Want to look slim and elegant but have a tough time getting yourself to exercise and to maintain a proper diet? Well, worry no more, for you can still shed those extra pounds through this fun and extremely effective form of exercise known as ‘Dancing’.
Dance is an art form that has evolved over centuries. Initially, it was a part of religious rituals and more about expressing your emotions, but dance, in today’s age, is a much more elaborate activity with movements and postures synchronized to complex rhythms and beats. It is now a social pastime, a form of entertainment that is employed even as an exercise routine.
Dance workouts are becoming increasingly popular day by day. There are many dance forms that can help you in losing weight. It is a fantastic form of exercise and an extremely effective way of burning calories. Dancing makes exercise fun and keeps you in good spirits as well. Each dance form works differently on your body though, so choose the one that can give you the desired results.
1. Freestyle

This dance form allows you to move freely without you having to fret over the exact dance steps or body movements. This is perhaps one of the easiest dance forms in this list and can be performed by almost all age groups. Freestyle dancing helps in weight loss and makes your body more flexible. It can be performed on just about any type of music and you can even set the pace of your dancing as per your preference. Practicing freestyle dancing for just 30 minutes every day is a sure way to lose weight.
2. Hip Hop

Being an urban form of dance that was basically developed on the streets, hip-hop is especially popular in nightclubs. The quick movements involved in hip-hop dance work on your entire body. It is an intensive form of workout that can definitely help those wanting to lose weight. This form derives its name from the fact that most of the movements take place in the hips and the waist region, so hip-hop can help you tone your abs as well. Doing this for about one hour can help you burn as many as 250 calories.
3. Belly Dance/Cabaret

This exotic dance form helps tone problematic areas like the hips, your back and your abs. It involves slow yet extremely controlled isometric movements that help you maintain flexibility and also improve your blood circulation. Shaking the belly or the lower body region helps in burning calories and in toning the buttocks. This dance form is especially good for women as it strengthens the womb and the abdominal muscles.
4. Jazzercise

This is perhaps one of the oldest dance form combinations, combining jazz dance and strength training to tone your muscles and to help you burn calories simultaneously. It allows you to build muscles during the workout with the help of barbells and dumbbells. It also involves some classic Pilates and yoga movements as well as some cardio-boxing moves. It should be done 2 to 3 times a week for at least an hour if you wish to lose weight. Each workout session can help you lose about 600 calories.
5. Zumba

Zumba comprises of the moves of the salsa, rumba, merengue and hip-hop dance forms. It helps exercise your entire body. Most of the steps are easy and work on your arms, abs and legs for strengthening them, in combination as well as in isolation. This aerobic workout is excellent for achieving overall fitness. Engage in a Zumba workout session at least 2 to 3 times a week in order to be able to effectively lose weight.
6. Pole Dance

This dance form may not appear effective to most but you will probably be shocked to know that climbing and rotating on a pole can increase your flexibility immensely and also help you shed calories. A pole dance session of about 30 minutes is equivalent to working out for 20 minutes in the gym. Pole dancing helps you tone your muscles and shape your body to perfection.
Written by Sukriti Rijhsinghani on 25th Oct 2018