“Burn, baby, burn, it’s a disco inferno.” Ah, we remember those lyrics from disco’s heyday. And while disco isn’t the hot, hot, hot thing of the past, all manner of line dances and high-energy dances have taken its place.
Dance is, of course, a wonderful form of personal expression and also one that can involve a partner to create a lovely, moving image of grace and unity. Think tango here – what could be more dramatic and thrilling?
But dance is more than just about creativity. In fact, it’s about whatever you make it. Many of our students combine their passion for dance with their desire to remain fit and healthy. Dance is one great way to get in shape and stay in shape. It provides a vigorous cardio workout and, combined with stretching, helps make a body whole and also easier on the scale.
At Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studios, we love salsa for its energy. And that energy comes from you.
- A person weighing around 140 pounds will burn roughly 405 calories in 60 minutes.
Imagine, all of that fun dancing and it’s GOOD for you!
Swing dancing?
- The workout value can vary between 300-550 calories per hour.
The Harvard Medical School provides these general tips about dance’s ability to help control those pesky pounds:
- At a weight of 125 pounds, you’re burning roughly 5.5 calories per minute dancing moderate steps, or 330 an hour.
- If you weigh 155 pounds, you burn almost 7 calories per minute, or 410 per hour.
- Someone who weighs 185 pounds burns more than 8 calories per minute, 488 in the course of an hour.
Let’s jump to another part of you where dance can help – mood and attitude.
Popsugar.com reports: In a study from the University of Derby, depressed patients who were given nine weeks of salsa dancing lessons experienced a huge lift in their spirits. Researchers explained that it was the combination of social interaction, exercise, and the concentration that learning a new skill requires that significantly boosted the mood of all the study’s participants.
Good for the body, good for the mind. That’s dance. It’s freeing and healthful and the benefits we’ve mentioned have passed muster with scientists and doctors.
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 training is also an excellent form of maintenance exercise, to stay healthy and toned once you’ve reached your goal weight. And since ballroom dance is so much fun, you’re getting these benefits without feeling like you’re working out!
Come and join us, at Fred Astaire Dance Studios. We offer private dance instruction in ballroom dancing and group classes as well. You can have the time of your life while actually improving your life and your health.
See you soon. Come dance with us!