As reported by scientists at the Mayo Clinic, social dancing provides the body with a lot of health benefits.

It could help reduce stress, increase energy, and improve strength, muscle tone, and coordination.

Dancing can also burn as many calories as walking or riding a bicycle. One factor that decides how many calories you’ll use is the distance you travel while grooving to the beat.

In one study, scientists found that square dancers covered five miles in a single evening. That’s a lot of do-si-doing!

Other aspects of dance that contribute to your cardiovascular conditioning depend on how long, how often, and how intensely or vigorously you boogie and get down.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recognizes the benefits of dance in lowering coronary heart disease risk, decreasing blood pressure, and managing weight.

Another plus of dancing is that the weight bearing movements of your steps can strengthen the bones of your legs and hips, important for maintaining bone health as you age.

As a result, dancing may be used as part of a rehabilitation program, of course with appropriate supervision.

While we may not all be hip-hopping into our nineties, dancing is one activity we can (hopefully) do for the rest of our lives… and the sociability it provides is part of its allure.

It’s a excellent way to make new friends, be creative and expressive, and just plain old enjoy life. And, the best part of dancing is the fun you are able to have while you’re doing something excellent for your body.

Whatever your preference, there’s sure to be a style to get your toes tappin’! Whether it’s belly dancing, funk, swing, ballet, jazz, tap, square, hip-hop, the hustle, the tango, or modern dance, classes are popping up all over.

Contact your local fitness center YMCA, recreation/community center, or dance studio to see what they offer.

Well, now that you know that dancing is good for you, put on your dancin’ shoes and cut a rug!

Lots of sports and activities help to strengthen and tone legs. Some of these include running, swimming, cycling, blading, ice skating, skiing, and jumping rope, just to name a few.

Specific resistance exercises can help strengthen and shape specific muscles in the leg.

You might wish to begin by doing exercises that use your own body weight and require no special equipment. Here are a few

Lunge This exercise works the quadriceps (muscle of the front upper thigh).

(1) Stand with your feet together, keeping your head up and looking straight ahead.

(2) Make certain to take a long step forward with one foot, making sure this leg is at a right angle (don’t let your knee bend in front of your toes), and bend the knee of your back leg until it is as close to the floor as possible.

(3) Hold this position for a second or two and then little by little push back to a standing position.

(4) Repeat with the alternate leg going forward.

(5) Make certain that your movements are slow and controlled.

(6) Build up your repetitions over time.

(7) to elevate resistance, you might hold hand weights alongside your body.

Heel raise

This exercise works your calf muscle (official term – gastrocnemius).

(1)Stand with the balls of your feet on a step — hold onto a wall or handrail for balance.

(2) Slowly rise up on your toes, pause for a second or two, and then decline.

(3) Progress slowly and gradually — do not overdo it at first.

(4) Increase repetitions as you become stronger.

Toe raise

This exercise for your shin is specifically useful if you are a runner.

(1)Sit on a stool, bench, or chair with feet flat on the floor.

(2) Raise your toes toward the ceiling while keeping your heels on the floor.

(3) Hold this position for a second or two and then gradually decrease your toes.

(4) Raise repetitions as you become stronger.

Squat

This works the hamstrings, located in the back of your upper thighs. This exercise is challenging for beginners.

It’s best to do this in front of a mirror to check your form.

(1)Position your feet shoulder width apart, with your hands on your hips or the front of your thighs.

(2) Gradually reduce your body until you’re in a “sitting” position. Your front thighs should be parallel with the floor. You could also feel muscle contraction in your rear end (you’re working these muscles as well!).

(3) Hold this position for a second or two and then gradually stand up straight.

(4) Increase repetitions as you become stronger.

(5) With increasing strength, you may also wish to add resistance by using a barbell, held behind your neck, that is resting on your upper back.

Lying side lift

To work the outside muscle of your leg called the abductors

(1)Lying on your side, gradually lift your top leg as high as you can while keeping it straight, and then gradually lower it.

(2) Repeat as many times as comfortable.

(3) Lie on your opposite side to work the other leg in the same manner.

To work the inner thigh muscle (adductor)

(1)Lie on your side, crossing and slightly bending your top leg over your bottom one. Be certain not to let your hips roll back — stay exactly on your side.

(2) Slowly lift your bottom leg as high as you can and then lower it gradually.

(3) Do this as many times as possible (without extreme pain).

(4) Repeat with your other leg.

(5) A few individuals like to use ankle weights for these exercises as they become stronger.

If you have access to a fitness center you could wish to use machines to accomplish the same exercises.

Specifically useful ones are the leg extension (for quadriceps) and leg curl (for hamstrings). A seated leg press is also advantageous for quads and gluteal muscles.

When you use weights, don’t increase the load too rapidly because you could injure joints and connective tissue.

Talk with a personal trainer to determine proper starting weights, correct form, and seat height before using any gym equipment.

Be sure to allow at least a day or two between strength training sessions that focus on/use the same muscle (i.e., don’t workout your legs two days in a row).

The reliability of these calculations in figuring out the amount of calories you expend during a workout depends on your size, body composition, workout intensity, and level of fitness.

When the machine does not ask for your body weight, you can make certain the calorie count is not accurate.

People who weigh less burn fewer calories than individuals who weigh more when doing otherwise equivalent workouts.

When the machine does ask for your weight, it’s giving you an approximate count of calories burned. the reliability of the numbers varies by manufacturer and depends on what formula the machine uses.

Excercise machines, like quite a few website calorie calculators, use various formulas to calculate the approximate number of calories burned.  

A number of are more accurate than others – a number of sites have you plug in the weight, exercise mode, and time to calculate your caloric expenditure.    

For a rough estimate, this is fine. Notwithstanding, you may also be interested in calculating more a more exact picture of calories burnes; here is a partial listing from a well-respected text, Exercise Physiology, by McArdle, Katch, and Katch   

Activity    Calories/lb/minute

Aerobics    

Moderate    0.065

Vigorous    0.095

Step    0.07

Cycling    

5.5 mph    0.033

10 mph    0.05

13 mph    0.071

Jump rope    0.06

Running    

11 min/mile    0.07

8.5 min/mile    0.09

7 min/mile    0.102

6 min/mile    0.114

Stairclimber    

Moderate    0.07

Vigorous    0.09

Stationary Cycling    

Moderate    0.055

Vigorous    0.09

Note – “Moderate” and “vigorous” aren’t specific terms. But normally “moderate” means you’ll notice some increase in the breathing or heart rate, and “vigorous” means you’ll notice a big increase in the breathing and heart rate.    

For  instance, moderate activity might include brisk walking, playing catch, or yoga.

Vigorous activity might include running, swimming, basketball, or soccer.

Also consider that a individuals who’s a high percentage of lean body mass will spend more calories than a individuals with a greater fat mass, because lean tissue is more metabolically active.

In addition, as an athlete adapts to a certain mode of exercise, the muscles become more efficient and work becomes easier, causing slightly fewer calories to be used up.

Additionally, you can keep your muscles guessing by cross-training or switching activities.

Technique also matters – for example, when you are leaning on an elliptical machine (putting your weight on your arms), you are reducing your body weight load and burning far fewer calories than the machine says. the same holds true for a treadmill.

You’re better off setting the machine at a lower intensity and swinging your arms at your sides (touching the side bars occasionally for balance).

When you would prefer to put energy your into working out, rather than mastering the myriad ways of calculate calories burned, you can simply keep some general exercise recommendations in mind

• Participate in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes, five or more days each week

• Participate in vigorous exercise for at least 20 minutes, three or more days each week

Beginners may start with 10 to 15 repetitions. As you become stronger, you may perform more repetitions, or hold each contraction for five seconds, or longer.

This can get really tough! Since your stomach muscles are comprised of different sections, you can work each separately.

For the basic crunch, which works the upper portion of the abs

• Lie on your back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

• Beginners – cross arms over chest; others – rest hands behind the head. In either arm position, place your chin at a fist’s distance from your chest.

• Raise your chest and shoulders several inches from the ground, keeping your feet and lower back flat on the floor. Exhale as you come up, inhale as you lower back down.

• Make sure to keep your movements slow and controlled, feeling the contraction in the midsection only. Fast jerky movements don’t work the muscle properly.

For the obliques (the muscles on either side of the center of your belly)

• Begin in the basic crunch position.

• With hands placed lightly behind your head, raise your chest and shoulders, twisting your torso so that one shoulder moves towards the opposite knee.

• Lower and repeat with the other shoulder, alternating back and forth.

For the lower abdominals (the section below your navel)

• Start in the basic crunch position.

• Bring your knees up toward your chest in a 90. angle (forming an “L”).

• Using only your abdominal muscles, not your hips or legs, move your knees slightly toward your chest as you exhale.

• Return to the beginning position.

• Repeat.

• This is a very small movement – do not bring your knees up to your face.

If you’re properly working your abs, but are disappointed with the results, remember that resistance training a specific muscle group does not reduce the fat over that area.

Cardiovascular exercise and proper diet can help reduce body fat. Unfortunately, we have no control where fat loss (or fat storage) occurs.

A few people are predisposed to carry a little additional padding in their midsection. Others, because of the way their internal organs are situated, appear to have a bit of a “tummy.”

Do not focus too hard on one area. Instead, engage in a variety of exercises and strive for overall fitness.

Spinning (it is a registered trademark name when referred to as the exercise) is generically known as indoor, stationary cycling.

Originated by Johnny G. (for Jonathan Goldberg, the Spinning guru) in 1987, these high intensity classes have sprung up all over the USA. Although health club are calling these classes by various other names, most offer similar workouts.

An instructor leads the generally 45 to 60 minute class, generally to some sort of arousing music. Participants ride on specially designed stationary bikes and are able to control their own resistance, or level of difficulty.

A few instructors take the class on an imaginary ride, describing changing scenery, like mountains or flat roads. Other leaders encourage the class through various cycling techniques.

Often the music inspires participants to work towards a high fitness level.

These classes can be very challenging. A good instructor must be able to help beginners adapt the exercises to suit their ability.

Since these bikes are much different than outdoor ones, it takes several classes to get the feel of them.

A few valuable suggestions when trying an indoor cycling class include

• Arrive early for your first class. If it is your first time, tell the instructor and have him or her help you set up the bike. You need to properly adjust the seat and handlebar heights, in addition to the distance between the seat and handlebars.

• Ask the instructor to review proper form. Prevent leaning on the handlebars – it puts too much pressure on your shoulders and wrists.

• Bring a full bottle of cold water with you, along with a towel – you’ll sweat a lot!

• Go at your own pace – do not try to “compete” with others. Even if the instructor acts like a drill sergeant, take it easy until you are comfortable with the techniques involved. You’ll undoubtedly be sore after the first few classes.

• Wear bike shorts or some sort of long shorts or knee-length leggings.

• Have fun and enjoy, but do not overdo it – overuse training injuries can occur with this activity, as with any other form of exercise.

The early bird gets the,  metabolism boost? Although it’d be great when exercising before breakfast gave you an additional incentive, this is just a rumor.

Working out in the morning (or before eating) offers no additional or superior rewards to exercising at other times of the day.

However, this doesn’t mean you should stay in bed and skip the workout. In general, any time you exercise, you will raise your metabolism during the fitness session and for some time afterwards.

Studies have shown that the more intensely you exercise, the longer your metabolic rate stays raised.

The magnitude and duration of this increase varies from person to person, and from workout to workout.

A common misconception is the belief that training on an empty stomach leads to increased fat burning. During exercise, muscles burn a combination of carbohydrate and fat.

As one becomes more fit, her or his muscles utilize a greater percentage of fat for energy.

Another consideration to think about before running out the door without breakfast is that a lot of individuals are in low-energy mode when they first wake up because of low blood sugar levels.

When you go right into exercising on an empty stomach, this won’t help you burn more fat, but may instead lead you to feel lightheaded and tired more quickly, thereby assisting decrease the length of your workout.

Consuming something before getting physically active might help you have more oomph, get in a more strenuous session, and work off more calories and fat than when you hadn’t eaten.

While an elevation in metabolism may be desirable, it is usually not enough to result in any significant weight loss.

In addition, some individuals compensate for being physically active by consuming more, which may make any boost in metabolism an entirely moot point.

Yoga is a combination of exercise and meditation rooted in Hindu religious practices. It’s been practiced in Eastern cultures for about 5,000 years and has fairly recently been “discovered” and popularized in Western society.

The word yoga means “to bring together or merge” – as in joining the mind and body into a single harmonious unit.

The purpose of yoga is to develop strength, awareness, and harmony in both the mind and body.

More than one hundred different kinds, or schools, of yoga exist; most sessions are generally comprised of breathing exercises, meditation, and assuming postures (sometimes called poses) that stretch and flex various muscle groups.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health, relaxation techniques, like those practiced in yoga, can

• lessen chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome

• lower blood pressure and heart and breathing rates

• reduce insomnia

Students of yoga also usually report

• higher levels of energy

• reduced levels of stress and anxiety

• increased feelings of general well-being

Because there are so numerous kinds of yoga practices, people with movement restrictions or other physical challenges can find a type that meets their needs and abilities.

For more information about different methods of yoga and how to choose the one for you, review the American Yoga Association web site.

More fitness options than ever are available for people with disabilities. For example, there are groups for participating in everything from hang-gliding to wheelchair football!

If you’re interested in these and other pursuits, opportunities exist worldwide. Plus, getting involved in new activities may open doors you never imagined.

Before beginning an fitness program, it is critical to get the go-ahead from a healthcare provider. If you’re taking any medications, ask your provider how they might affect your body’s responses.

For example, some drugs reduce sweat rate, so you may overheat more easily than the next person.

Getting involved in regular exercise is an important factor in reaching your weight control goal and improves health in a lot of ways. Picking activities that you like will help keep you excited to stick with your fitness program.

Pick options that burn calories in addition to maintain or increase muscle mass. What you are able to do or start out with will be based on your range of motion.

Depending on your abilities, engaging in weight training for the upper body is important.

This will help build lean muscle mass, expend more calories, and condition so that you are able to participate in other sports. to burn calories and improve cardiovascular fitness, a number of options exist.

Tabletop hand bicycles, which have pedals for the arms, could be used indoors, and enhance the upper body, too.

Outdoor hand bicycles (the wheelchair kind that is used by people who do not have lower body mobility) –  you might recall seeing them in various competitions –  are also used by many physically challenged athletes.

Depending on your physical ability, you could also find swimming to be a great workout, both for building upper body strength in addition to for burning calories.

Make sure to check your local “Y,” fitness club, or recreation center for exercise classes or instruction in your area.

Since it is often easier to workout with others, consider the Achilles Track Club International, which offers support and training buddies in many locations. Visit their web site for a chapter in your area.

Consulting with a personal trainer experienced in working with individuals with disabilities to help come up with an individualized program is a good idea.

It is hard to say if weight or fitness has a greater impact on overall health, so there’s really no clear-cut answer to your question.

Notwithstanding, recent research indicates that we should reconsider our beliefs about weight and fitness. Being fat isn’t always a sign of poor health and being thin isn’t always a mark of fitness or good health.

And no matter what your size, frequent physical activity is beneficial.

A recent published study in published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2008 calls into question accepted beliefs about weight and health.

The published study found that about 25 percent of participants with averageweight had health problems such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and low levels of HDL-cholesterol or “good cholesterol.”

On the contrary, about 33% of obese participants were healthful in these areas. For this group, weight alone was not always a good estimate of health.

Nevertheless, being very overweight does have its risks. A 2004 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that obese participants with a body-mass index  over 30 were more likely to die during the at the study , regardless of their level of exercise.

Although all the participants were female nurses, scientists have found similar results in men.

All that being said, fitness is definitely more complex than maintaining a particular weight. the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends regular exercise that includes moderate exercise 5 or more days a week, for at least 30 minutes each day.

According to the CDC, physical fitness is measured by heart and lung performance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition (ratio of “lean mass” to fat). Fascinatingly, weight and Body Mass Index are not included.

So it seems that weight does matter, but not always in the way we expect. the bottom line is that “fitness” and “weight” mean different things for different people , but hitting the health club or taking a brisk walk several times a week is sure to do a (fat or thin) body good.

There are several practices that can help minimize stomachaches and increase the benefits of a workout following a meal. Consider the following

• Breakfast of champions. It sounds cliché, but it’s true – Eating a balanced breakfast is a good idea every day, and namely on workout days.

When you’re going to do your workout immediately after eating, a smaller breakfast is advised.

When you are getting up at the crack of dawn and cannot stomach the idea of eating a meal in advance, consider a small snack like a granola bar or an apple before you exercise.

• Size matters. Of your meal, that is. Depending on the size of your meal, digestion can take between one and four hours.

When you’ve consumed a bigger meal, it might be better to wait longer to start your workout. After consuming a smaller meal, waiting an hour or a little less must be fine.

• Accompany your gut. Nearly all individuals like to snack during a workout. This is fine as long as it makes you feel good.

Individuals vary in terms of digestion while working out, so do a little experimenting and see if this works for you.

• Hydrate! It’s a myth that drinking water before a workout causes side aches or stomach cramps.

Hydration is necessary for a healthful workout and recovery. Not being fully hydrated can raise body temperature and blood pressure, and could cause muscle cramps. Hydrate before, after, and during your workout.

• Attention! For people with diabetes or other existing conditions, meal timing may take on additional importance. It’s best to talk with a health care provider or nutritionist to discuss options and tips to keep yourself in check.

• Post-workout? After a workout, it is likely you are body will want and need to replace some of the energy you have just burned.

Research is mixed on the valid kind of nutrients (carbohydrates, protein), so think healthful and satisfying (apple with peanut butter, low sugar smoothie, yogurt with a small scoop of low-fat granola).

Everyone’s metabolism is slightly different. Normally, it may be trouble to ask your digestive system to compete with your muscles for blood supply and energy so eating a “buffet like meal” right before exercise can feel not-so-good.

That said, a general rule of thumb is to time your meal eating so you have enough energy while exercising, but don’t feel overly full or nauseous. the ultimate answer will really come from you.

Let these tips be a guide and have a little fun experimenting until you find the balance that best supports your goals.