Dancing For Fitness

Reasons for taking up dance vary from person to person. One of the biggest reasons people take up dancing is for the fitness benefits.

Although it may not be as hardcore as somthing like jogging or playing rugby it is a great workout. It requires stamina to keep up for the duration of the dance class and it's sure to leave you with wet clothes afterwards!

Dance is a great form of fitness in many ways. First there's the obvious cardiovascular benefits which in themselves make a great workout. It gets your heart pumping and blood flowing through you and we all know why we need to look after our hearts. This benefit may not be as strong in a more disciplined subject as ballet, but in ballet you work so many different muscles, that makes it great strengthening of the various muscles.

Many dance classes like ballet just mentioned, and jazz also have comprehensive stretching exercises and techniques for working every muscle which of course can only be good for your overall health when done correctly. For example it's very common to do sit-ups and push-ups as well as various other stomach exercises and stretches in a jazz dance class. A street dance class may have a short warmup, then followed by maybe 40 minutes or longer of routine.

It's very important to keep hydrated during a dance class as you're likely to use up a lot of energy especially if there's a daance routine to learn. Bring water or a non-fizzy drink with you. Water's great because you can drink loads of it. Many dance studios also have a cafe where you can purchase your water in case you forget.

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