Take Up Dancing to Lose Weight

Usually, when we set out to lose some weight, especially if it’s more than a couple of pounds, we think strict dieting and working out until we’re numb from exhaustion. It doesn’t necessarily have to be so, fitness experts point out for Shape magazine, offering the alternative of taking up dancing to break a sweat and get in shape.

Dancing does not only burn the extra calories, but it also does so in such a manner that we’re not constantly focusing on it. Because there are moves to be learned, a pace to be kept and so many other factors that require our attention as we train, we are hardly paying any heed to the primary reason why we started it in the first place, namely how effective it is in terms of weight loss. This way, not only do we get to have a proper workout, but we also have plenty of fun in the process.

What’s even better, Shape says, is that dancing, unlike some gym classes, can also be done at home, say, if we lack the financial resources to get a trainer. A DVD workout program should suffice for a proper calorie burning session although, as health experts put it, there is literally nothing stopping us from dancing whenever we feel like it. On a more professional note, Jaana Kunitz, celebrity trainer, former North American Showdance Champion and co-creator of the Core Rhythms exercise program, talked to Shape about the top five dances that return the greatest results.

Salsa, hip hop, samba, swing and paso doble are clearly the best dances that also make for a wonderful workout. Granted, they also do better when performed at the gym, under the supervision of a trainer and in the company of a partner but, if push comes to shove, a daily workout session at home to the best of our abilities also does wonders, as noted above.

Please refer here for the basics on each of the five dances, as well as for details on the muscle groups they work.