"Every Step You Take, Every Dance You Perform!"

When you think you know every fitness benefit there is about ballroom dancing, you soon realize the list is endless!!! Every step you take, every dance you perform, only leads you to the path of a long healthy life. 

Check out this online article from realbuzz.com

Getting fit through ballroom dancing

Ballroom dancing is a leisurely and relaxing form of exercise that has a number of social benefits, as well as offering a great workout for the body. Ballroom dancing requires you to hook up with a partner so it’s a fine activity for developing team work skills and cooperation! Here’s our guide on how ballroom dancing could improve your personal fitness and lead you to a fitter, more active lifestyle

Key fitness benefits of ballroom dancing

Ballroom dancing has many key health and fitness benefits, in addition to those already associated with dance exercise. It is a very low impact activity, compared with other dance forms, and fitness benefits therefore include:

• Ballroom dancing builds a stronger heart - Regular ballroom dancing can lead to a slower heart rate, as well as lower blood pressure and a more balanced level of cholesterol. It offers a great workout for the cardiovascular system as it requires a large degree of flexible movement.

• Ballroom dancing burns off the calories - Ballroom dance is renowned for its ability to burn off calories, with a one-hour session burning as many as 800 calories, depending on the intensity of the dance. And you thought you could only lose weight through long sessions in the gym!

• Ballroom dancing is a great form of cross-training - If you’re on the steady road back from a serious sporting injury, a spell of ballroom dance could – in moderation – be ideal to help you regain overall bodily movement and avoid any load-bearing on the injury in question. Dance may seem a strange exercise alternative if you’re a runner or sports player, but a couple of sessions of ballroom dancing really could set you back on track.

So, that New Years resolution.....

Hello all Fred Astaire Dancers!

Are the winter blues getting you down? Maybe, those last few cookies haven't left the waistline as fast as you wanted??

For all of us New Years resolutions start of with a lot of fire and determination! Eventually though that commitment to go to the gym fades..... Bad weather.... a cold..... just plain tired....


Dynamic and constant change is a secret to success when it comes to exercise. Check out the following article from the Mayo Clinic. This is how consistent exercise will affect your life!!!

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity

You know exercise is good for you, but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life. By Mayo Clinic Staff

Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing to exercise? Check out these seven ways exercise can improve your life.

No. 1: Exercise controls weight

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don't need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can't do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways — by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or revving up your household chores.

No. 2: Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.

No. 3: Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

No. 4: Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.

No. 5: Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to fall asleep? Or to stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.

No. 6: Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there's more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise.

No. 7: Exercise can be fun

Exercise and physical activity can be a fun way to spend some time. It gives you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. If you get bored, try something new.

The bottom line on exercise

Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any health concerns.

(good thing our lessons are 40 minutes.... that's an extra 10 minutes of exercise)

Thanks for reading. Be sure to look to our blog for a new post every week!

Every wonder exactly what fitness benefits come into play when socially dancing? Check out this online article explain some of those benefits. It's a new year, new you, new dreams, new goals!!!

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Ballroom Dance Fitness Benefits

| By Lori A. Selke

Although ballroom dancing may not be as strenuous an activity as training to run a marathon, don't knock the benefits of regular movement and exercise. The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers ballroom dancing a "moderate" activity. It has some specific health benefits, too, that may not have occurred to you before.

Muscle Toning

Ballroom dancing helps tone and strengthen the muscles in your calves, thighs and buttocks. Specific ballroom dance moves work these muscles differently than more familiar exercises, such as walking, jogging or cycling, do. If you're performing a style that involves lifting or dipping your partner, you can also get a pretty good upper body workout. Ballroom dancing will also help strengthen the core muscles of the abdomen and back.

Conditioning

Any regular exercise performed continuously for 30 to 40 minutes three or four times a week will help condition your cardiovascular system, strengthening your heart and lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure. It will also increase your lung capacity and your general stamina.

Bones and Joints

Dancing is a weight-bearing exercise, so it helps maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis. It can also help rehabilitate your knees after surgery, as it's lower impact than jogging or aerobics.

• Brain Food
• A 2003 study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" suggests that social dancing has a special benefit for seniors: it reduces the chances of dementia. As it's an activity that one performs with a partner, it can also lessen loneliness and depression in the elderly.

Calories Burned

Thirty minutes of dancing burns between 200 and 400 calories -- the same amount burned by swimming or cycling.

Fred Astaire Gives Back, The Wounded Warrior Project

Fred Astaire is an incredible company to be a part of. The array of activities we offer range from social dancing all the way to regional/national competition. As we look back, we realize that these opportunities to dance wouldn’t be possible without the great country we live in. Every day there are soldiers and other military personal that fight to protect our country, and the freedoms it allows us.  Realizing this we have found a way to give back to our veterans. Fred Astaire Illinois has partnered with The Wounded Warrior Project to bring dance into the lives of soldiers who thought they may never dance again. Our team of instructors have been working with Edward Hines V.A Hospital, teaching group classes at their Blind Center, and Spinal Cord Injury/ Disorders Services.

 

Our staff from left to right: Amy, Samantha, Meghan, Ty, Alan, and Chris

The feedback from the veterans has been overwhelmingly positive! Dancing has seemed out of reach for these veterans after the traumas they have encountered. One woman said “it’s so nice to put this cane down and just dance”.  We have already been asked back for next year and will continue to give back, to those that have already given so much to us. 

Dancing Your Way to Better Health!

Dancing Your Way to Better Health

Ballroom Dancing May Help Mind, Body, and Spirit

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

Tangos, waltzes, sambas, and foxtrots are gliding across America's TV sets on the hit ballroom dance show, Dancing with the Stars.

Do you tap along with the beat as you watch? Or shimmy during the commercial breaks? This may be one time when health experts won't fret if you follow in the footsteps of prime-time TV. Ballroom dancing could help the mind and body, they say.

Shall We Dance?

You're not likely to practice for hours with a world-class dance partner as on the show. But you also won't face live national TV and the judges' barbs.

Will you get a good workout? What about those two left feet? And how can "twinkle toes" benefit your brain?

WebMD posed those questions to science, dance, and fitness pros. Here's their spin on ballroom dancing's health perks.

Is It Exercise?

The TV show's contestants are often winded after their routines. One dancer from last season said he lost 15 pounds.

How typical is that? It depends on the type of dancing and your skill level, says exercise physiologist Catherine Cram, MS, of Comprehensive Fitness Consulting in Middleton, Wis.

"Once someone gets to the point where they're getting their heart rate up, they're actually getting a terrific workout," says Cram.

Dance is a weight-bearing activity, which builds bones. It's also "wonderful" for your upper body and strength, says Cram.

Would-be dancers should consult their doctors first, especially if they have any health problems, says Cram.

Calorie Check

How many calories will you burn? That depends on your body and how vigorously you dance.

Dance is a "moderate activity," say the USDA's physical activity guidelines. Adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily, according to the guidelines.

It can be easier to stick to that with fun activities, says Cram.

Muscles Worked

New ballroom dancers may feel muscles they didn't know they had. That often happens with a new activity, says Ken Richards, spokesman for USA Dance, the national governing body of DanceSport -- the competitive version of ballroom dancing.

Ballroom dancing often means moving backward, especially for women, says Richards, a professional ballroom dancing veteran.

"If you're dancing the foxtrot, you're taking long, sweeping steps backwards. That's very different than walking forward on a treadmill or taking a jog around the neighborhood," he says.

Ballroom dancing works the backs of the thighs and buttock muscles differently from many other types of exercise, says Richards.

Core Experience

The legs and arms often do the flashy dance moves. But they're sunk without a strong body core.

The "core" muscles -- the abs and back -- are also used in Pilates, says Janice Byer. A lifelong dancer, Byer is group exercise director of The Courthouse Athletic Club in Oakland, Calif. Byer and her husband (whom she met through dancing) are avid swing dancers.

The Dancing Brain

How might ballroom dancing help the brain? Verghese outlines three possibilities:

• Increased blood flow to the brain from the physical exercise
• Less stress, depression, and loneliness from dancing's social aspect
• Mental challenges (memorizing steps, working with your partner)

"Dance, in many ways, is a complex activity. It's not just purely physical," says Verghese.

Check Your Ego at the Door

Here's some advice for beginners from New York dance therapist Jane Wilson Cathcart, LMSW, ADTR, CMA:

• Look for a good teacher who emphasizes what you can do, not your limits.
• Don't be a perfectionist about it.
• Don't worry about your size. Dance is for everyone.
• Get into the music, as well as the movement.

"Take in all the good feedback you're getting and give your inner judge a couple of dollars to go to the movies," says Cathcart.

"We are usually our own worst critic," says Cathcart. "Think of how many other times your critical judge has limited you from doing something."

New skills can bring confidence. At parties and social events, dancers may head to the dance floor feeling good about themselves without a martini's encouragement, Richards jokes.

"Lay the pathwork of positivity through it," says Cathcart. "The coolest dance begins with one step. The rest will follow."

 http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/dancing-your-way-to-better-health

Dancing Makes You Smarter!

 
Use It or Lose It: Dancing Makes You Smarter
Richard Powers

For centuries, dance manuals and other writings have lauded the health benefits of dancing, usually as physical exercise.  More recently we've seen research on further health benefits of dancing, such as stress reduction and increased serotonin level, with its sense of well-being.

Most recently we've heard of another benefit:  Frequent dancing apparently makes us smarter.

A major study added to the growing evidence that stimulating one's mind by dancing can ward off Alzheimer's disease and other dementia, much as physical exercise can keep the body fit.  Dancing also increases cognitive acuity at all ages.

You may have heard about the New England Journal of Medicine report on the effects of recreational activities on mental acuity in aging.   Here it is in a nutshell.


The 21-year study of senior citizens, 75 and older, was led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, funded by the National Institute on Aging, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  Their method for objectively measuring mental acuity in aging was to monitor rates of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.

The study wanted to see if any physical or cognitive recreational activities influenced mental acuity.  They discovered that some activities had a significant beneficial effect.  Other activities had none.

They studied cognitive activities such as reading books, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards and playing musical instruments.  And they studied physical activities like playing tennis or golf, swimming, bicycling, dancing, walking for exercise and doing housework.

One of the surprises of the study was that almost none of the physical activities appeared to offer any protection against dementia.  There can be cardiovascular benefits of course, but the focus of this study was the mind.

There was one important exception:  the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing.

Reading - 35% reduced risk of dementia

Bicycling and swimming - 0%

Doing crossword puzzles at least four days a week - 47%

Playing golf - 0%

Dancing frequently - 76%.   That was the greatest risk reduction of any activity studied, cognitive or physical.

 We immediately ask two questions:

Why is dancing better than other activities for improving mental capabilities?

Does this mean all kinds of dancing, or is one kind of dancing better than another?

That's where this particular study falls short.  It doesn't answer these questions as a stand-alone study.  Fortunately, it isn't a stand-alone study.  It's one of many studies, over decades, which have shown that we increase our mental capacity by exercising our cognitive processes.  Intelligence: Use it or lose it.  And it's the other studies which fill in the gaps in this one.  Looking at all of these studies together lets us understand the bigger picture.

The essence of intelligence is making decisions.  The best advice, when it comes to improving your mental acuity, is to involve yourself in activities which require split-second rapid-fire decision making, as opposed to rote memory (retracing the same well-worn paths), or just working on your physical style.

One way to do that is to learn something new.  Not just dancing, but anything new.  Don't worry about the probability that you'll never use it in the future.  Take a class to challenge your mind.  It will stimulate the connectivity of your brain by generating the need for new pathways.  Difficult classes are better for you, as they will create a greater need for new neural pathways.

Then take a dance class, which can be even more effective.  Dancing integrates several brain functions at once — kinesthetic, rational, musical, and emotional — further increasing your neural connectivity.

 http://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm

Fitness: Good Moves!

Good Moves

BALLROOM DANCING is an elegant sport that works the body and the mind cohesively. You can be attired in a suit or a dress and burn calories at a rapid pace. It is not uncommon that the majority of ballroom dancers find themselves in the best physical shape after consistently enjoying 2-3 lessons per week in a fun, country club setting. Ballroom dancing and swimming are the only 2 sports that use the most muscles at one time. Ballroom dancers find new body awareness and begin to tone at a comfortable pace, while also drinking more water and eating more nutritious foods. Studies show that adults who enjoy ballroom dance lessons will diminish the chance of being diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, as the mind is in a constant learning mode along with the “right/left” directions and movement.

DANCE SUPPORTS GOOD HEALTH

We all have trials and tribulations in our lives, whether it is illness, death, or just plain living in a rut. We sometimes reach out for what we think is going to “quick fix” the situation, for example, a vacation, drinking, and so on. This may appear to be just the thing we needed, but in the long-term, the Zen of mind and body together, along with a support team filled with encouragement, is the true ingredients for coping with day-to-day life. A good dance studio provides that mix.

            On a typical day at a studio, hard-working clients walk in with life worn on their sleeves, but they dance out with a better outlook at how to face their issues-good or bad. Life is short and the path to fun along the way is what is truly important. At our studios, we are well aware that this is not the client’s career, so we are there to inspire and strive for them to enjoy each lesson with the achievement of “full improvement, body and mind” as the ultimate goal.

THE 40-MINUTE SOLUTION

Class, elegance, romance, and sport- these are the words that describe ballroom dancing and qualities that we need in our lives. There is a harmony that is apparent when an individual captures the feeling of dance. For couples, from newly married to empty nesters, make the time, 2-3 times per week, to enjoy one another in a musical, learning atmosphere. While only 40 minutes or so per session, this is precious time together. Many of our clients are single, so their purpose is different, but the end result will be the same-harmony in life, mental and physical fitness, a newfound of confidence in social situations, and a feeling of accomplishment.

            As entertaining as the show “Dancing with the Stars” is to watch, with two seasons each year, it is not the reality of dance studios. Yes, there are beautiful ball gowns for women, and hot Latin pants for men, but our clients have lives and do not have eight hours per day to set aside for complete dedication to dancing.

            It is a fact that taking a couple lessons per week does begin to change your lifestyle in a positive way. Like the DWTS show audience, children of all ages are enamored when they watch their own parents or grandparents dance harmoniously together, whether at a party, on the beach, or in the kitchen. It is romance engulfed in health and fun!

ENRICH YOUR LIFE WITH DANCE

We are all born in a particular year and inevitably we will die in a particular year, so we must live the “dash” in between those years! Today we refer to it as our bucket list. It is time to scratch ballroom dancing off that list and enjoy the many benefits that lessons offer, above and beyond the individual dance steps. It is truly the dance journey that makes for a full and enriched life.

            So whether it is Tango, Cha Cha, or Fox Trot that you are learning, the real gains are a newfound network, enriched family time, new friends, and a year-round health schedule.

            Music is around us, and it’s time to dance! 

Call your local studio today to cross ballroom dancing off your bucket list!  
http://fredastaireillinois.com/locations/