Bookmark Website  | Free Registration  | The Team
The Lounge  | Champions  | The Wire |  Schedule |  Audio  |  Arcade  |  The Top Ten  |  Historical  |  Email  |  Video

Salsa Dancing for Fitness is Hot


Salsa dancing is emerging as a refreshing replacement for conventional aerobic exercises. Classes based on the fiery music and movements of Salsa, Mambo, Cumbia, Merengue and more are starting to get people interested in Salsa dancing, while at the same time giving them a pounding workout.

Salsa music first appeared in the 1960s as a rhythmic fusion, birthed in the cultural melting pot of New York City. Combining Cuban Son with Guaracha, Montuno and Guaguanco, it also has a strong Puerto Rican Plena, Bomba and American jazz influence that mellows the smoking urban sound.

Salsa's popularity began to percolate beyond the borders of the Latin neighborhoods in the early Seventies, spreading into New York's ballrooms and dance halls. Although somewhat formulized when practiced by those who favor profession competitions, salsa dancing in its most traditional form is typically spontaneous and extremely energetic. Dance movements alternate between the very slow and the furious, an embodiment of its lively musical style.

From a strictly athletic point of view, a night of dancing is a superb workout. It merges aerobic and anaerobic training, working your stamina and leg strength. Any kind of dancing is a great way to build the perfect body shape. The continual movements build up aerobic stamina while steadily burning calories over the course of the evening. This helps to strengthen and tone your legs at the same time you lose weight. But salsa excels at this.

Experts say that dancing salsa can burn up to 10 calories a minute, without the negative side effects of high impact exercises such as running. You can learn salsa dancing in the privacy of your home or in a studio, with or without a partner and it's a fitness program that can easily be integrated into your social life. By using salsa dancing to get fit, you will not only look great, but you'll have no excuse not to get out more and improve your social life.

The sudden bursts of frenzied dancing in Salsa also can help to improve the anaerobic fitness essential to sports like sprinting, swimming and basketball. Equally important to the aerobic paybacks are the improvements in flexibility and dexterity, a commonly overlooked facet of fitness. Elasticity from dancing will help your swiftness, power and co-ordination by growing your overall range of motion.

When you think about it, dance is actually the most natural form of exercise around. It is also a lot more fun. Life is too short to waste on regimented aerobics, spinning and step classes. Put some spice in your fitness regimen and become a Salsero!

David Demetre is an author and the webmaster athttp://www.dance-shoes.biz, where you can find tips and resources on Salsa Dance Shoes


MORE RESOURCES:

Exercise Important in Teens' Blood Pressure Control
ABC News
Researchers found that among nearly 1300 Canadian teenagers they followed for five years, declining exercise levels over time were linked to small increases ...

and more »


Reid objects to emergency exercise set for Vegas
San Jose Mercury News
Harry Reid has sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking her to reconsider plans for an emergency exercise in Las ...
Tourism promoters lobby against drillLas Vegas Review - Journal
Planned Emergency Drill Prompts ConcernsKXNT

all 36 news articles »


E! Online

Jude Law throws fruit at students during exercise routines: New Yorkers ...
Examiner.com
These lucky learners have the perfect view of Jude Law as he does a daily exercise routine and plays with his son on the balcony of his apartment. ...
Jude Law hurls oranges at unwanted audience: reportAFP

all 38 news articles »


WA today

Exercise study questions fitness benefits of 'Wii Fit'
USA Today
The intensity of an exercise program on Nintendo's highly popular fitness title Wii Fit amounts to a "very, very mild workout," says a study from the ...
American Council on Exercise releases Wii Fit study resultsExaminer.com
Nintendo Wii may provide actual exercise: studyReuters
Active Video Games Count as ExerciseU.S. News & World Report
CrunchGear (blog) -The Money Times -HULIQ
all 196 news articles »


Obama, NFL players encourage kids to exercise
ProFootballTalk
All of the NFL's Thanksgiving weekend games will be used to showcase the league's efforts to combat childhood obesity and encourage exercise.

and more »


Pointless exercise
IFR Asia
Ratings agency Moody's last week modified its methodology for hybrid and subordinated debt, a move that was widely anticipated but had little impact on ...

and more »


Local Students Help Out The Community Through Exercise
WSAW
Before they donated them they were used to help build muscle, and raise awareness about the importance of exercise. "They use the can as kind of their ...

and more »


Students Rally To Save Sports And Exercise Program
KEYT
Goleta, CA-- Students at the UC Santa Barbara Exercise and Sports Studies program are pumping up the opposition to proposed cuts in their classes. ...

and more »


What kind of strength work won't aggravate rotator cuff issue?
CNN
What kind of exercise moves can I do instead that will get me the same sort of gains? Thanks. Hi Renee -- I commend your desire to incorporate strength ...

and more »


Options to Advil for pain relief
Los Angeles Times
I was disappointed that you didn't mention exercise. According to a literature review in the "Handbook of Sport Psychology," as little as 5 to 10 minutes of ...
Damp Pajamas For Eczema; Walnuts Lower CholesterolHartford Courant

all 2 news articles »

Google News


Advertisement



Section Site Map - Submit News - Feedback - Comments - Advertise with Us

Copyright © 2006 Luminati Inc. All rights reserved.