Instead of sitting on the couch watching "Dancing With the Stars" on TV, why not participate in a dance class yourself. There is a huge range of different dance styles from Allemande to Zumba, and you're sure to find one that suits your fitness level and tastes. Dancing is considered an aerobic, cardiovascular exercise because it raises your heartbeat and forces you to breathe harder. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should aim to perform at least 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise per week.
Step 1
Warm up for at least five to 10 minutes every time you dance. Warming up the muscles and joints reduces the risk of injuring yourself and prepares the body for exercise. To warm up the muscles, try walking, jogging in place or dancing to slower music.
Step 2
Stretch your body's major muscle groups. Try practicing a few yoga stretches like downward-facing dog and standing forward bend.
Step 3
Make a playlist that is filled with your favorite dance songs. Choose songs with a great beat that will motivate you to move. Add at least 30 minutes' worth of songs to the playlist. Dance at home wherever you have enough space to move around, for at least 30 minutes. The more you dance with gusto and intensity, the more calories you will burn. Dancing alone will not flatten your stomach. Rather, burning calories will allow you to lose weight in all parts of the body, including the stomach. To achieve maximum results, you should be breathing heavily but still able to hold a conversation.
Step 4
Take a dance class at a gym or dance studio. Find out which styles of dance are offered in your area and try as many classes as possible. Some dance classes at gyms provide a targeted abdominal workout at the end of the class. Vigorous styles of dance such as Zumba, salsa and hip hop focus on movements that strengthen the abdominal muscles.
Step 5
Finish your dance session with 25 or more crunches or situps for an extra abdominal workout.
References
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for Everyone
- American Council on Exercise; The Benefits of Dance Workouts; Jessica Matthews
- "ScienceDaily": Dance Your Way to Successful Aging
- "The British Journal of General Practice"; Dance as a Form of Exercise; Zoe Bremer; January 2007
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