Salsa Dancing For Fitness Is Hot

Salsa dancing is emerging as a refreshing replacement for
conventional aerobic exercises. Classes based on the fiery music
and movements of Salsa, Mambo, Cumbia, Merengue and more are
starting to get people interested in Salsa dancing, while at the
same time giving them a pounding workout.

Salsa music first appeared in the 1960s as a rhythmic fusion,
birthed in the cultural melting pot of New York City. Combining
Cuban Son with Guaracha, Montuno and Guaguanco, it also has a
strong Puerto Rican Plena, Bomba and American jazz influence
that mellows the smoking urban sound.

Salsa’s popularity began to percolate beyond the borders of the
Latin neighborhoods in the early Seventies, spreading into New
York's ballrooms and dance halls. Although somewhat formulized
when practiced by those who favor profession competitions, salsa
dancing in its most traditional form is typically spontaneous
and extremely energetic. Dance movements alternate between the
very slow and the furious, an embodiment of its lively musical
style.

From a strictly athletic point of view, a night of dancing is a
superb workout. It merges aerobic and anaerobic training,
working your stamina and leg strength. Any kind of dancing is a
great way to build the perfect body shape. The continual
movements build up aerobic stamina while steadily burning
calories over the course of the evening. This helps to
strengthen and tone your legs at the same time you lose weight.
But salsa excels at this.

Experts say that dancing salsa can burn up to 10 calories a
minute, without the negative side effects of high impact
exercises such as running. You can learn salsa dancing in the
privacy of your home or in a studio, with or without a partner
and it’s a fitness program that can easily be integrated into
your social life. By using salsa dancing to get fit, you will
not only look great, but you’ll have no excuse not to get out
more and improve your social life.

The sudden bursts of frenzied dancing in Salsa also can help to
improve the anaerobic fitness essential to sports like
sprinting, swimming and basketball. Equally important to the
aerobic paybacks are the improvements in flexibility and
dexterity, a commonly overlooked facet of fitness. Elasticity
from dancing will help your swiftness, power and co-ordination
by growing your overall range of motion.

When you think about it, dance is actually the most natural
form of exercise around. It is also a lot more fun. Life is too
short to waste on regimented aerobics, spinning and step
classes. Put some spice in your fitness regimen and become a
Salsero!