December 16, 2009
The Numerous Benefits of Ballroom Dance for your Fitness Level
Anyone who is great at ballroom dancing is considered the life of the party. When you groove your way to the dance floor, you can have a great time! Ballroom dancing boosts your confidence in every social situation, and it provides you with an opportunity to gain more friends who you share interests with. It is a great way to enhance your social skills. However, it does more than just improve your social skills. Ballroom dancing is also good for your body and mind. If you take ballroom dance lessons, your mind and body will thank you for it. If you haven’t given it a serious thought, now is the right time to know what ballroom dancing can do for your health. So start moving your body and reap its benefits! Whether you are interested in the fun, health benefits, or just the ballroom dancing this can be a lifelong pastime.
Reduces Weight
Did you know that you can burn 250 to 300 calories in one hour of moderate ballroom dancing? In fact, ballroom dancing burns twice as much calories as walking, swimming, bicycling, or playing tennis.
Because it gives you an active role in your weight loss or maintenance efforts, ballroom dancing is an ideal way to keep your body in shape. The turns, glides, moves, kicks, bends, bounces, and sways contribute in improving your oxygen consumption and heart rate, and these two factors are essential in calorie burning.
Develops Body and Mind Coordination
As you glide across the dance floor and move according to certain rhythms, you learn to coordinate your body and mind as well as that of your dancing partner.You won’t gain that from exercising in front of a mirror or working out on a treadmill.
Enhances Muscle Tone
With ballroom dancing, you get to use various muscle groups for various dances. For example, dances such as foxtrot involves long, striding steps backwards, and this type of movements is much different from the exercises usually done at a gym. This low-impact activity strengthens and tones the muscles in the thigh, calf, and buttocks. Aside from that, ballroom dancing can enhance your flexibility, balance, posture, and endurance.
Enhances the Heart and Circulatory System
Ballroom dancing is good for not only your heart, but also for your entire circulatory system. Experts recommend ballroom dancing for controlling blood pressure, minimizing the risk of coronary heart disease, improving blood circulation, and increasing good cholesterol levels in the body. Also, studies found that ballroom dancing beginners are likely to enhance their heart rates by warming up for 5 minutes and dancing cha-cha, polka, or swing in 20 minutes.
Improves Mental Health
Various studies found that the mental activities associated with ballroom dancing can boost blood flow to the brain, thus reducing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. When you dance, you try to remember complex steps, focus on the rhythm of music, and dance with a partner. All these give your brain a workout and make it stronger.
Relieves Stress
Stress is one of the leading causes of health problems. Those who experience trauma because of a recent divorce or loss of a loved one can get some distraction through ballroom dancing.
You can manage stress and depression with the help of the social skills you acquire from ballroom dancing. With improved health and social skills, you boost your mood and self-esteem. Ballroom dancing, accompanied by soothing music, can calm you and ease your tension.
Convinced of the health gains from ballroom dancing? So, what are you waiting for? Learn ballroom dancing now and enjoy it!
