The official start of beach season is not far off! Memorial Day weekend, which marks the unofficial start of summer, is at the end of May, and that’s when we traditionally first slip into our swimsuits for revelry at the beach and pool parties. The big (so to speak) question is: will you fit in your swimsuit? You know how it gets over the winter months, with shorter days, cold weather, big sweaters, holiday gatherings and way too many opportunities to enjoy comfort foods. Now it’s time to shape up and get your beach bod on, and we can’t think of a better way to tune up physically than by dancing!
We’ve all “done” the health club routine, which gets boring after like, 20 minutes. Running or jogging sounds good until the alarm goes off in the morning and we have to actually get up out of bed & go outside. We have a better suggestion: Dance! Ballroom dance is a great cardio activity to help you shed a few pounds. Ballroom dancing is a low-impact aerobic activity that boosts your metabolism and burns fat. In fact, during a 30-minute dance lesson, you can burn between 200-400 calories – which can help you lose between ½-1 pound a week. In fact, a study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that dance as exercise is just as effective for weight loss as cycling and jogging. Dance is also an excellent maintenance exercise, to help you keep that weight off, and stay healthy and toned once you’ve reached your goal. And since ballroom dance is so much fun, you’re getting these benefits without feeling like you’re working out!
Ballroom dance can also help you build stamina, tone your muscles and improve your flexibility. Whether it’s line dances or up-tempo fun in salsa, dance is exercise – but without the pressures of a gym. A study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology observed that an exercise program of aerobic dance training is just as good for inducing weight loss and developing aerobic conditioning as cycling and jogging. Dancing and stretching make a great combination as well. WebMD.com also endorses dance as part of a weight-loss regimen, read their article here.
Whether we’re ready or not, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are rapidly approaching. Be the best you for summer, and those summer-fun trips to sand, sun and shore.
Call us or drop in to Fred Astaire Dance Studios now, to learn about our special offers, our group and private classes in ballroom and Latin dancing, and how we can help you be a trim, slim, confident you, when this summer season beckons!