Don't get fancy, just get dancy!

TGIF Richland,

 

Per request, and since it IS the weekend, here are several reasons why you should hit up the Cattle-Ac this weekend. And it's not for the Pendleton, ladies and gents.

 

Whether it's the typical two-step or jitterbug (which my Rhode Island feet have yet to master) or you prefer the more modern Dougie, social dancing has more pros than cons these days-the only con being potentially making a fool out of yourself, but if you've ever seen me jitterbug, you have nothing to worry about!

 

• You can burn between 200 and 400 calories in just half an hour of dancing!
• You'll really go the distance- one study found that square dancers covered about five miles in one night!
• You CAN consider dancing part of your regular exercise plan. Regular exercise- about 30 minutes about 5 times per week- will help lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol. What matters is how vigorously, how long, and how regularly you are dancing. So really shake it up!
• Dancing is an alternative to aerobics or jogging, and can be less strenuous of your limbs than the shock of running or biking on your knees.
• Social dancing- a.k.a. Cattle-Ac dance floor type dancing- helps you develop social ties and releases stress.

 

Dancing Off Those Calories

How many calories will you burn while dancing? That depends on the type of dancing. Here's a range of some of the most popular varieties, based on a 150-pound person, per hour:

Swing dancing: 235 calories/hour

Ballroom dancing: 265

Square dancing: 280

Ballet: 300

Belly dancing: 380

Salsa dancing: 420+

Aerobic dancing: 540+

Here are a few of my favorite songs to get down to:

 Ke$ha- Your Love is My Drug

Zac Brown Band- Chicken Fried

Whitney Houston- I Wanna Dance with Somebody

What are YOUR favorites?

From my heart to yours,

Red in Richland County