… maybe even made a fun Tik Tok video – just imagine!!! Regularly dancing or exercising with others is a fantastic way to keep our bodies active, and with a buddy, there’s the power of a shared commitment.
You don’t even need to go out clubbing to share some dance moves and increase your fitness. Types of dance classes that are available in most cities include:
- Hip hop
- Samba
- Popping and locking
- Ballet for adult beginners
- Pilates (not dancing, but very popular for strengthening)
- Belly dancing
Don’t worry if you can’t get into a studio. Whatever dance style you enjoy, there’s probably a YouTube video on it that you and a friend or family member can follow along to. If a Mum, get your young ones up and moving too—they’ll love it.
The Amazing Health Benefits of Dancing
The great thing about dancing is (if you let loose): you have fun while reaping all the benefits. Unlike doing 25 Burpees in a row. Ouch!
Here are some of the benefits of dancing with an aerobic twist:
- improves flexibility, especially if undertaking a good warm-up
- dancing to music reduces stress in general
- elevates your mood and diminishes any depression
- helps those at risk of cardiovascular disease
- aerobic dance training can help lose weight (equal to cycling or jogging)
- helps you balance better
- dancing in a class helps feel more socially connected
- increases your energy
The Benefits of Exercising
There are so many overall benefits of exercise that it’s worth making another list. The boosts to health and vitality found by medical journals included:
- 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week helps insomniacs get a better night’s rest*
- Exercise increases your endorphin levels (especially the fun of dancing)
- A longer, 24-week program of moderate aerobic exercise can give a sharper focus (welcome back, memory)
- Along with heart health, regular exercise will allow greater endurance through the day.
* This amount per week is recommended as a general guideline by the World Health Organisation.
Some people claim that endorphins are only experienced by die-hard runners, but that is not the case. Spend 30 minutes dancing along with someone (or even a video) and you’ll find your mood increasing as endorphins release over the next hour.
Watch your aerobic intensity if you haven’t exercised at all for many weeks and please see your doctor first if you any health conditions. They can recommend a gentle start program.
So get those feet a tapping….
