Cardio exercise the fun way – dance fitness

Cardio workouts in t he gym can be a chore but doing regular cardio exercise is vital for healthy aging.   Combining cardio exercise with the fun of dance is a great way to keep fit over 40.

As we all know heart pumping aerobic exercise is an essential part of any anti aging health strategy. But – for many of us – “workout boredom” can get in the way.

Twice weekly visits to the gym to pound the treadmill or the exercise machines soon lose their attraction. And one thing you really need when you are trying to tone up and lose weight is motivation.

So why not combine exercise with pleasure and and join a dance class?

Dance fitness, also known as “beat-based” fitness, is becoming big business in gyms and dance studios and a hot favorite among celebrities. Gwyneth Paltrow owes her new trimmed and toned shape to a dance fitness routine created for her by the personal trainer she shares with Madonna.

You may not be at the Madonna level of personal fitness – nor want to be – but combining dance and exercise is a great idea. Any exercise is more effortless if you do it with other people to a dance beat – and when dance is the exercise – it becomes a pleasure.

There are many ways to combine dance and exercise. Ballroom dancing – fuelled by recent reality TV programs which put well known names through their dance paces – is experiencing a renaissance in the UK and Europe. It may look elegant but this is no easy option – practising ballroom dancing means a heart pumping workout. Posture is enhanced as well as balance and flexibility. No doubt about it this is strenuous exercise – but at its most graceful and fluid.

Belly dancing is good for balance and posture. This dance strengthens the back and the muscles of the pelvic floor. It tones hamstrings, thighs, abs, glutes and hips. It’s a great place to start for beginners but, as you progress, dance moves can be faster and more aerobic giving you a full body workout. Great for toning the abdominal flab and developing core strength – gently.

Line dancing is considered low impact but it definitely has the ability to get your heart rate up. Forget the old country and western image – line dancing has expanded its horizons. The music can be soulful, swing, Latin, jazz, urban nightclub, and even the waltz and foxtrot can be done in a line – no partner needed.

Everyone has heard about salsa – but what about cardio salsa for a more exciting workout? This Latin street dance is similar to the mambo, but faster. Wildly popular in nightclubs as well as health clubs, all forms of Latin dance are being taught as dance fitness.

Swing, West Coast Swing, Jive or Boogie, can be found in a line dance as well as their traditional partnered form. Just “boogie on down,” for all round anti aging health. You’ll find flexibility you never thought achievable, tone your core muscles and have the time of your life.

All forms of dance fitness share the bonus of combining fun with a great cardio workout. Many of them are also great forms of core exercise – developing strength in those core muscles which are so essential for fighting abdominal flab in our forties and beyond.

Dancing combines a cardio workout with load bearing exercise – vital for building bone density and resisting osteoporosis. The fact that you have fun as well increases the flood of endorphins to your body and reduces blood pressure – and makes dance fitness great for all round anti aging health.

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