Dance could be the ticket to attaining your weight loss goals. Knowledge of specific dance steps to lose weight is not needed. Any dance steps that increase and sustain your heart rate over a period of time allows your body to burn fat and lose weight. The American Council on Exercise lauds the benefits of dance, which include better balance, improved coordination and possible reversal of bone loss, since dance qualifies as a weight-bearing activity.
Dancing For Weight Loss
Adding just 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous intensity activity will help you burn calories and lose weight, according to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Depending on your current fitness level, if you incorporate at least 20 minutes of sustained dance, using whatever steps you enjoy and can perform with ease, you will elevate your heart rate, which will help you burn calories while increasing aerobic endurance. Dr. Edward R. Laskowski, writing for MayoClinic.com, cites frequency, length and exertion level as factors which will determine how much weight you lose through dancing. If you dance at a pace equivalent to a stroll, the benefits of weight loss will be minimal compared to dancing at a rate equivalent to a brisk walk.
Steps To Lose Weight
Any dance steps can be used to lose weight, even a basic marching in place. The key is whether you are moving your whole body or just parts of your body to music. The more body parts are moving, the more you challenge your cardiovascular system, which in turns elevates the heart rate and burns more calories. Depending on your level of fitness and agility, performing dance steps that use the major muscles of the lower body, such as hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteals, as well as incorporating upper body movement will accelerate your calorie consumption during your workout.
Progression
Whether you are dancing by yourself in the living room, taking dancing lessons or a dance-based aerobic exercise class, using progression methods will ensure against overexertion and possible injury. For example, a basic move such as a side tap--step tap to the right and step tap to the left--becomes a hop tap to the right and left when progressed to an intermediate level. This basic step becomes more challenging at the advanced level--hop and hold on one leg to the right, followed by hop and hold on one leg to the left. There are numerous ways to add progression to a basic move such as adding arm movements, jumps or utilizing exercise equipment such as a bench step.
Beats Per Minute
Consider the beats per minute (BPM) of your music choice when your goal is to lose weight. Dancing at a faster BPM helps to elevate your heart rate. Notice how dancing to a waltz will not have you as out of breath as dancing to disco music. Music with a strong and steady beat makes it easier for you to hear and maintain your dance steps to the beat. Sustained movement at a constant rate is key to keeping your heart rate elevated and your body burning calories. Find music that is continuous and maintains a steady BPM, as in a music mix, to avoid stopping your flow when a song ends.
Low Impact vs. High Impact
Low-impact dance steps are those movements that keep at least one foot on the floor, while high-impact dance steps will involve leaps and jumps--both feet off the floor, simultaneously. Your fitness level and personal preference will indicate whether you want to engage in dance steps that involve high-impact movements. Though high-impact movements will boost the intensity of your dance workout, performing low-impact movements with energy provides a calorie-burning opportunity while decreasing chances of injury.
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