The Best Life Blog

I'm always advising my clients to find ways to make fitness fun—if you enjoy your exercise routine, you're more likely to stick to it when obstacles come up or you're tempted to go off track. One of the activities that my clients rave about time and time again is dancing. If you've ever watched Dancing with the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance, you can see first-hand what a workout the dancers gets. And now, recent research shows that even amateur dancers can reap the benefits of getting down.

One study found that people who salsa danced reaped improvements in their cardiovascular fitness—they elevated their heart rate and increased their energy expenditure. And a second study suggests that even the slower tango can help you get in shape by increasing the number of steps you take each day. In the study, older adults strapped on their dancing shoes and logged 2,000 steps during the two-hour class, which replaced previously sedentary time.

If dance class sounds like music to your ears, you have a lot of options. You can enroll in a ballroom dance class, such as tango, cha cha or salsa, at a local dance studio. If you'd like a little more privacy, look into buying a dancing DVD so you practice your moves at home. You can also head to your gym and take any number of dance classes—from hip hop to tap and belly dancing to ballet.

The great thing about dance workouts is that many people find that they don't really feel like work. The music, the people (whether you're partnering up with someone or dancing solo with a group of other people) and the moves make it feel like more of a fun social get-together than a sweat session. But it's not just about having a blast, of course—dancing helps you blast calories, too. You can burn anywhere from 200 calories per hour for a slow dance to around 500 or more for the faster dances. You'll also improve your posture, flexibility and your endurance. And there are some studies that show that dancing can ease stress, increase energy and reduce your risk for some diseases, including Alzheimer's and dementia. Get ready to get moving!

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