Take Quick Steps to Dance Floor Fitness ~ Salsa Circuit latin news| salsa music| salsa dance

THE return of Strictly Come Dancing has transformed Saturday night viewing but if you take a lead from the stars of the show you can transform your fitness too. Dance is the ultimate workout.

It burns around 320 calories an hour or 100 calories more than a brisk walk, and exercises all the major muscle groups. Unlike many other forms of exercise it’s also fun.

That’s why Zumba exercise classes have become so popular says Alberto “Beto” Perez, the choreographer from Colombia who devised the fitness programme based on salsa moves.

Beto has worked with pop singer Shakira and other stars and says: “People hate exercise but they love to party.

“The fitness industry creates programmes for people who like the gym but that’s only five per cent of the population. With Zumba you see three generations in one class.”

Healthcare giant Bupa has also recognised the benefits of ballroom and launched Shall We Dance.

The campaign, spearheaded by Daily Express columnist Ann Widdecombe and Strictly partner Anton du Beke, encourages care home residents to be more active.

Dr Clive Bowman, medical director of Bupa Care Services, says: “Dancing is beneficial for maintaining good health and wellbeing.

“It can be helpful in conditions as diverse as dementia, arthritis and Parkinson’s disease. It can also help to reduce falls by improving co-ordination, while the social element can improve confidence and reduce isolation.”

Dr Robert Bonow, former president of the American Heart Association, says: “Dancing is effective because it’s fun.”

Here are just some of the ways you can foxtrot towards fitness.

CARDIO QUICK-STEP

Patients with heart trouble can waltz themselves well say Italian researchers who compared the benefits of dance to a gym workout.

A study of 110 people diagnosed with serious cardiac problems found those who waltzed at least three times a week showed slightly more improvement in heart health and breathing. Oxygen levels in the dancers improved by 18 per cent compared to 16 per cent in the other exercise group.

Three sessions a week of dance aerobics is also enough to produce significant reductions in cholesterol levels, a study at the Baskent University in Turkey has shown.

REEL WAY TO KEEP FIT

Traditional Scottish dances are a better workout than swimming or exercises classes according to a study at Strathclyde University.

Researchers tested 35 women aged 65 to 85 who had been dancing for at least five years and compared their results to 35 non-dancers of similar ages who enjoyed other exercise. All were fitter than average but the dancers showed better strength, stamina, flexibility and balance.

Exercise physiologist Dr Susan Dewhurst helped with the research.

She says: “Not only is country dancing enjoyable and sociable but there appears to be clear evidence it’s an effective exercise for particular types of fitness later in life.”

When University of Hertfordshire researchers compared the fitness levels of dancers from The Royal Ballet and members of the British swimming squad the dancers came out on top in seven out of 10 tests.

BRAIN-BOOSTING BALLROOM

If you’ve got rhythm you’ve probably also got a higher than average IQ say researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

They found volunteers who were good at keeping time to music also performed best at problem-solving.

Dance is the only physical activity which reduces the risk of dementia and provides even more protection than brain-training puzzles such as crosswords, said a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Albert Einstein College Of Medicine tracked the mental health of 469 elderly New Yorkers and found regular ballroom dancing lowered their risk by 76 per cent.

Study head Professor Joe Verghese believes dance is beneficial because it makes a variety of demands on the mind and body.

“Dancing involves precise physical activity, listening to the music, remembering dance steps and taking your partner into account which is very mentally testing,” he says.

Dance is also used in physical therapy for dementia patients and studies have shown listening to favourite tunes helps recover forgotten memories.

BOOGIE AWAY THE BLUES

Exercise in any form helps combat depression but dance is particularly good because it involves getting out and meeting people.

Korean researchers found just 12 weeks of regular dance improved the symptoms of patients with mild depression and before-and-after psychological tests showed significantly lower stress scores.

Blood tests revealed dance produced positive changes in the volunteers’ levels of dopamine and serotonin, which play a key role in mental function.

A University of New England study dubbed the “Tango Trial” found the dance helps switch off the negative thought patterns associated with stress and depression.

TAKE TWO AND TANGO

The steamy South American dance reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol say German researchers.

Cortisol is part of our fight or flight response and helps regulate blood pressure, immune response and other key body functions.

If we are under too much stress and levels remain high for long periods cortisol can trigger a host of health problems from cardiac disease to brittle bones.

Scientists at Goethe Universität in Frankfurt, Germany, recruited 22 tango fans for a study.

The team measured cortisol levels in their saliva before and after they took to the dancefloor.

They found that the tango triggered a significant reduction.

Study leader psychologist Cynthia Murcia says: “The intimate, close embrace in tango is instrumental in stimulating positive feelings.”

BALLET FOR BONES

Any weight-bearing exercise helps strengthen bones particularly up to the age of 18 to 20 when we reach peak bone density.

Researchers at Melbourne University in Australia discovered ballet is one of the best ways to boost bones. Scans of 143 girls aged eight to 11 showed those who took regular lessons had “significantly” greater bone density which reduces the risk of osteoporosis in later life.

A Leeds University study found children who danced regularly had five per cent more bone than couch potatoes. And researchers at Griffith University, Missouri, are testing their theory that line dancing can help bone problems in older women.

Source: Jane Symons
Image Credit Sfe SalsaPinoy