Exercise for your Body and Mind – Dancing is so often thought of as a fun and social activity that many people of all ages enjoy, but not always as exercise that benefits your body and your mind. If it is time for you to find a new exercise routine, or just shake up your old routine, then now is the time to consider adding ballroom dancing to your regime. Of course, always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program to see if it is appropriate for you.
Burning Calories -There are many types of dances, which makes the activity appropriate for many levels of exercise. Depending on the dance, you can burn between 260 to 500 calories for an hour on the dance floor, which is similar to how many you would burn with an easy bike ride or baseball game of the same length of time. This is generally considered a moderate level of exercise. If you need something more slow-paced, then start with the Waltz, Rumba or the Fox Trot, and work up to some of the others. If you need a quicker pace to start, some of the latin dances with fast footwork like the Cha Cha offer that. Dancing is great for working on endurance and flexibility as well as burning calories.
Flexibility and Endurance - Dependent on dance, good stretching is included with the poses and movements of the dances. Imagine the stretch of the tango as you dip, or keeping your elbows high as you spin to the Foxtrot. All of these ballroom dance moves help with your increased flexibility. Of course, you can’t stop till the music is done, so it pushes you to complete the dance, thereby improving endurance.
Mental Health and Social Benefits - And who would not want an exercise that is fun?! If you enjoy dancing, and enjoy the music, then you get the added benefits that happiness provides to your mental health. If you dance with a partner, then you can add in the social benefits of ballroom dancing. (Or maybe you are learning to go find a new partner.) It is a great option to learn at home, and prepare to share your moves out in public. Learning at home also provides the benefit of building your confidence.
Start Today - You can start today to learn to dance with Forrest Vance in the comfort of your own home. There are both DVD and livestream options available for you to learn with. Log on now at forrestvance.com and you can be realizing the health benefits of ballroom dancing in no time! Forrest Vance also has an option of Country Western DVD’s if the Two-Step or the Western Swing is more your style.