Eating right can help you make the most of your ballroom dancing lesson at Fred Astaire Dance Studios as you improve your dance moves!

Ballroom dancing is a fun way to stay active and trim your waistline. Thirty minutes on the dance floor can burn at least 200 calories. That’s more than 30 minutes on the elliptical or rowing machine. Ballroom dancing is an ideal form of exercise you can do year-round from the comfort of your living room or in the fun atmosphere of one of our local studios. Fred Astaire Dance Studios helps you improve your dance moves by offering private and group lessons at our local studios, as well as Online Lessons you can live-stream at home.

Nearly 60% of adults in the United States suffer from a diet-related chronic condition, such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Unhealthy food choices may lead to obesity, which raises the risk for heart attack, cancer, and sleep disorders. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends adults limit eating foods high in added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. They advise eating a diet rich in nutrient-based foods, including vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. Experts urge men to target 2,500 calories per day, and for women, 2,000.

Eat Your Vegetables

Dancing can help you get fit, but to ensure you’re ready to get groovy, it’s important to fuel up by making healthy choices. Consuming a healthy diet and making sure to eat the right amount of calories can make you a better dancer.

• Stem Muscle Fatigue. Complex carbohydrates from whole grains, beans, and starchy vegetables break down into glucose, which provides your muscles with fuel to give you the energy to perform at a high level for the duration of your lesson.

• Prevent Injury. Healthy proteins, like chicken, fish, and turkey, strengthen muscle tissue and decrease the chances of suffering a strain during a high-energy dance, like the salsa or swing.

• Strengthen Bones. A common problem, particularly among seniors, is bone loss. Eating calcium-rich foods can help strengthen bones and increase your range of motion while dancing.

Making sure to stay properly hydrated should also be part of your healthy eating plan. Drinking water can help improve your heart health and kidney function. Staying hydrated can also boost metabolism and help lose weight.

Healthy Diets Help Dancers Take Center Stage

Take a look at the energy level these dancers need to compete.

In this clip, check out the amount of energy these dancers need to compete in the Latin portion of the National Amateur DanceSport Championships held this year in Provo, Utah.

Here’s another example of ballroom dancers in action. It’s likely these performers on “Dancing With the Stars” needed to fuel up before dancing the jitterbug.

In the quest to achieve their dreams, ballerinas are notorious for failing to take into account the importance of a healthy diet. In the movie, “The Black Swan,” the main character struggles with her weight as she strives to become a prima ballerina.

Perfect Your Dance Moves at FADS
Stay healthy, eat right, and get your feet tapping by contacting your local Fred Astaire Dance Studios location to schedule your first dance lesson.