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December
21, 2006
“Choose your dad, please!” I thought to myself as my third-grade daughter skipped over to grab a family member from the audience. During the last dance at a holiday recital for parents, the young dancers traditionally perform a dance called “Potter and Clay.” Guess who gets to be the clay? She was grinning broadly when she pulled me from the audience. Parents were sculpted into strange shapes. Then all the children skipped around admiring their works of art. We got a turn to sculpt and leap, too. OK, it was kind of fun. With the popularity of nationally televised dance competitions among celebrities, dancing is “in.” This is good news. You can waltz or foxtrot your way to fitness when the outdoor weather keeps you inside. Ballroom dancing burns up to 400 calories per hour while toning your muscles and strengthening your heart. Some studies suggest that dancing may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Ballroom dancing involves mental exercise as you memorize steps, walk backward and anticipate your partner’s next move. Researchers have studied the health and social benefits of dancing. Ballroom dancing is often is considered more “fun” than walking on a treadmill. If physical activity becomes a fun, social activity, it’s more likely to be continued. In an eight-week study of the health effects of dancing, Italian researchers divided 110 heart patients, mainly male, into three groups. One group, the dancing group, waltzed for about 20 minutes three times per week. Another group, the gym group, did traditional exercises, such as walking on a treadmill or using exercise cycles, for the same length of time. The third group, the control group, did nothing. They all filled out surveys that measured their quality of life. The researchers monitored their heart rates and heart function and compared the groups. The results: The dancing group improved its heart health at least as much as the gym group. Both groups did better than the control group. Interestingly, the dancing group improved its quality of life scores while the gym group decreased its scores. Regardless of whether you opt to work out at a gym, walk at a mall or float gracefully around a dance floor, stay fit this winter. Consider registering for the upcoming “Walk North Dakota” eight-week fitness challenge at www.walknd.com. The next “Walk North Dakota” challenge begins on Jan. 7 and runs through March 3.You can use a pedometer to keep track of your steps and then enter your steps online every two weeks. It’s easy, yet motivating. If you don’t have a pedometer, you can convert your minutes of activity from all sorts of fitness activities to steps. Who knows? You might be the person who enters the billionth step in the ongoing Walk North Dakota fitness challenge. Here’s a recipe for a quick whole-grain snack that’s heavy on flavor, but light on calories. It’s adapted from the “Eat Smart. Play Hard.” initiative by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
### Source:
Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
Market Advisor: |
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North Dakota State University |
