Why is it that as we grow up, we stop moving? Take a look at the adults around you. What happened to that fabulous childhood energy, that wonderful joie de vivre? It is a sad fact that as we grow up, image becomes our ruling force, shaping everything we do and also how we get there. You don’t see many women over 40 skipping down the street (apart from me!).
The Challenges
Are we too concerned about appearances, to the detriment of our health and wellbeing?
We all know that we need to be active, but do we know why? Movement is a key aspect of a child’s development but most of us don’t consider that we have a huge capacity to keep on developing throughout our lives. Dance based activities have so much to offer that it is hard to know where to start. Countless adults would benefit from improving their balance, coordination and spatial awareness, attributes which count so much towards our enjoyment of life. I am quite sure that we can all remember a situation where a lack of coordination or poor balance made us feel foolish. Just because we are all grown-up, doesn’t mean that we have nothing left to learn.
Perhaps the most emotive aspect of physical exercise is weight control. It is widely accepted that raising your heart rate will cause you to burn fat and this is probably the biggest single reason for anyone to exercise. We pile so much pressure on ourselves, to reach and maintain a certain body silhouette and now in our image conscious world, even our soft drink cans are looking to be slimmer and sleeker! Our often sedentary lives, constrained by the desk we work from and the time behind the wheel, leave little scope for carefree skipping down the street. Raising your heart rate and the resulting release in feel-good endorphins, helps to boost your immune system and also strengthens that most important of muscles, the heart, with Cardiovascular exercise working and improving heart and lung capacity, as well as function. The “official” statistics are forever changing on how much cardiovascular exercise we need to reduce the risk of such life threatening conditions as heart attacks, but the message on this page is much simpler. Rather than worrying, get out there and do something about it!
The Answer?… Let’s Dance!
“We don’t have time to run around and play like our children!” I hear you cry. In the modern world, time is possibly our greatest asset and our worst enemy. As we grow up and the responsibilities we shoulder increase, time seems to compress into a blurr. In order to fit exercise into our busy lives, we need to be clever and make the most of it. An organised dance-based exercise class should tick all the boxes, giving you a well-balanced workout and even better, making your exercise fun.
Take your new found moves home, push the kitchen table out of the way and turn up the radio! Lead by example and get everyone in on the act for some wonderful family interaction.
The Results?
In addition to reaping the physical benefits of exercise, dance routines will give you a mental workout and as you get the hang of it, boost your self¬-confidence. The advantages go a step further by adding in an important social element as classes are a fabulous way to meet new people on similar fitness journeys. Whether you are new to town or looking to expand your social circle, what better place to start than by enlivening yourself within a group of like-minded people?
The bottom line is the same for all ages and abilities. Physical activity is good for everyone and adding music is guaranteed to bring on the smiles. So let’s dance!
Active Dance & Fitness is the newest division of Active Sports Academy. Classes in Zumba and Booty Barre for adults are held in Dubai at: Regent International School, the Greens; Sweatshop Studios, JLT; Al Naadi Club, Al Ghurair Centre; and in Abu Dhabi: The Room, Zayed Sports City. There is also an extensive Dance programme for children.
For more information:
visit: www.ActiveUAE.com
email: Sports@ActiveUAE.com
Tel: 050 55 970 55.
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