What is your preferred form of exercise? Do you like to work out on the treadmill at the gym or would you rather climb onto a stationary bike at home? Or are you the type who gets bored with an exercise routine? The good news is that exercise doesn't have to be a chore, and there are options to suit all tastes. Just taking a daily walk outside is one way to beat the monotony of an exercise plan. Personally I prefer something more active, entertaining, and fun -- dance!
Whether it be square dance, hip hop, the waltz, or belly dancing, to name just a few, dancing offers a fabulous workout. And while dance may not take care of all your health needs, it comes with some surprising benefits.
Dancing helps strengthen your legs and knees, and it can also slow down the process of osteoporosis. And the benefits to heart health are even better. If you dance regularly, especially if you can get in an hour several times a week, you can lower your heart rate, drop your blood pressure, and boost the good HDL cholesterol while lowering the bad LDL cholesterol.
In addition, dancing burns calories and lots of them. A one-hour dance session can help you drop between 400 and 800 calories, depending on how vigorous your dances are. Those figures rival the number of calories you can burn riding a bike, walking, or swimming laps.
Dancing also comes with the additional benefits of a group activity by offering opportunities to socialize and build relationships, both of which influence our overall outlook on life.
Then again, if you are someone who doesn't feel comfortable dancing in public, you can dance in private. All you need to do is to crank up the radio at home, move the coffee table out of the way, do a few stretches to limber up, and move to the beat of your favorite music. By the way, you don't have to stick to a specific dance step either. It is the movement that is important.
Whether you are up for dancing or not, I hope my thoughts have inspired you to get in some regular exercise.
