Cameron Diaz’s cardio is dancing: “You don’t even have to have workout clothes”

The workouts of celebrities tend to generate curiosity among people who follow and are inspired by their lives. Recently, the hot news about the celebrity fitness world was about the Cameron Diaz Cardio.

However, contrary to what artists are usually used to doing, in fact the actress chose to give up the personal trainer at her side of the treadmill and opted for a much simpler and more accessible practice: dancing at home.

According to an interview given to E!, the 50-year-old blonde revealed that, for her, a great method of improving her physical conditioning is basically to put on a playlist and move her body.

“I think few people realize that there are a lot of things you can do in a small space to just keep your body moving. A really good thing to do is just put on your headphones, put on a playlist and dance for 15 minutes straight, as hard as you can. Afterwards, just take a shower and start your day,” she said.

He continued: “Just take six of your favorite songs and make a little playlist that will make you want to move like you can’t stop dancing. You don’t even need to have gym clothes. You can be naked or in your underwear and dance.”

Cameron Diaz Cardio and the Benefits of Dancing

The truth is that, in addition to being fun and pleasurable, dancing is also good for your health – and not just as a cardio activity.

Some benefits are:

1

Helps define the body

Let’s be honest: dancing won’t help you hypertrophy your legs like bodybuilding training. However, it can contribute to improving the definition and eliminating some extra fat.

Justin Neto, physical educator and famous dance teacher, explains.

“For Anitta to make a square and for Beyoncé to roll all the way down, they demand a lot from their thighs and buttocks and need to work their core a lot to control the movement.”

Thus, with the fibers activated all the time, the legs and abdomen gain more tone – that, of course, not to mention the jumps, squats and rolls that we do when dancing without even realizing it.

“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”, adds Isabel Chateaubriand, from Hospital Sírio-Libanês, in São Paulo.

It is worth remembering, however, that it is necessary to maintain strengthening exercises on alternate days with dancing, especially if you usually experience pain in your joints, such as your knees and hips.

two

Boost your health

The benefits of dancing also come from the inside out, as it prevents hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.

“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.

3

lose weight

Dancing may not even seem like a physical exercise, but when done at an intense pace, it is able to speed up our heartbeat a lot.

To get an idea, a survey by the University of Brighton, in England, pointed out that it can reach, on average, 79% of the maximum frequency during a choreography.

“In one hour, you can spend up to 800 calories, depending on how dedicated you are in class”, says physical educator Bruno Mendes, creator of the Burn Dance method, from Brasília.

His suggestion for optimizing caloric expenditure is to combine arm and leg movements and perform them as widely as possible.

Even if her talent as a dancer isn’t all that great. The secret to burning some calories is to be motivated!

Book two to three sessions of at least half an hour throughout the week.

4

Gives control of the body

The modality also contributes to motor coordination, agility and body awareness.

“Posture becomes more aligned, stretching improves and control over your movements is sharper”, says Helô Gouvêa, dancer and partner at Estúdio Anacã, in São Paulo.

5

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 a feeling of well-being for hours.

“The difference is that dancing requires a mind 100% focused on the activity you are performing, otherwise you cannot follow the choreography. Disconnecting from thoughts and worries makes the symptoms of anxiety and depression lessen”, highlights psychologist Maria Cristina Lopes, from Rio de Janeiro.

6

Reduces the risk of dementia

Dancing can also lower your risk of getting dementia and helps to engage the brain and restore memory, especially if you are following any type of choreography, as you get older.

7

Improves self-confidence and self-esteem

“Class can be a drag if you go into it with an open mind. Roll over, make a face, get down to the ground… There is no right or wrong, you just need to feel! All this empowers women and, as a consequence, even helps to spend more energy”, guarantees Justin Neto.

You could also try dancing in front of a mirror, looking at the movements your body is capable of. This will help reinforce the mental work on 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”, explains Camilla Monti Oliveira, a neuropsychologist from Ribeirão Preto, in São Paulo.