People have been sweating it out on the dance floor for years now, and the fact that it is a great workout is pretty well understood. However, like any workout, there are ways to get the most out of it, or ways to minimize the benefits that you'll get.
People who go to night clubs or dance parties to get their groove on can certainly work up a good sweat, and burn off some calories. With a good mix of music or a DJ who really knows how to work the crowd, it can really be a lot of fun, as well as a way to get some great exercise. Unfortunately, night clubs and parties usually come with ways to retard the weight loss benefit in the form of high-calorie drinks, snacks, and other foods.
If you want to just "cut a rug" and have a blast, then by all means, at least get the exercise benefit out of it, even if you aren't going to lose any weight. However, if you want to have the fun of dancing, and ALSO the weight loss benefit, here are some ways that dancing can crank up your weight loss efforts!
A Consistently elevated Heart Rate
One of the best ways to lose body fat is to keep your heart rate elevated for long periods of time. Notice the term "lose body fat" as opposed to the term "lose weight". Many allegedly miraculous weight loss programs cause you to lose water weight or even healthy muscle tissue, both of which are unhealthy, short-lived, and can actually cause you to gain more weight back after the program.
Your mission when it comes to weight loss is to lose BODY FAT, not just to lose weight. Body fat goes away whenever your body has a need for energy that cannot be met by whatever calories are presently in your system. Specifically, whenever you elevate your heart rate into your Target Heart Rate zone (roughly 60%-85% of your maximum heart rate), you open the flood gates of your body's fat burning ability.
If you have ever really gotten into a dance set, at a party or otherwise, you know that you are breathing heavier than normal, you start to sweat, and your body starts to go looking for energy. That's the "sweet spot" whenever you are in a position to start losing weight, right there on the dance floor. However, that is provided that you don't hit the chips and dip table or suck down a beer as soon as you get off the floor…
Increased Metabolism
In addition to just raising your heart rate so that your body goes looking for additional calories from stored body fat, dancing raises your metabolism more than a more "traditional" exercise because dancing utilizes so many different muscle groups.
It would be impossible to list the specific muscle groups that are used when dancing because it obviously depends on the type of dancing that you are doing. However, the thing to remember is that whenever you dance, you use many muscle groups all in conjunction with each other, and that "confuses" your body about where to obtain the energy for that activity. The more intense your dance routine is, and the more muscle groups you manage to incorporate, the more "confused" your body will get.
The benefit to confusing your body in this manner is that not only will you burn calories during your dance activity, but you will continue to burn calories long after you stop. The more you can crank up your metabolism during any type of exercise activity, the longer it will take your body to "normalize" afterwards.
So, the next time you feel like getting a little "freaky" when you dance, go for it!
A Powerful Core
Your "core" muscles encompass many different muscles groups, including your inner and outer abdominal muscles, your side abdominal muscles, the muscles of your lower back, and also the musculature that supports your spine. Having a strong core is necessary for many reasons, not the least of which being the prevention of injury, increased mobility, and the ability to do activities that people with a weak core cannot do.
Although dancing uses many different muscle groups, it all starts in the middle, where your core muscles are. You can't gyrate your hips, bend over backwards, dip your partner, or do any other fancy (and calorie burning) dance moves if you can't control your core muscles.
Not only will dancing increase the strength of your core and your brain's ability to control those core muscles, but having a strong core also sets you up to do other activities later on with an increased sense of "solidity," for lack of a better term.
Whenever you feel like you have a strong core, it is the same idea as building a house on a solid foundation. Anything is possible whenever your central power unit is in great shape. The confidence of having a strong core will cause you to be more willing to do other physical activities later on down the road that will enhance your weight loss efforts, in addition to the calories that you burn during your dance routine.
Boost to your Self-Esteem
Right on the heels of a cranking up your confidence by building a stable core comes the related benefit of raising your level of self-esteem. Dancing in a manner that makes you feel good about yourself carries over even after you get off the floor. By getting in touch with your body and controlling it in such an intimate and precise way, you feel mentally more in touch as well.
Look at the crowd at any night club or party, and look at the people who are dancing vs. the people who are just watching. The dancers are having fun, they aren't bored, they aren't shy, and they are rarely all alone. Even a dancer who goes to a night club alone does not stay that way for long, as he/she gains momentum and self-esteem as their mind and body come together while dancing.
In addition to just having a dance partner at a party or a night club, however, that self-esteem tends to carry over into other areas of your life as well. When you feel confident and in touch with your body, and you put your body "out there" frequently on the dance floor, it becomes a lot more difficult to consciously pack on unnecessary "curves".
Picture yourself getting busy on the dance floor, shakin' your thing, and having a blast, and then try to picture yourself wolfing down a double cheeseburger, a large order of fries, and a sugar-filled soda. Those two pictures just don't mix, do they?
As with any other exercise protocol, you can get a lot out of dancing, or you can get the minimum benefit by not taking it very seriously.
If you want to take it seriously - and use it as a fun and very effective way to lose weight - then get your groove on in the privacy of your own home with exercise routines built specifically for the dancer in you: Turbo Jam and Hip Hop Abs.
Lose some weight, and learn how to be the center of attention on the dance floor all at the same time. Now that is time management!
译文:
怎样通过跳舞来减肥
众所周知，跳舞是很不错的运动，很多人因此对这项运动孜孜不倦。就像很多类似的运动，我们可能从中获益，也可能一无所获。。
去一些夜总会或者舞蹈派对是能流不少汗，消耗掉不少的卡路里。各种混杂的音乐和深知如让大家high起来的专业DJ，和一大堆人疯玩在一起，是一件娱乐运动于一体的事情。不幸的是，夜总会和协会里提供的高卡路里饮料、小吃和其他食物，往往拖住了人们减肥的后腿。
如果你只是想跳个摇摆舞图个开心，即使你不打算减肥，也会从这项运动中得到一些益处。然而，如果你即想在跳舞中找点快乐，又想甩掉一点肉，那么以下几个方法可以让你如愿以尝！
不断地提高心率
减少体脂肪的最好办法是长期保持心率的提高。要注意的是“减少体脂肪”和“减肥”这两个词是不一样的。很多夸大其词的减肥项目都是减你体内的水分甚至是有益于健康的肌肉组织，两者都是有害健康和短期的，在疗程之后通常会反弹而使体重更加增加。
当你意识到减肥其实是减体脂肪而不仅仅是减重量的时候。无论何时，当你的身体需要的能量并不符合身体系统内任何的卡路里的时候，体脂肪就会乖乖走开。确切地说，就是随时把你的心率提高在目标心率区间（大概是你最大心率的60%-85%），那么就像打开了体脂肪燃烧的大门。
如果你已经参加跳舞活动，在舞蹈派队或其他地方，你的呼吸会比平时重，会开始流汗，身体开始寻找能量。如果你正处在减肥之中，那么站在舞池中，就是最好的状态。然而，前提是一离开舞池后，不要碰薯片和桌子，不要灌下一大杯啤酒。
促进新陈代谢活动
除了提高心率以使你的身体从体内储存的脂肪中寻找能量，跳舞不仅仅只是一项传统的运动，它还可以加速你的新陈代谢，因为跳舞的过程中用到了很多不同的肌肉群。
要列出跳舞中用到的所有具体的肌群是不可能的，因为那取决于你跳的是哪种类型的舞蹈。然而，有一点需要知道的是，当你跳舞时，你用到的很多肌群之见都是相互有关联的，这就会“迷惑”你的身体，它不知道到底该从哪里去为这种运动获取能量。舞步越激烈，用到的肌群越多，你的身体就会越“迷惑”。
以这样的方式“迷惑”身体的好处就是你身体里的卡路里不仅仅在跳舞时在燃烧，而且在你停止条后很长一段时间内还会继续在燃烧。在任何形式的运动活动中，你的新陈代谢进行地越快，身体在停止运动后就要更多的时间来恢复。
所以下次跳舞的时候如果感觉身体有点“捉摸不定”，那就继续吧！
强壮的核心肌肉
核心肌肉包围着很多不同的肌群，包括内部和外部的腹肌、侧部腹肌、下背肌肉，还有支撑脊椎的肌肉组织。拥有一个强壮的核心肌肉是很有必要的，不仅仅只是为了预防受伤，增加灵活性，如果核心肌肉很虚弱，就不能做很多运动。
虽然跳舞会用到很多不同的肌群，但是用到的都是在中间的核心肌肉。如果你不能控制好你的核心肌肉，你就不能扭动臀部、向后弯曲、转动你的搭档，或者做其他一些有奇特的花样（燃烧卡路里）。
跳舞不仅能增强你的核心肌肉和大脑对核心肌肉的控制力，随着稳定性的增强，即使没有一个好的舞队，你也可以做其他运动。
只要你觉得自己有了一个强壮的核心肌肉，就会好比一座房子有了一个牢固的地基。只要你的主要力量单位有了良好的状态，任何事情都不是问题。拥有一个强壮核心肌肉的信念会使你在接下来的日子里都更乐意做其他的体育运动，你的减肥功效就在不知不觉中加强了，而不仅只依靠在跳舞时消耗卡路里了。
增强自信
对核心肌肉的信心的增强，随之而来的也会增强自身的自信问题。跳舞中自身感觉的良好状态，即使离开舞池，这种状态也会一直延续。通过这样亲密和准确的方法和身体接触和控制，精神上的愉悦是更快乐的。
看一看夜总会和派对里的人们，看一看正在跳舞和正在观看的人们。跳舞的人总是很快乐，而不会感到厌倦，他们不害羞，而且很少是单身一人。一个很久没跳过的舞者即使是一个人单独前往夜总会，在跳舞中，当思想和身体完美地结合在一起的时候，他或她就会马上得到动力和自信。
除了在派队或夜总会里得到舞伴的青睐，这种自信也会在你生活的其他领域发挥作用。当你很自信地舒张你的身体，常常让自己的身体尽情地在舞池里绽放，就很难在平时的生活中下意识地弯腰曲背了。
设想一下你自己正在舞池中翩翩起舞，摇摆着腰肢，跳得很开心很尽兴。再设想一下你正在狼吞虎咽地解决两个吉士汉堡包，一大堆薯条，高含糖量的苏打饮料。这是两幅完全没关联的设想图，是不是？
至于其他形式的运动方案，你可以从跳舞中得到很多，你也可以不把他当回事而只得到一点点好处。
如果你想认真对待——把它当做兴趣和一种有效的减肥方法——那么就在自家私人地方配上练习作息表跳出一个专业的舞者吧：Turbo Jam 和 Hip Hop Abs
减掉身上的肥肉，让自己一直成为舞池中的焦点。这只是时间的问题！