If you are starting your ballroom dancing journey, Fred Astaire Dance Studios recommends adding cross-training exercises for dancers to your daily routine to help improve your performance on the dance floor.
The Centers for Disease Control advises adults to exercise for 150 minutes a week, including two days of muscle-strengthening activities. Staying physically fit is proven to improve brain health, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen muscles and bones, and make everyday activities easier to manage. Between work, household duties, and childcare responsibilities, it can be hard to find time to devote to exercise. The lure of Netflix and social media is not doing people any favors. In fact, Americans spend an average of nine hours and 39 minutes per day watching a screen.
Ballroom dancing is an aerobic workout and can be draining for people who are new to the sport, especially if exercise is not already part of their daily routine. Learning to ballroom dance can help you lose weight, improve cardiovascular fitness, boost flexibility, and increase muscle strength. But, if you spend most of your day in front of a computer or your evenings watching television, learning to tango and swing may make you breathless.
Top Exercises for Dancers
Ballroom dancing can put you on the fast track to good health, but staying active is essential when you are not in the studio. We’ve got some cross-training exercises for people who want to improve their physical health, hone their dance skills, and increase their endurance during dance lessons.
Yoga. This Hindu spiritual practice involves stretching, breath control, and meditation. It can help keep your body limber and improve focus. Yoga, or just simple stretching, can increase flexibility and put you in the right mindset to learn some new steps on the dance floor.
Cardio. Dancing requires endurance, and participating in cardio exercise is an easy way to build up your stamina. A quick jog is a great cardio activity, but riding the exercise bike or simply heading outside for a walk will do the trick, too.
Plank. A plank may seem intimidating, but it’s a fast and easy way to strengthen your abdominal muscles. To do a plank, hold the trunk of your body in a straight line off the ground, similar to getting into a pushup position. Start by holding the plank for at least 5 seconds and work your way up to longer periods.
High Demand for Dance Workouts
Dancing is great exercise. Ballroom dancing can burn up to 320 calories per hour. There are a variety of other dancing techniques that can help make you a better ballroom dancer and improve your health. Check out some of these options for people who love to dance.
Jazzercise was a fitness revolution in the 1980s, and it’s still going strong today. Often associated with leg warmers and leotards, jazzercise is a high-impact workout that combines cardio, strength training, Pilates, hip-hop, yoga, and kickboxing.
Zumba mixes low-intensity and high-intensity moves to the beat of Latin music. Each week, more than 15 million people attend Zumba classes in 200,000 locations across 186 countries.
Take a look at these seniors staying fit at a Silver Sneakers dance class. Silver Sneakers is a health and fitness program designed to help the elderly stay active.
Get Fit at FADS!
Ready to boost your energy, improve your health, and have fun? Fred Astaire Dance Studios offers group and private ballroom dancing lessons for individuals and couples. Our dance lessons are a fun, social way to get in shape. If you’re ready to improve your physical and mental health, contact your local Fred Astaire Dance Studios to schedule a lesson.
