Date: 3 Dec 2009 Comments: 0

Skills in ballroom dancing make a person the life of the party. With ballroom dancing, you can let loose and have fun! Ballroom dancing boosts your confidence in every social situation, and it provides you with an opportunity to gain more friends who you share interests with. It is a great way to enhance your social skills. But ballroom dancing is not all about social benefits. Ballroom dancing is also good for your body and mind. If you take ballroom dance lessons, your mind and body will thank you for it. It?s best to find out how ballroom dancing can improve your health, especially if you?re still considering to learn ballroom dancing. So start moving your body and reap its benefits! Whether you are interested in the fun, health benefits, or just the ballroom dancing this can be a lifelong pastime.

Reduces Weight

In just an hour of moderate ballroom dancing, you can burn 250 to 300 calories. Ballroom dancing fares better in helping you lose weight than other physically challenging activities such as playing tennis, swimming, walking, or bicycling.

Because it gives you an active role in your weight loss or maintenance efforts, ballroom dancing is an ideal way to keep your body in shape. The turns, glides, moves, kicks, bends, bounces, and sways contribute in improving your oxygen consumption and heart rate, and these two factors are essential in calorie burning.

Develops Body and Mind Coordination

As you glide across the dance floor and move according to certain rhythms, you learn to coordinate your body and mind as well as that of your dancing partner.That benefit you won?t get from working out in front of a mirror or walking on a treadmill.

Tones Muscles

When you dance, different muscle groups are involved. For example, dances such as foxtrot involves long, striding steps backwards, and this type of movements is much different from the exercises usually done at a gym. This low-impact activity strengthens and tones the muscles in the thigh, calf, and buttocks. Aside from that, ballroom dancing can enhance your flexibility, balance, posture, and endurance.

Improves the Condition of the Heart and Circulatory System

Ballroom dancing is good for not only your heart, but also for your entire circulatory system. According to experts, ballroom dancing can boost blood circulation, lower the risk of heat ailments, control blood pressure, and boost levels of good cholesterol in the body. Studies also show that beginners in ballroom dancing can improve their heart rates with only 5 minutes of warm up and 20 minutes of swing, cha-cha, or polka.

Improves Mental Health

According to several studies, the mental challenges involved in ballroom dancing can improve blood flow to the brain, and this lowers the possibility of developing dementia and Alzheimer?s disease. When you dance, you try to remember complex steps, focus on the rhythm of music, and dance with a partner. All these give your brain a workout and make it stronger.

Relieves Stress

Stress causes a lot of diseases. Those who experience trauma because of a recent divorce or loss of a loved one can get some distraction through ballroom dancing.

The social interaction you get from ballroom dancing can help you cope with stress and depression. You also improve your mood and self-confidence because of better health and social skills. Ballroom dancing, accompanied by soothing music, can calm you and ease your tension.

Convinced of the health gains from ballroom dancing? So, what are you waiting for? Take ballroom dancing classes, let loose, and have fun!