Is Dancing Good Exercise ?

Dance to get good physical and mental Health

Dancing is not only fun and a great way to socialize, mix, and mingle, but it's also a good way to stay physically fit. Exercise doesn't have to be utter drudgery, especially when you can dance your way to health.

Doctors have long proclaimed the health benefits of social and ballroom dancing. Throughout history, doctors _ "' have recommended dance as good exercise to some very notable patients. It's a mild form of exercise for the heart. It's much more pleasurable than walking, and probably much more thorough because it involves the entire body. .

Several leading research centers have touted the physical fitness benefits of social dancing. For example, the Mayo Clinic reported dancing is not only a great way to have fun and socialize but also offers several health benefits. Dance 30 minutes continuously, and you will bum 200 to 400 calories, the same as walking, swimming, or cycling. Their research found social dancing provides these physical health benefits:

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Strong bones-- The side-to-side motions of many ballroom dances such as Mambo and Swing strengthen the tibia, fibula, and femur and also help in the prevention or slow loss of bone mass associated with osteoporosis.

Dr. Amy Cousins, a gynecologist in private practice in Binghamton, New York who also owns a dance studio, described the numerous health benefits of social dancing. For young people who work at a desk all day humped at a computer, dancing may be helpful to avoid having a slipped disk later on. It keeps their bodies mobile and their joints moving.

This dancing has all of the advantages and none of the disadvantages. In research studies, they tested people doing a Quickstep; it's the same caloric level as running a four minute mile... social dancing is an all around good exercise."

MENTAL FITNESS

Dancing is also a good way to unwind. People find dancing to be relaxing and a relief from everyday business pressures and stresses. Psychiatrists, many who come for their own pleasure, also recommend it for their patients. The movement to music is always a superior form of relaxation," stated Martin, who also operates social dance parties in New York City and New Jersey for people of all ages, with many attending for the good workout and exercise the dancing provides.

THERAPEUTIC

Recovering from an operation can be trying. Prescribed exercise and movement are often a part of physical therapy. A study conducted at the California State University at Long Beach a few years ago showed beginning students can derive health benefits from Ballroom dancing that equal aerobic dancing or jogging. Forty-five subjects (ages 18 to 35) warmed up five minutes followed by a 20-minute aerobic exercise with a Chacha, a Polka, two Swing dances of Jitterbug and Lindy, a Viennese Waltz, and a Samba. Most of the people got their heart rates up to recommended training rates, particularly with the Polka, Swing, and the Waltz. Results showed some forms of Ballroom dancing burn between 250 and 300 calories per hour and up to 400 calories with fast, vigorous dancing.

Dance instructor Dr. Peter Collins has witnessed first-hand the rehabilitative benefits of dancing among his students. He relayed the story of two female dance students who broke their hips around the same time. One opted to start dancing one month after the surgery, and the other wanted to wait until she was completely better. The student that danced one month after the surgery recuperated faster. The other student who didn't complained of feeling stiff and sore, a year later. She was out of shape,' said Collins, co-owner of a Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Englewood, New Jersey.

Collins is a firm believer that dancing as a form of exercise is good physical activity. "Physical activity promotes healing. At any age it promotes muscle toning. It promotes circulation, but it also helps mentally getting into the music and dancing. It makes residual pain bearable. You heal faster, especially after a long period of inactivity,' he said.

Since dancing provides entertainment as well as good physical and mental health, so more and more number of persons should learn some form of dancing and enjoy the benefits.

Good Luck