4 Good Reasons to Break Out Your Dancing Shoes
Boost your health & mood at the same time
It’s not only fun to dance, but according to Family Medicine physician, Michelle Choi DO, it’s a great way to improve your physical and mental health. With so many music and dancing styles to choose from, there’s something to suit every interest. Whether you like to go ballroom dancing, take salsa lessons or dance alone in the kitchen – get your feet moving to the beat.
Here are 4 reasons why:
- It’s a great aerobic activity. Dancing works your heart and lungs, helping to improve your cardiovascular health. It requires continuous exertion, often at a fast pace, which can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.
- It’s good for your bones and muscles. Dancing is a weight-bearing activity that can improve bone density and build muscle strength. This can help you ward off osteoporosis and reduce joint pain. The activity also requires a lot of stretching, which can increase your flexibility. This better protects you from injury.
- It helps you lose weight. Even if it doesn’t feel like exercise, dancing is a great way to burn calories. The amount you’ll burn will depend on the type of dancing you do, how long you do it and your weight, but you can expect to torch between 200 and 600 calories an hour if you weigh 150 pounds. You’ll also find that you’ll become more toned if you dance regularly which will make you look slimmer.
- It’s fun. Many people love to dance and don’t even think of it as exercise. It’s social, it’s creative and it’s a great way to reduce stress. This means you’ll not only be more likely to stick with dancing as a way to be more physically active, but you’ll also likely find that dancing energizes you and improves your mood.
As a primary care physician, Dr. Choi can help you stay on track with your health goals or help you to feel better when you are ill. Learn more when you view Dr. Choi’s physician profile video, or go to PIHHealth.org to read about our Family Medicine services.
