Fun Stuff - Dance with Julianne: Cardio Ballroom

One of the most common reasons people don’t attain weight loss success is because they don't find exercise fun. This is a darn shame when there are so many fun ways to exercise and get in shape. Imagine how much easier it would be if you could do something you love to do while getting in shape at the same time.

Why is it Important to Have Fun While Exercising?

Image via WikipediaThink back to a time when you were a child playing with friends. You were laughing. You were having fun and you were completely engaged in your activity. It was easy to lose track of time, right? Even if you were running, jumping and playing hard you didn’t notice how exhausted you were. Sweating, grinning, and out of breath -- you were exercising and having fun.

The same experience can be obtained as an adult. When you’re having fun while exercising you:
* Forget you’re working out
* Put more energy and attention into the movements and exercise
* Make time for exercise even when you’re busy and stressed.

What Makes Exercise Fun?

Exercise is fun when you’re doing something you enjoy. When you feel like a child again. What do you enjoy? What activities make you feel great? Perhaps you enjoy ice skating? Maybe you enjoy boxing or riding your bike. Many people love to dance. Dancing brings out the inner child in all of us. Whether you enjoy country line dancing or hip hop there are fitness programs designed to embrace the “Fun factor” and still help you lose weight.

Dance with Julianne: Cardio Ballroom


Image via WikipediaBallroom dancing has never been so popular. The “Dancing with the Stars” television program has really brought attention to it. Men and women alike enjoy ballroom dancing. Now you can embrace your inner dancer and lose weight too.

Julianne Hough of Dancing with The Stars Fame, has created a workout DVD. Designed for ballroom beginners, Cardio Ballroom centers around several fun and basic ballroom styles including the cha-cha and the jive.

Hough offers expert instruction that makes even the most awkward feel confident and capable. She provides expert step by step instruction. The basics are then integrated into a 55-minute workout. The workout includes a warm-up and stretching session. You’ll burn calories and fat as well as tone your hips and waist. (The hips and waist are the two primary target areas for many individuals.)

If you love dancing, why not have some fun while you get a great workout? Dance with the Stars and learn basic ballroom techniques. The DVD retails for $14.98 (or less) and requires nothing except a willingness to exercise and have fun.

Get Cardio Ballroom and Other Fun Dance Workouts Here:
   

Video - Zumba Dance Fitness

The Zumba craze has taken over in the past year or so, and Zumba classes have been popping up everywhere. This is a super fun, fast-paced Latin-inspired dance workout that will get you moving and grooving, and definitely help shed those holiday pounds! It's also a great way to get your exercise during these cold winter months, when outside activities are few and far between. Check your local rec center or YMCA for very reasonably priced classes.

And in the meantime, check out the video below for a quick taste, and see what all the fun is about!  (Or, if you're more comfortable trying it at home, see below for some other options.)

HOW to ZUMBA ZUMBA!!! Zumba DANCE FITNESS STEPS
Zumba Fitness Dance Moves with Besty+Tamara

Related articles on Zumba for Fitness:

• How To Zumba (puresafediet.com)
• Attention Zumba dancers - want to learn how to shake your hips and booty? (healthlifestyleforever.com)
• Dance your way to fitness with Zumba classes (abclocal.go.com)
• Zumba: Fun Is Secret Ingredient of Latin Dance Workout (webmd.com)
• Zumba Workouts (grownupforeal.wordpress.com)

Get Fit With Zumba At Home:
   

Get in Shape with Ballroom Dancing

Among other things, I’m a ballroom dancer. While I mostly do it for the fun and the social aspect, it can also be a great workout, and it’s one you may not have thought of!

I’m happy to see  how many people have gotten involved in the dance craze through watching “Dancing with the Stars” over the past few years. There’s just something about the music, the dances, the level of competition, and the sarcastic responses from the judges. But there is also something else to be noticed with the professional dancers – their bodies. Not one single professional dancer had an ounce of fat anywhere on their body. What you saw was lean, toned, and muscular abs, arms, and legs. You probably would never think that ballroom dancing can produce such a workout, but it’s actually one of the best physical fitness programs available.

Image via WikipediaBallroom dancing is much more than a slow dance around a moonlit dance floor. There are several types of dances involved with ballroom dancing, ones that involve twirls, kicks, twists, and bends. In fact, ballroom dancing gives you the opportunity to move your body in a way that you would otherwise never experience – not even in an aerobics class.

It’s no secret that most people looking to get fit or lose weight are intimidated by the gym. Not only are you surrounded by people with a better body than you, but often you find yourself having to wait for a machine or struggling to keep up in a class. Ballroom dancing is a great way of making exercise fun, and it’s an activity you can do together with your partner or spouse. Unfortunately, some people continue to live inactive lifestyles because they just can’t find a physical activity they like to do.

You may be surprised to learn that ballroom dancing can burn just as much fat and calories (if not more) than a session at the gym. Depending upon the style of dance, you can easily burn between 200 and 400 calories. For example, the foxtrot or the waltz provide an easy and gentle workout and will burn around 200 calories. This is comparable to a brisk walk in the park or thirty minutes on the elliptical (but a lot more fun). On the other hand, dances like the jive or paso doble can burn over 400 calories, which is comparable to an intense step aerobics class.

While walking on a treadmill or doing crunches are well-known exercises, they only work certain parts of your body – which leave you to workout longer in order to cover the rest. Ballroom dancing literally works every part of your body and every major muscle group. You are more likely to see results faster due to the challenge your body endures with dancing.

And if you don’t have a partner to take with you to dance class, don’t let that stop you from experiencing the glide around the dance floor. Many classes will pair you up once you arrive, and you may meet some great friends or something more! Most people who get into ballroom dancing have lots of fun, and are more likely to dance longer which extends the duration of their workout. So trade in your walking shoes for some dance shoes, and dance your way into better shape!

(You can also get a great, fun dance workout in your own home using videos — there are lots of good dance exercise videos out there now. You can find several at good prices on Amazon.com.)

Related articles on Ballroom Dancing:

• Unique Dance Fitness Studio Offers “Ballroom for the Rest of Us” Couples Dance Courses (prweb.com)
• Two left feet: six social media tips from the dance floor (heidi-miller.com)