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Fit and Healthy.
Lose weight and enjoy yourself...
Dancing pairs you up with more than a partner. From
burning calories to socializing with friends, dancing offers these
health benefits:
- Calories- Dancing can burn as many calories as walking, swimming or riding
a bicycle. During a half-hour of dancing you can burn between 200
and 400 calories. One factor that determines how many calories you’ll
expend is the distance you travel. In, one study, researchers attached
pedometers to square dancers and found that each person covered five
miles in a single evening.
- Cardiovascular Conditioning - Regular exercise can lead to a slower heart rate,
lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol profile. Experts typically
recommend 30 - 40 minutes of continuous activity three or four times
a week. Dancing may not provide all the conditioning you need, but
it can help. The degree of cardiovascular conditioning depends on
how vigorously you dance, how long you dance continuously, and how
regularly you do it.
- Strong Bones - The side to side movements of many dances strengthens
your weight bearing bones (tibia, fibula and femur) and can help prevent
or slow loss of bone mass (osteoporosis).
- Rehabilitation- If you’re recovering from heart or knee surgery, movement
may be part of your rehabilitation. Dancing is a positive alternative
to aerobic exercise or jogging.
- Sociability- Dancing contains a social component that solitary fitness endeavours
don’t. It gives you an opportunity to develop strong social ties
which contribute to self-esteem and a positive outlook.
Next time you consider settling down for a little television
on a Monday or a Thursday, come along to a jive evening instead. After a few
dances, you’ll have so much fun you may forget you’re exercising!!