As National Heart Month rolls around in February, consider adding ballroom dance lessons to your lineup to improve heart health.
Heart Disease: A Silent Killer
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It’s responsible for killing one out of every four men in the U.S., and about one out of sixteen women over the age of 20 suffer from coronary heart disease. Unfortunately, many people do not understand the risk factors and are unaware of a heart problem until it is too late.
One of the leading causes of heart disease is obesity, according to the American Heart Association. The other traditional risk factors for heart disease are smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol. But there are other concerns you need to consider. Family history, ethnicity, chronic kidney disease, and inflammatory conditions, like arthritis and psoriasis, all put you at higher risk, the AHA reports.
Despite the grim statistics and the high number of risk factors, simple changes to diet and exercise routines can go a long way to improving heart health. Experts recommend getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily to improve heart health. Skipping out on processed foods and salt is key. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and fish will help improve your cardiovascular health. The Mayo Clinic also encourages people to quit smoking, reduce stress, get enough sleep, and visit the doctor regularly, to prevent heart disease. Understanding your risk factors and family history should also be a priority.
Find a Fun Workout
Sometimes finding the initiative to hop on the treadmill or head out for a jog is challenging. And many of us are prone to hibernate, particularly during chilly weather. The lure of spending a Saturday afternoon watching football or streaming the latest thriller on Netflix is hard to resist. The key to improving your heart health is to make exercise fun.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios has a low-impact workout that will make you smile and teach you a fun new hobby. A 60-minute group or private dance lesson at one of our local studios can burn up to 320 calories. Ballroom dancing can help you lose weight, bolster heart health, and improve flexibility. Our dance lessons take your health a step further by helping reduce the onset of dementia and alleviating some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Our dance instructors create a fun, welcoming environment at lessons and practice parties. On your ballroom dancing journey, you’ll meet new friends, learn a fun new skill that will last a lifetime, and improve your physical health.
If you’re questioning whether ballroom dancing can help you burn calories, check out the dance moves in the following videos.
Take a look at these high schoolers from Amamperez Agro High School in the Philippines performing some smooth steps for an approving crowd.
In this clip, Ricardo Vega and Karen Forcano perform a fast-paced salsa at the World Salsa Summit in 2016.
Despite the song’s slow pace, this couple’s feet stay busy dancing the Viennese waltz on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Twirl Your Way to Good Health at FADS
We teach individuals and couples how to swing, tango, and jive. We also offer an Online Lesson Platform for people who want to take a lesson from the comfort of their living room. Online students can stream a wide variety of lessons or live-stream a dance lesson with one of our certified dance instructors.
Contact your local Fred Astaire Dance Studios location to learn about our special introductory offer and to schedule your first lesson.
