The Motivational Magic of Music: Dancing Your Way to a Fit Body

Many of my regular readers might recall that I’ve often shared that I have two left feet. That doesn’t stop me from enjoying watching others dance. So when I heard of a dance exercise class close to our place, I went to watch. I do believe it would be so much fun dancing your way to a fit body.

The Motivational Magic of Music: Dancing Your Way to a Fit Body

If you love music and you are in the market for a new workout routine, you should be dancing. Dance can give a whole body workout if you do it right. It is also an incredible mood lifter, which adds to the overall positive benefits. Here’s what to look for in a motivational dance workout that you can do at home, in the studio or on the road.

No talent required

You don’t have to be a skilled dancer to enjoy the benefits of moving your body to music. A dance class can give challenges as you test your memory and learn choreography, but depending on the type of dance, you might find it doesn’t really contribue much to weight loss or muscle toning. The pros on Dancing with the Stars have incredible physiques but to get the body of a professional dancer, you would have to be dancing in the studio for several hours each day. The best type of dance workout for the non-professional offers simple, repetitive moves that use the entire body.

Break up boredom with dance

If hearing a catchy tune makes you want to bust a move, you should seriously consider incorporating dance into your regular workout routine. Let’s face it – a gym workout can be boring. Unless you are aiming to build substantial muscle, you might find dancing a better alternative to weight lifting. You will likely find it more enjoyable and it gives you the workout you need. Dance is fun, requires no equipment, and dancing targets the core, arms, legs and butt muscles. Your workout changes with every song, so boredom isn’t an issue. You can use dance as the cardio part of your workout, and alternate with light weights exercises, Pilates or Yoga to increase your flexibility, build muscle and avoid injury.

Have music, will travel

You don’t need a gym membership or fancy exercise equipment if you have access to music. Just put your earphones in, dial up your favorite playlist and go for an up-tempo walk. If you really want to get moving, consider investing in a Zumba DVD. That way you can exercise in any weather, at home or on the road, wherever you have access to a DVD machine. Zumba was developed as a form of dance fitness in Colombia in the 1990’s. It doesn’t involve a lot of instruction; the moves flow one to the next in an intuitive pattern. Zumba has gained popularity in North America in recent years, as people search for enjoyable, economical and effective ways to exercise.

Gyms and fitness clubs are also catching onto the dancing trend, offering classes in hip-hop for cardio. For variety and to keep challenging yourself, you can search for free dance videos on the Internet when you have access to WiFi. You will find routines based on Bollywood, Latin and even African styles of dancing. All of that hip swaying helps to build core muscles and tone the abs.

Have you  ever considered dancing your way to a fit body?

Image of group of dancers via Shutterstock