Dance I Say
I’ve gotta fess up, I’m hooked on Dancing With the Stars. With every samba, quick step and jive I imagine me out there gliding across the floor. Can you imagine the workout those routines give you? Unless you’re seriously chowing down in your trailer during rest periods, how can you not drop some pounds? Then there’s the skimpy costumes. Most leave little to the imagination and you do want them to fit. Sashaying with a too tight waistband will cut your breath off and leave you at the mercy of crotchety old Len.The celebrities and the pros put in some serious time for our votes and the all mighty mirror ball trophy, a svelte body should be a given. You may not be ready to don the spandex and sprinkles, but you can still get your groove on and burn the fat.Dancing is great for breaking up the monotony; and there’s no need to worry about the judges scoring you on your technique. There’s nothing that gets your heart pumping like dancing and you don’t have to be good; you just have to move. Studies have shown that ballroom dancing is almost as effective at working your heart as running. And don’t get hung on all ballroom, it also doesn’t matter what kind of dancing you’re doing, the simple act of moving your arms and legs around is enough to get a great cardio workout.
Dancing works all the different muscle groups. Activities like jogging and swimming feature repetitive movements that work the same muscles over and over. That’s why it’s easy to tell a runner from a swimmer, just by looking at what muscles on their body are developed. Unless you do the same dance over and over, you’re going to be doing different movements. This allows you to work all your different muscle groups giving you a great total body workout, and the results will show up quickly.
I’ll be the first to admit that traditional workouts can be a tad boring, and boredom is one of the most common reasons for quitting an exercise program. If you have one or more people dancing with you, you can enjoy the conversation the excitement; and maybe forget you’re working out. Just be careful; depending on the venue, you may be encouraged to drink. Don’t burn off all your calories just to add them back with alcohol. So dance already!!
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