One, Two, Three . . . Cha, Cha, Cha!

Lucky Barillas
Nutrition Counselor, MyDiet™

One of the keys to sticking to an exercise regimen is to have a good time and enjoy every second of it. Dancing is a new trend in aerobic exercise. It is a low-impact workout that can be practiced by all generations: grandparents, parents, teenagers, and kids.

The goal is to get in shape, but also to have fun! Dance classes can be taken at a gym or even by watching a video. The good news is there are as many rhythms as there are ages, countries, and seasons. Therefore, it is easy to find a dance style that is tailored to your preferences and needs.

If one of your goals is to lose weight and burn fat, dancing can help because it is an aerobic exercise that helps you increase your heart rate.  For example, dancing for one hour burns around 250 to 300 calories. Imagine that! If you take dance lessons three times a week, not only will you will be burning about 850 calories, you will also be having fun.

Some of the benefits of dancing are:

• Weight loss
• Better self-esteem, due to the production of endorphins (a hormone that makes people feel happy)
• Improvement of agility, speed, and balance
• Increased flexibility
• Better posture and body alignment
• Improved heart health, since it is an aerobic exercise and you are getting your heart rate up
  

Even if your days are very busy and you feel like you have no time, try to take three hours each week to dance and you will notice great changes, not only physically, but also in your mood and self-esteem.