New evidence suggests Americans will live longer if they make it a priority to be active for at least 11 minutes each day. Fred Astaire Dance Studios wants you to know — 11 minutes is the same amount of time it takes to dance to two songs. Good health is only 2 songs away!
Knowing exercise is beneficial for your physical well-being is not news for most people. Health professionals and the dieting industry regularly advise Americans to put an end to their couch potato tendencies and make exercise a regular part of their lives. A new study of 3,451 people by the Norwegian School of Sports Medicine reveals positive news for people who are still reluctant to work up a sweat. The study determined moderate exercise for 11 minutes had a positive impact on the overall health and wellness of participants. The study used activity trackers to gather data on exercise and downtime.
Health Benefits of Exercise
Even though research shows even small amounts of exercise is beneficial, the health benefits increase the longer you exercise. Adults who are physically active are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer than are adults who are sedentary. Exercise can also improve mental health by reducing anxiety and stress.
For the elderly, staying active is particularly important to brain health. Seniors who exercise are at a lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s Disease. Nearly 5.8 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease, one of the most common forms of dementia, WebMD reported. Exercise can also help lower blood pressure and increase bone density.
The Centers for Disease Control and the American Heart Association recommend adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. They also recommend doing at least two hours of muscle-strengthening exercise to improve both muscle and bone strength and reduce the risk of injury, especially during more intense workouts. Some examples of moderate-intensity exercises include a brisk walk, swimming, bicycling, tennis, and ballroom dancing.
Pandemic Fuels Weight Gain
The outbreak of the pandemic, stay-at-home orders, and shuttered fitness centers resulted in weight gain for many Americans. Instead of making exercise a priority, many people coped by baking sourdough bread, overindulging in alcohol, and binging the latest Netflix release. As the corporate world turned to telework to keep employees safe, it also meant more Americans became sedentary. Shuffling from the bedroom to a home office and attending virtual meetings took a toll on waistlines. Widespread access to the vaccine and people getting fed up watching the number on the scale grow is helping kickstart healthy habits.
Exercise is Fun at Fred Astaire Dance Studios
The certified dance instructors at Fred Astaire Dance Studios help teach the time-honored tradition of ballroom dancing and provide a low-impact workout for our clients. Ballroom dancing can help burn fat, lose weight, and increase metabolism. Thirty minutes of ballroom dancing can burn an average of 200 to 400 calories, depending on whether you are practicing a slow rhumba or learning a high-energy salsa dance. Ballroom dancing can increase flexibility and is a form of exercise that can be enjoyed by people at all ages and stages of their lives.
Take a look at the fitness level required to perform some of the ballroom dances from the popular television show, “Dancing With the Stars.”
In this clip, all of the couples hit the stage for a group swing dance to some lively music. Couples are slowly eliminated before a winning pair is revealed.
Check out Marie Osmond’s final dance during the fifth season of “Dancing With the Stars.” Osmond spent five decades in the entertainment business and is the sibling of the Osmonds, a band of four brothers who hit it big in the early 1970s. While she didn’t win, her performance gets an “A” for effort.
Make a commitment to exercise by contacting your local Fred Astaire Dance Studios location to schedule a dance lesson today.
