Dance for a Healthy Lifestyle

by Claire Still of Glitterball Dance Company

With the many pressures of modern society, time constraints, and everyday tasks, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally; and add some fun into everyday life. Getting fit and healthy doesn’t have to mean hours on a treadmill or in a gym. Instead, dancing is one of the best fitness workouts there is, offering an upbeat and inventive type of exercise, that promotes a healthy and active lifestyle.

Sociable, energizing dance has a whole host of body benefits, for all age groups, from aiding joint flexibility through to boosting mental well-being. It’s also a great way to learn a skill and meet new like-minded people along the way!

Ballroom & Latin is an umbrella term, for 10 different dance types! Waltz, Quickstep, Tango, Foxtrot,

Viennese Waltz, Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive and Paso Doble make up the collection. They all vary in speed and dynamics, so learning the steps and rhythms offers so many physical health benefits such as; increasing your cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength/tone, flexibility, posture and balance.

By joining a fully registered ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) qualified school, a weekly class or lesson can help promote stress relief, cognitive function and boost your self confidence; so much so that the awkward dancing or standing in the corner at those office parties will be a thing of the past!

Not sure what to expect from your first class? A relaxed social environment, with people from all walks of life, sharing the desire to access all the health benefits of Ballroom dancing! The teacher, will introduce you to the basic step patterns, and before you know it you’ll be dancing around the room, either solo or in a couple, or with a teacher! Expect to learn the basic steps of 2 dances in your first class, and that will be built on weekly.

There’s plenty of opportunities to gain certificates for your dancing at all levels, enter competitive dancing, attend social evenings and afternoons; or simply keep it to a weekly class - whatever you have in mind.

So all in all - Ballroom dancing isn’t just for celebrities! Although it is a very much favoured TV programme, it is actually a multifaceted activity, that offers its participants physical, metal and social benefits all rolled into one! So, learning to dance is a fulfilling and rewarding experience, which can enrich your life in countless ways.

Glitterball Dance Company Classes run in The Space Hub, Woodley www.glitterballdc.co.uk