Fitness for Dizzy Feet

Katie Holmes will perform a tribute to Judy Garland, an entertainment legend, on the show "So You Think You Can Dance".  She calls attention to Dizzy Feet Foundation, created by Nigel Lythgoe and dedicated to dance education and teaching young artists.  Is dance so important?

The plan is bigger than that.  Besides training under privileged dancers, the foundation wants to start an accreditation for dance instructors.  Jennifer Lopez and Miley Cyrus are also in the foundation.  Dancing is a great way to let loose and have fun.  According to Mayo Clinic researchers social dancing helps reduce stress, improve strength, increase body energy, muscle tone and coordination.

Even more – according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, dancing lowers your risk of coronary heart disease, helps you manage your weight, decreases blood pressure, and strengthens the bones of your legs and hips.  Dancing is a great aerobic exercise that has lots of heart-healthy benefits, also being a loophole for socializing.  Should I stop?  No, not yet.

According to other study, this time published by New England Journal of Medicine, dancing may reduce the risk of Alzheimer and other forms of dementia on the brink of geezerhood.  Still, all these benefits depend on the type of dancing, your skill level, and its duration.

Ballroom dancing is good for conditioning the body, building and increasing stamina, keeping your heart in shape, strengthening and toning legs and body, developing the circulatory system, increasing flexibility and balance, relieving stress, and –last but not least – losing weight.

Belly dancing helps you maintain flexibility, improve posture and muscle toning, prevent lower back problems, lose weight, tone and firm arms and shoulders, reduce stress, and prepare women for childbirth.

Square dancing could lead to a slower heart rate, improve cholesterol profile, lower blood pressure, provide cardiovascular conditioning, strengthen bones, loosen and tone muscles, and develop strong social ties.

Salsa dancing helps with weight loss and release toxins via sweating, builds endurance and stamina, relieves stress, improves cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure and reduces heart rate over time.

Dancing keeps you young.  It should be included in your life more often.  Not only you’ll maintain a healthy lifestyle through dancing, but you’ll be in a good mood as well.