4 reasons to start dancing – losing weight is at the top of the list –

Until recently, it seemed that the only way to to lose weight was to sweat the top in the gym or in the race. Those who did not enjoy these modalities felt out of step. But dance classes (from zumba to pop) keep gaining fans because they propose to burn calories while having fun. Unleash the Shakira in you!

1. Go down to the ground make the butt lift

It’s true that dancing won’t hypertrophy your legs like strength training. But you can be sure: the definition appears as you discard the extra fat. “For Anita make a square and stop Beyonce roll all the way down, they demand a lot from the thighs and buttocks and need to work a lot on the core to control the movement”, says Justin Neto, physical educator and creator of Dance Clip, favorite class of famous people in Rio de Janeiro. With the fibers activated all the time, the legs and abdomen gain tone without making a face. Add jumps, squats and swayed to choreography to conquer a perky butt. “As if it were functional gymnastics, several muscles are involved at the same time and increase their resistance, which facilitates the execution of day-to-day activities”, says Isabel Chateaubriand, from Hospital Sírio-Libanês, in São Paulo. Just remember to keep strengthening exercises on alternate days with dancing, especially if you tend to experience pain in your joints, such as your knees and hips.

2. Slim down, yes!

So much fun, the dance doesn’t even look like a physical exercise. But, like other activities, at an intense pace it accelerates the heartbeat (on average, to 79% of the maximum rate, according to research from the University of Brighton, England). “In an hour, you can spend up to 800, depending on how dedicated you are to the classroom”, says physical educator Bruno Mendes, creator of the Burn Dance method, from Brasilia. His tip is to unite the movements of arms and legs and perform them in the widest possible way. Over time, you end up picking up some commands from the teacher, which helps predict the next step. “So, all you need to do is add emotion and explosion for the demand for effort to be even greater”, explains choreographer Juliana Lopes, from the Step Dance Beauty school, in São Paulo. Even if your talent as a dancer isn’t all that great, the most important thing is to move. “Don’t worry about reproducing the choreography perfectly,” says Giuliano Cangiani, master trainer at Zumba Brasil, from Belo Horizonte. The secret to losing weight is another: to be motivated. If you like the style of music, for example, it speeds up your heart rate more and burns more calories. Book two to three sessions of at least half an hour over the course of week.

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“While writing this article, I felt firsthand the benefits that activity brings to the body and mind. At the invitation of Nike, I traveled to South Korea and I met the group 1 Million Dance, which creates choreographies with a lot of swing to the sound of k-pop, a Korean rhythm that mixes electronic music, hip hop, rock and western pop. There were 40 minutes of rehearsal to learn a choreography of just 30 seconds. It doesn’t seem like much, but I left the room dripping wet and my thighs were burning. More: the self esteem it was up there!” Daniela Bernardi, fitness editor

See also: 7 tactics to lose shame and throw yourself into dance

3. Gives control of the body

More than defining your curves, dancing also improves motor coordination, agility and body awareness – which is great even for those who practice other sports. “Posture becomes more aligned, stretching improves and control over your movements is sharper”, says dancer Helô Gouvêa, partner at Estúdio Anacã, in São Paulo. Health gains a boost, as activity prevents hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. “pains Chronic pain is also alleviated because the neurotransmitters released with dancing reduce the concentration of some toxic substances, such as C-peptides, which make the discomfort more noticeable,” says Isabel. Extra point for self-confidence. “The class can be a breeze if you go into it with your chest open: roll over, make a face, get down to the ground… There is no right or wrong, you just need to feel! All of this empowers women and, as a consequence, even helps to spend more energy”, guarantees Justin. Even the fact of dancing in front of the mirror reinforces our mental work of self-acceptance. “Indirectly, the head gathers resources to make you feel better about your body, especially after realizing that it is capable of doing the movements that the teacher teaches”, says neuropsychologist Camilla Monti Oliveira, from Ribeirão Preto (SP).

4. Take away the stress

In general, all exercises release pleasure neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin). It is this wave of happiness that floods the brain and guarantees the feeling of well-being during hoooras. “The difference is that dancing demands a mind 100% concentrated on the activity you are performing, otherwise you cannot follow the choreography. Disconnecting from thoughts and worries causes symptoms of anxiety and depression decrease”, says psychologist Maria Cristina Lopes, from Rio de Janeiro. Also those who dance the evils scare!