Here at Varta Fitness, we try to help our clients accomplish whatever fitness goals they may have, whether they are training for a marathon, trying to eat healthier, or getting in shape so they can dance. We are proud to support Seattle Dances!, a dancing competition in which local Seattleites train with professional dancers for 15 weeks before performing a 2-3 minute dance this weekend before judges and an audience. These duos will be performing different styles of dance, including ballroom, swing, and the Lindy Hop, and we are excited to contribute a certificate for three strength training session with one of our fitness professionals to their silent auction. This competition is an incredible annual fundraiser for the Plymouth Housing Group, a local organization that works to end homelessness and help homeless and low-income Seattle residents by providing affordable housing and providing them with opportunities. Long story short, they are a fantastic organization that we love supporting.
But how can dancing improve your fitness?
Dancing can improve both your mental and your physical health: regular dancing can be a great cardiovascular workout. Dancing is dynamic and fast-paced, which gives it the potential to keep your heart rate elevated for an extended duration, the most important aspect of any cardiovascular workout. Also dancing challenges your active range of motion, an important aspect of another component of fitness: flexibility. By putting you in challenging positions, often on one leg, regularly dancing will also help hone your balance while keeping your stabilizing core muscles engaged as well. And dancing is low impact, preventing unnecessary wear and tear on your joints!
Michael Darigol and Laura Bachman prepare to dance the Lindy Hop for Seattle Dances!
Dancing can increase the number of chemicals that your brain produces which foster the growth of nerve cells, and learning steps for more complicated dances like the salsa or the waltz will improve your coordination and your agility, in turn strengthening your synapses and improving your memory skills. Finally, dancing makes you happy: when you dance your brain releases chemicals that are shown to improve your mood, so you are less likely to experience stress or depression.
Some of the dancers at Seattle Dances! this weekend have already utilized our fitness expertise to get in better shape for the competition this weekend. While we cannot claim to be dancing experts, our fitness professionals here at Varta Fitness understand what it takes to be successful on the dance floor from an athletic standpoint, and we can teach you to improve coordination, balance, and agility, all requisite for your dancing. Contact us to set up an appointment with one of our fitness trainers, and in the meantime be sure to check out Seattle Dances! this weekend on Saturday, March 1, at 5:30 PM.
