Dancing with the Stars has been making waves since it first came out, and twenty seasons later, it’s more phenomenal than ever. The cast of the newest season of the ballroom dancing competition was revealed during the latter part of February, and it was composed of some of the most sensational stars today. As usual, the celebrities were paired up with professional dancers, some of whom were fan favorites from previous seasons.
When you look at the lineup, you would notice that the celebrities who’ll be part of the contest come from different walks of life and diverse age groups. There’s the legendary singer Patti LaBelle and the inspirational television icon Suzanne Somers. There’s also Michael Sam, the football star, Nastia Liukin, an Olympic gymnastics champion, and Noah Galloway, a U.S. Army veteran. The youngest one is 14-year-old Willow Shields, who’s known for her role as Prim Everdeen in The Hunger Games movies.
Indeed, ballroom dancing can be for anyone and everyone, and no matter what your occupation or age is, it can be an excellent workout. Using salsa, tango, and other partner dances as exercise is gradually regaining popularity in today’s culture. It might be partly due to modern shows like Dancing with the Stars, but it’s also because of the numerous fitness benefits that these dances can bring.
They strengthen your body
Both low-impact and intense aerobic moves like swaying, jumping, dipping, and twirling in ballroom dancing help you strengthen your bones and muscles, including the muscles of your heart. The flexibility and mobility that the dances require optimizes the range of motion of your arms, legs, and other body parts (without hurting your joints), which can make them stronger, improve your balance and posture, and help you avoid physical injuries. Achieving the optimal heart rates also help you burn calories (together with preventing chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and heart disease.)
They test and improve your endurance
You also get anaerobic exercise in these dances, which would enhance your endurance. You can improve your stamina simply by using your body as a weight during some positions or using your partner as a counterweight during lifts. There are plenty of positions or moves that your instructor can utilize, so you’ll never fall short of challenges when you want to stretch your limits and achieve your fitness goals more efficiently.
All these factors make it easy to shed pounds off and tone your body. Signing up for salsa or tango classes, such as those offered by Superior Ball Room Dance, will be your first step to fitness achieved the safe, effective, and fun way.
(Source: Dancing With the Stars’ 2015: Season 20 Celebrity Cast Announced, ABC News)