Dance: an Exercise for the Body and Mind

I’m sure when many of you think about exercise one of your first thoughts is of weight lifting or cardio. And when you think of cardio, your first thought is of running, walking, or swimming, and either getting sweaty and icky or doused in chlorinated water. Well I’m here to remind you that there are many more forms of cardio than just this! The one I especially want to cover today is dance. What makes dance great is that it’s much more multi-faceted than regular exercises. Not only is it cardio, raising your heart rate and burning more than a few calories, it has an associated social aspect to it. I mean, most forms of dance are meant to be done with a partner or performed. Really, you can only do so much practice in dance on your own. So the act of dancing in and of itself becomes an exercise in your social skills. In many dance classes you will switch partners many times, giving you a chance to interact with many of the people around you. I say interact because for many of you talking to someone who you’re gripping the body of might be a little out of the question, but as you do it more and more you’ll gradually adapt to these circumstances. Of course there is a slight trade off – you don’t burn as many calories dancing as running, plus to really do it effectively you do need to find a partner or class.

I think aside from the route physical and muscular benefits of dancing, by far the biggest benefit is a greater sense of confidence in yourself and what your body can do. You see, as you practice and adapt to the dance you choose, your body will gain a kind of natural fluidity and grace. It’s simply a requirement of dance – as you do it you will naturally pick it up inevitably, but having an instructor or a good partner can speed this immensely. The thing is, you can feel this fluidity and grace, and it gives you a greater sense of confidence in your body. This bodily confidence in and of itself gives a much stronger aura of confidence. Have you ever been to a place and seen someone who has been dancing for years, is great at it, and knows just that? You can pick them out of the crowd based on just the way they walk. It takes a lot of effort to get to that point, but I can reasonably say that anyone who commits can reach that level. Some people are more gifted and can reach that level faster, but with hard work almost anything is possible. So why wait? Go out and find a dance studio near you! Most cities should have more than a few. For classes you might want to inquire at a local college – they are also a great place to take classes like this.