3 Reasons why dancing is a phenomenal exercise

The fact that dancing is an incredible form of exercise forms the backbone of this whole site, so the question of whether or not dance is a good form of exercise is not one which has come up all too often here. This is perfectly exampled by the title of this blog article....

Notice the way that the title assumes that exercise is an awesome form of exercise? Notice how at no point does the question of 'if' even get a look in. No, our question is not 'if' but 'why'. Why is dance such a great form of exercise? Because it is, and there is no debating that simple fact... at least not on this blog!

This rambling digression is my attempt at an introduction to this incredibly important blog article. I want to outline for you a handful of reasons (and I am very sure that there are more) why dance is such a good exercise. So without further ado, I give you my top three reasons why dance is such a great way to get in shape.

1. There is such a low barrier for entry

There are so many forms of exercise which may sound exotic or much more interesting than dancing, but they often have a very high barrier for entry. That is to say that there are costs or other factors that would stop the average person from taking part. There may be masses of equipment that you would need in order to begin taking part (think fencing or archery) or there may be an initial skill set that would inhibit you from going along to your first class (imagine turning up to an ice hockey training session with zero ability to skate).

But dancing is different. What do you need? Shorts, t shirt, sneakers and any one of a hundred different dance bags that you can pick up from Amazon for a few bucks? Most people have all that stuff gathering dust in their bedrooms.

2. Because exercise is boring, but dancing in so much fun

Have you ever went running? Seriously... its not a fun thing to do, unless you are a very peculiar person indeed. Or how about a rowing machine? No, that's not our idea of a good time... not by a long shot. But dancing is an amazing way to spend an hour or so. Rehearsing steps, practising for shows, running through routine after routine, getting better and better? Now that's a great way to spend some time. Of course some people really do not like to dance, so we acknowledge that this is somewhat subjective. But the truth is that most people who claim not to enjoy dancing have never actually been to a dance class, and this kind of dancing is quite different from your local nightclub bopping. In short, do not knock it till you have tried it. We think its great fun, and if you agree then you will have yourself a great form of exercise.

3. Dancing is a social activity

So many forms of exercise are solo activities. This may well suit some people, but for a great many of us it can be a real turn off. Even forms of exercise where you can take part in it with other people (running being a great example) hardly constitute a group activity - sure, you may well be completing the activity as part of a group, but its not like there is any kind of bonding or sense of group synergy about the whole thing... that kind of exercise is more like a group of people together completing solo activities near each other, rather than a group activity.

Dance classes are very much a group experience. This is not unique to dance, as team sports can have the same appeal. But there is something about dance that makes this class mentality all the more powerful and significant to those involved.

Blisters: the enemy of the get fit dancer

A must have for new dancers!

There is nothing worse than getting a blister, especially if you are a dancer. Every new dancer needs to use blister prevention cream - this stuff is worth its weight in gold!

Dancers can be prone to getting blisters on their feet, especially after they have started wearing new dance shoes.

Blisters, for those that do not know, are actually your bodies way of protecting itself from harm. You get a blister on your foot (for example) when something really irritates the skin, over and over again.

Imagine you have just got a new pair of dance shoes - the perfect accessory to your contemporary dance costumes - and they are perfect ( FYI - you can learn more about contemporary dance costumes on this awesome guide), perfect that is aside from the fact that they rub a little bit on your toe. But you expect that with new shoes, don't you? You will break them in soon enough, and its not as if its actually sore, is it?

Well that rub on your toe will happen with every single step that you take. Its not long before you have rubbed the skin on your toe thousands of times. Its not a great place to be, because all that rubbing is going to damage the skin a little. Left to continue, it would eventually damage the skin a lot. In a bid to protect itself from more serious damage, your body forms a blister, which is uses like bubble wrap to protect the skin thats getting damaged. So blisters are a good thing...

But dancing on a blister will drive you mad with pain, and will only serve to make it much worse. Its no lie to say that a blister on the foot can disable a dancer, since rest is the only real way to get rid of it.

So whats the solution for the dancer looking to get fit?

Avoiding a blister is preferable to dealing with one, so steps (no pun intended) should be taken to make sure that you do not get one in the first place. In real terms this can be done by only wearing really comfortable shoes for dancing in. New shoes should be broken in gently before using them for your classes. You can wear them around the house for short spells, until you get to a point where they do not cause any discomfort.

That being said, every dancer needs to keep a good supply of blister treatments

This will be a bigger problem for formal dance shoes than dance sneakers, but the same rules should apply. Its better to be a little over cautious, than to limp out your class with a blister!

ballroom dancing - elegant, suave and good for you!

There are dozens of different forms of dancing. More than I could possibly hope to list for you. So rather than try, I intend to focus a little bit on each dance discipline as they come to mind. If you have not worked out already, this article is all about ballroom dancing.

When people talk about dancing as a form of exercise, most people today think of Zumba or Bokwa. There is no doubt that these are popular and very good exercise, but they do not directly tackle the subject that is the basis for this site.

I mean this with all respect, but Zumba and Bokwa are forms of exercise first, and dance forms second.

But when people ask you about dancing as a form of exercise, I bet that very few people will stop to consider ballroom dancing as an option. That's because the term 'ballroom dancing' conjures up notions of very old people cuddling on a dance floor, moving very slowly to music.

Recent TV shows have gone some way to redressing this, with celebrities getting incredibly fit by dancing with professional dancers in various knock out competitions.

Although you do not need to dress like they do on TV, when you go to ballroom dancing classes, it can be nice to dress up a little. If you are not sure what to wear, then check out this dance costumes guide to see what is appropriate.

I want to put it to you that ballroom dancing can be a great work out. Indeed, it can be as much of a workout as you want it to be. If you go for it, and I mean really push yourself, then you can build up an incredible sweat and get a great work out from it. Or you can take it a bit easier and get more of a gentle work out.

Its because you can choose the level to which you exercise during ballroom that makes it such a good choice of exercise. It can suit young things that want to sweat, or the older generations that need things a little more gentle.

With ballroom, as with most forms of dance, there needs to be a breaking in period where you learn the steps and how to actually dance first of all. This can take a few lessons to get the basics down, and then you can adapt it to suit the level to which you work out.

You can pick up some great ballroom dancing costumes and accessories here

Ballroom dancing is elegant and suave, and aside from getting fit, there are great social benefits to going to a class... after all, you cannot learn to ballroom dance by yourself. Lots of classes do not require you to have a partner, as they will pair you up when you get there, so all you need to do is to turn up. If you are in doubt you can check with your local class before you arrive.

A competition for my readers

I was about to go to bed when I had an idea about this website... I would run a competition!

I know that this site is still very young (at least at the time of writing) and there is not a massive readership yet... But this is a competition that can run long term. 

The competition is simple... send me your best dance stories (be they funny or sweet or whatever) and I will publish the best stories as part of a blog series. If your story links or relates in someway to a youtube video or some other content online already, then let me know with your entry, and I can link directly to that content so as to make the story all the more real for the other readers. 

There is no prize for this... Only the sense of satisfaction from knowing that your story has made the wall of fame... or at least my little website... but hey - if your story makes the cut then be sure to tell all your friends and family to come check it out... I could sure use the traffic!!!!

Bokwa... The easiest exercise dance?

You may have noticed that a lot of dancing takes a lot of time and concentration to get up to a level where you wouldnt be embarressed to do it in public. But there are many people here who frankly, care much more about the fitness than the dance. So for those people, lyrical or contemporary dance may just be a (dance) step too far. So what is there for them?

In a word? Bokwa.

Its not the most famous dance exercise in the world, but there is a good chance that its about the easiest to get into the swing of, and there is no denying that there is a great work out to be had from a bokwa class.

But what is it? Think of Zumba but without the need to count all your steps and memorize complex dance steps. You still feel like you are dancing, but you can focus your attention on getting a solid work out rather than making sure that you keep your steps in line with the instructor.

The official bokwa web site explains it best, but to sum it up, its like you draw shapes with your feet as you dance. If you watch the video below, you will see the instructor teach the 'L' shape... you will soon get the idea. So its not so much about the steps, since they are essentially just big letters and numbers on the ground (imaginary of course, this isnt' primary school after all)

So, is bokwa the greatest dance excerise that you can get? Well, that depends on your opinion. For my taste its a bit more focused on exercise than dance ( like Zumba), but its simple to get into and gives a solid work out... so its certainly not a bad thing to get involved with. In short, if you prefer to get fit, and dancing is more of a little perk (rather than half the point of the thing) then you cannot go wrong with bokwa. Just check out the instructor in the video below... if you keep that up for an hour you will be a heck of a lot fitter than me in no time flat!

Three of the best Zumba videos

Ok ok... so I am not the worlds greatest Zumba fan... But I know that I am in something of the minority here... so I am happy to swallow my own pride and shamelessly provide content that makes you all happy... and at least I can close my eyes and enjoy the music, if nothing else.

I am fooling around. These videos represent some hellish workouts for those not used to dancing as a serious passtime. So why not pull the blinds closed, turn up the speakers and get your groove on and shed some pounds to these killer Zumba videos!

Boom Boom (black eyed peas)

Crazy real life 55 minute Zumba workout session

Very enthusiastic Zumba instructor!!!

dance yourself fit

As someone who has been passionate about dance for more years than I care to remember, I wanted to put together a simple site outlining how dance can be used as a great form of exercise. I want to share something of my passion with the world. Now, I am not sure how well that can translate in a website, but I will try...

I hope that you find the articles included in this humble little site of benefit. If you have any requests for articles that you would like to see written up on this site then just contact me on the address noted on the Privacy page. I will be sure to consider it for the site here.



So stop by, take some time to read some of the articles, and comment away to your hearts content. I know that this web site will never win any awards, but it is real and authentic, and to me... well, that's just about all that matters.

So whether you are a ballroom fanatic, or a lyrical dancer, or even just someone thinking about maybe getting involved in dance, then you have found yourself somehow at the right place.

I hope you enjoy and get something from this little site.

Why quality dance shoes make all the difference to your exercise regime

I remember once hearing somewhere (and please don't ask me to name the source, because I have absolutely no idea, but I am quite sure that I didn't make it up myself) that dancers should invest their money in two key possessions: a mattress and a quality pair of dance shoes... the idea being that as a dancer, if you were not in one of them then you would likely be in the other.

Since this blog is not here to report on the merits of quality mattresses for dancers, I choose instead to focus on dance shoes (although you really ought to get yourself a memory foam mattress... the difference it will make to your sleep is unreal!!!)

But anyway... back to the dance shoes, even although I love my memory foam mattress, I need to focus :)

Dance shoes are hugely important to dancers, and not just professional dancers. If your goal in dancing is purely to get fit, then you still need to get yourself a set of proper dance shoes. Now, as you can imagine, what those shoes may look like will vary dramatically depending on what kind of dance you practice. You don't want to turn up to your contemporary dance class in a pair of ballroom shoes!

When you are exercising, you cannot overstate the need for comfort in everything that you wear and use. Even slight discomforts will irritate and cause damage over even short lengths of time. So if your shoe rubs with every step, then just stop and think about how many steps you will take in an hour long dance class - that's a lot of stepping... more than enough to cause a nasty blister or two. Now a blister is not the end of the world, but that's the kind of thing that will only get worse until you stop long enough for it to heal. And stopping is the last thing you want to do when you are trying to get fit, because it means you need to start all over again... and starting an exercise regime (even if you have only been stopped for a few weeks or even days) can be the hardest thing in the world. So the take home point here is to not need to stop, and you do that by getting yourself a good set of dance shoes... shoes that will not rub and irritate.


But there is another aspect to why you should get a quality pair of dance shoes, and that is safety.

Now that may sound insane to someone not involved in dance, but its entirely true. Proper dance shoes have the correct level of grip that you require to dance safely. Formal dance shoes, for example, have suede soles, which allow for a light touch but give enough friction to keep grip on the buffed hardwood flooring of dance halls. Dance sneakers are not quite as essential from a safety perspective as formal dance shoes, but they should still be considered important because of the increase in flexibility that a duel soled dance sneaker can bring. This increase flexibility gives a noticeable extra grip when you are throwing yourself around the dance floor, and can be very handy when looking for that extra ounce of grip to retain your balance.


Make no mistake about it, quality dance shoes are an absolute must have item for anyone looking to dance, whether its for fitness or as a profession.

When dancing can damage your health

So this site is clear in its statement that dancing is an outrageously healthy thing to do... but there are times when dancing can be very bad for your health....

Oh we do not mean to say that the exercise is bad for you - far from it - but there are times when dancing just plain hurts. And no, we don't mean the good pain of a fantastic workout. Sometimes things just kind of... well... go wrong.

And when a complex dance step goes wrong, there can be all kinds of crazy painful consequences!!!

We stumbled upon this video of some epic dance fails, and frankly we just had to share it. We especially like the opening dance fail (and its use of slow motion replay to really capture the moment)...

If watching people get dance so badly wrong is not your thing, then why not watch the video and note the interesting changes in dance costumes across the different dance disciplines included in the video.

Feel free to share links to other dance fail videos in the comments section below...

 

The importance of your dance costumes

If there is one thing that this blog intends to make abundantly clear, its that dancing is without doubt a fantastic form of exercise. There are so many reasons why this is the case, which I have covered in other articles, that I do not want to cover all over again, but if in doubt you can read my articles on why dance is a phenomenal exercise by clicking here.

Today I want to talk about your choice in dance costumes. This is particularly important for those with lower self confidence, and for those that require contemporary or lyrical dance costumes. After all, unless you are competing in some kind of competition, the outfit that you wear for dancing is hardly the most important thing in the world. If the purpose behind your dancing is purely to get fit (whilst having fun of course) then you can pretty much wear anything....

I wrote that last paragraph knowing that everyone with confidence issues (especially confidence issues regarding their bodies) shudders at the very thought of wearing any old thing to dance in. Those of us confident in our appearence often forget how it can feel to step out and dance infront of a group of your peers. That moment of performing for others, even just those in your dance class, can be a real problem for a whole load of people. So the outfit that you wear can make a real difference to how you feel.

Your dance costumes need to be outfits that you feel incredibly comfortable in, yet also be something that makes you feel like you should be in the spot light. After all, as someone performing dance in front of others, if you do not feel like you deserve the attention of those watching you, then they are certainly not going to feel like you deserve their attention. So your outfit needs to be something that makes you feel like a real pro dancer. When you step out to dance, even in a class, you need to feel like a million bucks.

There are obvious factors that should help guide you in the outfit that you pick for your dancing - things like the style of dance you practice, along with your requirement to move freely in the outfit that you have chosen for example. But my take home point here today is that you cannot overlook the importance in the aesthetic of what you choose to wear. You need to feel comfortable and be free to move, but arguably just as important is that the outfit that you wear is an outfit that makes you feel like you belong in the spotlight.