Dance is a form of expression and art for some. But, it may give you impressive weight loss results too. Yes, shaking a leg or two and choosing dance for weight loss can help you hit your goal sooner than you think. All you gotta do is get your best dancing shoes out and shake it till you make it! Don’t believe us? We spoke to a fitness expert to convince you.
Xavana Dias, a fitness expert at Cult.fit, spoke to Health Shots and explained reasons why dancing for an hour is something that gives fitness for free!
Dias says “Workouts may seem scary for beginners – getting into a gym where muscular people are pumping weights may feel quite intimidating. Dance for weight loss is a perfect workout for people who want their fitness journey to feel like a party. Yup! That’s precisely what dance workout is all about.”
Here are 6 reasons why you need to dance for weight loss and fitter body:
1. It’s a superb HIIT workout
Dance gives you a real workout! It’s a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) cardiovascular endurance workout allowing one to burn anywhere between 300 – 500 calories in a 50-minute class which really feels like 15 minutes.
2. Dance helps to exercise each part in one go
According to Dias, “Dancing for an hour and keeping your core tight while doing big movements, ensures most muscle groups are exercised. Try it once and you will feel slightly sore muscles in areas you never thought you worked out.”
3. Mood booster
It’s an instant mood booster! Great music and dance are a perfect combination to relieve stress, set your mood up for a great day or evening, and make you smile. A good mental health and less cortisol levels are directly linked to faster weight loss.
4. It’s easy and you don’t need to know how to dance
“There is no pressure of right or wrong with dance fitness – we all have different ways and styles. What matters is movement. We should embrace our movements regardless of our dancing level and missing a beat or two. Every move should tone every part of your body,” says Dias.
5. Dance gives you many chances to work those abs
If you dance for weight loss, you don’t need to smash out complex moves one after the other like a professional dancer does. It has super simple steps that are repeated multiple times in one song. So, if you miss the steps the first time, your chance to ace it comes back in 30 secs and again in another 30. By the fourth time you may be busting out those moves better than a pro and working those abs out!
6. Dance makes you flexible
Dancing is uber social! You are not only smiling while doing it, but you’re also encouraging yourself each time you get a step right. It strengthens each muscle in your body and makes you flexible as well.
However, it is necessary to have fun while doing it and consider it as a great workout. Do not forget to stretch once you’re done with it to avoid any chances of cramps and muscle pulls. Consistency is what you need before opting for dance for weight loss. Once you get into the groove, it already feels like a party becomes something you want to do every day without pushing yourself too much!