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Featured Aerobics Articles

Aerobic vs Anaerobic: What's All the Controversy About?
There seems to be a great deal of debate as to which type of metabolic training is the best... Aerobic vs Anaerobic. Ok, what is metabolic training? What is all this aerobic vs anaerobic talk? Metabolic training is conditioning exercises performed with ...

Exercise Bikes – No Excuses, 30 Minutes A Day On A Bike Will Change Your Life
Exercise bikes are the ideal home exercise equipment. We are all advised to exercise for 30 minutes per day to stay healthy combined with a good balanced food intake. Most people complain of not having the time to go to the gym or prepare to out jogging ...

How Fat Is Burned: turning fat into energy, carbon-dioxide and water!
The primary reason we need to eat food is to provide fuel for the body. This fuel comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. To explain it simply, food is broken down to produce energy, and it takes many chemical processes for that to ...

The Health Benefits Of Dancing -- Including Specific Benefits Of Different Dances
 

In fact, Mayo Clinic researchers reported that social dancing helps to: Reduce stress Increase energy Improve strength Increase muscle tone and coordination

And whether you like to kick up your heals to hip hop, classical or country, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says that dancing can: Lower your risk of coronary heart disease Decrease blood pressure Help you manage your weight Strengthen the bones of your legs and hips

Dancing is a unique form of exercise because it provides the heart-healthy benefits of an aerobic exercise while also allowing you to engage in a social activity. This is especially stimulating to the mind, and one 21-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine even found dancing can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in the elderly.

In the study, participants over the age of 75 who engaged in reading, dancing and playing musical instruments and board games once a week had a 7 percent lower risk of dementia compared to those who did not. Those who engaged in these activities at least 11 days a month had a 63 percent lower risk!

Interestingly, dancing was the only physical activity out of 11 in the study that was associated with a lower risk of dementia. Said Joe Verghese, a neurologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a lead researcher of the study, "This is perhaps because dance music engages the dancer's mind."

Verghese says dancing may be a triple benefit for the brain. Not only does the physical aspect of dancing increase blood flow to the brain, but also the social aspect of the activity leads to less stress, depression and loneliness. Further, dancing requires memorizing steps and working with a partner, both of which provide mental challenges that are crucial for brain health.

How Good of a Workout is Dancing, Really?

The amount of benefit you get from dancing depends on, like most exercises, the type of dancing you're doing, how strenuous it is, the duration and your skill level.

Says exercise physiologist Catherine Cram, MS, of Comprehensive Fitness Consulting in Middleton, Wisconsin, "Once someone gets to the point where they're getting their heart rate up, they're actually getting a terrific workout. Dance is a weight-bearing activity, which builds bones. It's also "wonderful" for your upper body and strength."

Plus, dancing requires using muscles that you may not even know you had.

"If you're dancing the foxtrot, you're taking long, sweeping steps backwards. That's very different than walking forward on a treadmill or taking a jog around the neighborhood ... Ballroom dancing works the backs of the thighs and buttock muscles differently from many other types of exercise," says Ken Richards, professional dancer and spokesman for USA Dance, the national governing body of DanceSport (competitive ballroom dancing).

Specific Benefits of Different Dances

If you're looking for specific health results, here's a breakdown of the benefits of some popular dances. Just remember that any type of dancing is better than no dancing at all!

Belly Dancing Improved posture and muscle toning Maintains flexibility Helps prevent lower back problems Tones and firms arms and shoulders Helps with weight loss Helps prepare women for childbirth Reduces stress

Dancing Off Those Calories

How many calories will you burn while dancing? That depends on the type of dancing. Here's a range of some of the most popular varieties, based on a 150-pound person, per hour: Swing dancing: 235 calories/hour Ballroom dancing: 265 Square dancing: 280 Ballet: 300 Belly dancing: 380 Salsa dancing: 420+ Aerobic dancing: 540+

Ballroom Dancing Conditions the body Helps keep the heart in shape Builds and increases stamina Develops the circulatory system Strengthens and tones legs and body Increases flexibility and balance Helps with weight loss Relieves stress

Salsa Dancing Builds endurance and stamina Helps with weight loss Relieves stress Helps you release toxins via sweating May help lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels Can lead to a reduced heart rate over time

Square Dancing Provides cardiovascular conditioning May lead to a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure and an improved cholesterol profile Strengthens bones Helps you develop strong social ties Loosens and tones muscles

Physical benefits aside, dancing has a way of brightening up a person's day, says ballroom owner and operator Karen Tebeau.

"A lot of times, when people come into the studio, it's because there's been a change in their life: a divorce or they've been through a period of depression. They (continue) coming in, and you see a big change. After a while, they're walking in with a sunny expression. You know it's the dancing that's doing that," she says.




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Aerobics News

Water aerobics make it easier to give birth - News-Medical.Net
Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Health has shown that, as well as being safe, the gentle exercise has the benefit of making it easier to give birth. Rosa Pereira led a team of researchers from the University of ...

8 injured in bomb blast near Thai Government House - Xinhua News Agency
BANGKOK, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were injured when two unidentified assailants on Saturday's early morning launched a grenade at the Misakawan Intersection outside the Thai Government House which was seized by the anti-government ...

Water aerobics make it easier to give birth - News-Medical.Net
Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Health has shown that, as well as being safe, the gentle exercise has the benefit of making it easier to give birth. Rosa Pereira led a team of researchers from the University of ...

Water aerobics help delivery go swimmingly - Los Angeles Times Blogs
Although more and more doctors recommend moderate exercise during pregnancy, studies have shown that expectant mothers usually fall short when it comes to workouts. So here’s a little incentive to get moving: A new study published in the November ...

Water Aerobics Reduces Pain In Childbirth - CBS News
A new study reports that women who do water aerobics during pregnancy may have less need of pain medications for their deliveries. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Campinas in Brazil and published in Reproductive Health ...

Want Natural Birth? Try Water Aerobics - News4Jax.com
Women who do water aerobics need less pain medicine during labor, according to a new study. A course of water aerobics classes has been shown to reduce the amount of pain-killing medication women request during labor. as well as being safe, the ...

Aqua-aerobics during pregnancy 'eases childbirth pain' - Daily News and Analysis
WASHINGTON: Exercise during pregnancy has been the subject of much debate. Now, a new study has revealed that doing aqua-aerobics could ease the pain of childbirth. Researchers have found that a course of water aerobics classes not only reduces the ...