Get Funky for Your Health

by WiredBerries Editors — January 28, 2008

Spend a lot of time dancing around your living room alone? Good for you - literally! Mayo Clinic researchers reported that dancing helps to:

• Reduce stress
• Increase energy
• Improve strength
• Increase muscle tone and coordination

Regardless of your music preference and whether you dance alone, with a significant other, or in the middle of the dance floor with your favorite girlfriends, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says that dancing can:

• Lower your risk of coronary heart disease
• Decrease blood pressure
• Help you manage your weight
• Strengthen the bones of your legs and hips

How many calories will you burn while dancing? That depends on the type of dancing (who knew square dancing was so good for your heart?). The following estimates are based on a 150-pound person, per hour:

• Swing dancing: 235 calories/hour
• Ballroom dancing: 265
• Square dancing: 280
• Ballet: 300
• Belly dancing: 380
• Salsa dancing: 420+
• Aerobic dancing: 540+