Workout gets more exciting with the company of energetic beats and music. Whether it’s the elegant ballet, stylish jazz, hip hop or the trending pole-dancing and belly-dancing, dancing is a great exercise to unleash your inner spirit.
Despite what most might think, dancing is just as efficient a weight-loss exercise as swimming or running. Says who? Says science.
A study by the University of Brighton in the UK found that an hour of dancing burns just as much, if not more, calories than an hour of running or swimming does. What’s more, even gentler dance styles are on a par with cycling in terms of fat burning.
While dancing appears more entertaining than strenuous, it is, in fact, a full-body workout. Think of all the movements in all directions, the abrupt stops and starts, the balancing and coordination, the different speeds -- even the most-neglected muscles get worked!
And the good news doesn’t stop there.
Dancing also boosts mental health and cognitive function. A research conducted by Selçuk University in Turkey found that dancing has a positive influence on mood. Meanwhile, Dr Shilagh Mirgain, a psychologist from UW Health, said dancing improves attention span, cognitive performance and memory.
Last but not least, dancing is something that you can do anywhere, anytime. For introverts out there, yes, it is perfectly fine to dance alone! Itching to give it a go but don’t know where to start?
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