Ask anyone who is a ballroom dancer, and they will confirm the almost obvious...that it burns calories fast. Not only is it more fun than any evening spent laboring in a gym, but it is good for your self-esteem and your social life. Ballroom dancing helps you become more out-going, it improves your posture, and it enables people to enjoy life more. So, with all that said, and with the New Year's resolutions around the corner, it is no wonder why so many people take up ballroom dancing at this time of year. But just how many calories does ballroom dancing burn?
If you stick to the slower dances, such as Foxtrot, Waltz, and Tango, you will burn about 200 calories per hour (based on a 150 lb person). For medium-to-fast paced dances such as Hustle and 2-Step, you can get rid of about 300 calories per hour. Fast dances such as Jive and Salsa can burn up to around 375 calories per hour. When you go out ballroom dancing, you will dance a mixed variety of all the popular ballroom dances. This would average out to about 275-300 calories per hour. Considering that most dances last around 3 hours, and, well, you get the point. Another thing to consider is that ballroom dancing gets your heart rate up, several times per hour. One Saturday night dance gives most dancers a better work-out than what most people get all week long.
Zumba classes have recently become popular. These classes use the basic patterns to many of the ballroom dances and resemble an aerobics-style class. The fact is that ballroom dancing is one of the most effective ways to burn all those calories that you ate for dinner so that they do not sit in your stomach, turning into stored fat while you sleep. And unlike going to a gym and sitting on a stationary bicycle and monotonously peddling away while never saying a word to anyone, ballroom dancing forces you to be social and automatically provides you with a new circle of really fun friends. As far as New Year's resolutions for getting in shape and having more fun in life, ballroom dancing is a no-brainer.
Comments
Find a Latin Dance group and dance Salsa and Bachata and Cumbia and burn even more calories,,and have a lot more fun!! Sure there is a learning process but that is part of the fun too :-)
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!