Posted by Michelle Kennedy on Fri, Jul 30, 2010
Shake that groove thang. Bust a move. Twist and shout. Get jiggy with it. Walk like an Egyptian. It doesn't matter which dance gets you moving—the important thing is that you get moving. That's the whole point of National Dance Day, a grassroots movement that encourages Americans to get up and move. The big day is tomorrow: Saturday, July 31, and it's being recognized as a national holiday.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who has been an advocate for healthy lifestyle and is responsible for getting Congress to recognize the day, will speak about the importance of dance and physical education, and then will host her own flash mob on the National Mall in D.C. (Not familiar with flash mobs? Check out the 20,000-strong flash mob that invaded Michigan Avenue during Oprah's 24th season premiere.)
Although many programs, such as the Dizzy Feet Foundation and Angelina Ballerina, are focusing on getting children involved, there are plenty of ways for adults to get in on the action, too. Check out the So You Think You Can Dance blog or Examiner.com to find events (many of them offered free of charge) by city.
If there are no special events in your area or you're looking for other ideas, you can:
• Check out the phone book or your local community guide, or even do a Google search in your area for dance lessons for adults. Just make sure to confirm the class is for adults—you don't want to be surrounded by pint-size, pink-tutu-wearing princesses. If you find a class but you're still unsure whether you'll enjoy it, ask to watch a session before joining.
• Hit your local gym and take an aerobic-based dance class, such as cardio dance, Zumba, salsa aerobics or even pole dancing (our rookie diaries blogger gave this class a spin and loved it). Or, look into renting or buying a video or DVD version of one of these classes so you can do it at home.
• Head to a nightclub that offers free dance lessons—this is very popular in Latin and Country dance clubs. Generally an hour before the club gets really busy, teachers from nearby dance studios come and provide a free tutorial so that new patrons can keep up when the club gets crowded.
• Log on and learn to dance. Many online sites offer lessons for free. Check out LearntoDance.com or simply go to YouTube and search "dance lessons" for some great video demonstrations.
The beauty of dance is that it's a personal expression. Unless you're competing in a "So You Think You Can Dance" style competition, there is really no right way or wrong way to dance—no judge will be critiquing you for failing to point your toes or you won't lose points for not having beautiful lines. If you let yourself get wrapped up in the motions and the music, you'll get a good workout (a 150-pound woman can burn about 200 calories during a 30-minute modern dance class) and even have some fun. Now that's what I call happy feet!
Posted by Bob Greene on Fri, Jul 17, 2009
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!
For more great fitness and weight-loss advice, check out TheBestLife.com.