Dance As Exercise - A Fun Way to Get Fit

Dance As Exercise - A Fun Way to Get Fit
by Kirsten Whittaker

The Italian project found that salsa dancing improved cardiovascular fitness, while the
UK work discovered that the less strenuous, but still great fun, fox trot or tango
steps added two thousand steps to a subject's daily walking total.

Ten thousand steps are recommended by experts for good health, but every little bit
helps, specially as you get older.

The Italian researchers looked at lively salsa dancing, measuring the heart rate and
oxygen levels in dancers who were doing the dance either during lessons, at a night
club or doing a group dance known as the rueda de casino.

This work involved eleven pairs of dancers, of an average age of 36 years old.

The maximum heart rate of the dancers went up 58-75% and their oxygen levels
went up 41-56%, depending on where the subjects danced.

Dancing at the nightclub was the most aerobic of the three places, though all
increased heart rate and oxygen levels.

"Salsa is a spirited dance," study author Gian Pietro Emerenziani, from the University
of the Studies of Rome, in Italy points out. "With this form of dance, you are clearly
getting a workout. All three types of salsa in our study, practiced frequently, will have
a positive impact on health and fitness."

Taking their cue from the popularity of the dance shows, a team of UK researchers
conducted a study of the effects of dancing by offering a 12-week series of ballroom
dancing lessons to a group of non-active adults.

The average age of the 27 subjects was 53; most, 22, were females. They attended
lessons once a week for two hours, all led by a qualified instructor. The dances the
subjects learned and performed included the tango, fox trot and cha-cha.

"Learning to dance can be a fun, social, local and friendly way to enjoy low-intensity
physical activity and skill learning," explains the author of the second of the two
studies, Stephen Cobley who is a senior lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University in
the United Kingdom.

Dancing means you don't have to go to the gym or get all hot and sweaty to get the
cardio benefit of a workout.

It helps strengthen bones and muscles without hurting joints, it tones your body,
helps with posture and balance, improves your stamina and flexibility, reduces stress,
wards off potential problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease,
osteoporosis and even depression.

As you move your feet, you want to keep an eye on your heart rate however, so
that you're sure the dancing is intense enough.

It's also important not to take away the benefits of the workout by consuming high
calorie drinks or snacks while you're out.

Before you lace up those dancing shoes be sure that you've spoken to your doctor
about what type of activity is right for you, especially if you've been inactive for a
long time.

If your doctor agrees that being active is safe for you, dance as fitness - square
dancing, swing dancing, line dancing, folk dancing, ballroom dancing, belly dancing,
salsa, flamenco, jazz, modern, clogging and contra - can be good for your health,
and your overall fitness levels, not to mention your social life.

About The Author

Kirsten Whittaker

Next just head on over to the for more information on simple
ways lose weight and keep fit including using , plus get 5 free
fantastic health reports.

Judging by the ratings of Dancing
With The Stars, or Britain's
counterpart Strictly Come Dancing,
time on the dance floor has become
very popular and dance as exercise
might be just the bit of fun that
everyone needs to stick with the
aerobic workouts known to be so
very good for your health. Two
recent studies, one out of Italy, the
other conducted in the United
Kingdom, suggest this might be the
way to go, and both were presented
at the most recent annual meeting of
the American College of Sports
Medicine in Seattle.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The content on
this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your physician before using natural
remedies and before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise program.