Could dancing be better for weight loss than other forms of exercise – study
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Although physical exercises are recommended for weight loss, not everyone can do them for a long time, because they are monotonous and often difficult.
Researchers studying the benefits of dancing for overweight and obese people have found that dancing can be an effective way to lose weight. This type of physical activity is usually more enjoyable than regular exercise, writes Medical News Today.
People who danced regularly showed improvements in body mass index (BMI) and lost pounds of body fat compared to those who didn’t, scientists said.
Study participants had three dance sessions each week. The duration of classes was from 40 to 90 minutes. All studies lasted at least 4 weeks, most lasted 3 months, and one lasted a year.
| Photo: Wavebreakmedia/Depositphotos |
During one 50-minute session, participants took from 3,000 to 5,000 steps.
Why dancing can be better for some people than other physical exercises
As Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani, a professor of public health at New Mexico State University, who was not involved in this analysis, noted, “exercise requires a lot of motivation and is perceived as an effort, often with great costs, such as economic, physical – due to pain, time, etc.”
Stephanie Escobedo, founder of a dance and fitness company who was also not involved in this study, says:
“Finding a type of exercise that you enjoy will make it easier for you to commit to being physically active on a regular basis.“.
Dr. Menka Gupta added that dancing is enjoyable enough to be considered a powerful exercise option for people interested in improving their physical health. She also noted that “pleasant” physical activity can also improve mood and reduce stress.
“Pleasure is also a good motivator because it is related to dopamine. Pleasant physical activity also promotes better sleep, which is good for health“, added Dr. Gupta.
What type of dancing is most beneficial?
Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani believes that you should choose a form of dance that is affordable for you, that you can do regularly, and preferably that it is high-intensity (for example, hip-hop, zumba, etc.).”
For her part, Dr. Gupta suggests ballroom dancing as a great option for seniors or those looking for something less intense. According to her, such dances improve posture and strengthen the cardiovascular system.
She also raves about Zumba.
“Zumba improves mood and cognitive skills such as decision making. It helps to develop new neural connections, especially in areas responsible for long-term executive function memory and spatial recognition“, adds Dr. Menka Gupta.
In addition, according to her, Zumba helps to reduce stress and increases the level of the hormone of happiness – serotonin.
Stephanie Escobedo, for her part, believes that all forms of dance are good for health.”
“Ballet – it’s a great way to work on muscle strength, balance, posture and cardiovascular endurance. Modern/contemporary dance – useful for the same reasons as ballet, but develops better agility and muscle strengthEscobedo added.
Read also: Are there benefits to 5-minute workouts? The opinions of scientists were divided
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