“The surprising health benefits of belly dancing - Examiner” plus 1 more |
| The surprising health benefits of belly dancing - Examiner Posted: 03 Jun 2010 09:29 AM PDT Message from Five Filters: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Belly dancing (also known by it's Middle Eastern name of " Raqs Sharqi") is still one of the most popular forms of total body conditioning. Why? Mainly because it's fun, low-impact, and just about anyone can participate regardless of age or sex. The name "belly dancing" is somewhat of a misnomer as this exercise incorporates just about every part of the body including the neck, spine, pelvis and arms. An exceptional form of cardiovascular activity, belly dancing can burn anywhere from 250-300 calories per hour, depending on the frequency and duration of the exercise. In fact, one can burn just as many calories with belly dancing as you can by riding a bike, walking or even swimming. Belly dancing does not have to be performed for hours at a time before you begin to see results. An hour a day should a be sufficient amount of time to get a reasonably good workout, and will appeal to health enthusiasts who want a quick workout without a lot of fuss. If you're main goal is to lose weight, however, be sure to choose a class that incorporates traveling steps and has constant movement. Also, combining belly dancing with other forms of cardiovascular activity, such as aerobics, tennis or some other sport will help you target your desired weight goal. Other health benefits of belly dancing include:
According to Dawn Gunduz, a cardio belly dance instructor at Loggerhead Fitness in Juno Beach: "The nice thing about (belly dancing) is that it's low impact so it's more accessible to people with knee or back concerns." A former ballet dance, Gunduz became hooked herself on belly dancing 11 years ago when the stress of ballet finally took it's toll on her body. She became a belly dancing instructor in 2007, and says that the majority of the people who take belly dancing classs are looking for a way to exercise, but to also have fun at the same time. Though Gunduz teaches several other belly dancing classes, she specifically refers to the one at Loggerhead as cardio belly dancing as the level of movements are very basic and is therefore great for beginners. "The movements are simplifed so I'm not teaching complex choreography or anything like that. I keep it kind of simple, easy to follow," Gunduz said. Dawn and her bubbly group of belly dancing students can be seen on Wednesday mornings from 10 am to 11 am at Loggerhead Fitness.
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| Get Fit Without Touching the Ground - Daily Press Posted: 03 Jun 2010 07:49 AM PDT Message from Five Filters: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Jennifer McCarthy was one of the first people to sign up when Bumbershoot, an aerial arts studio, opened last October in the old Polar Wave Ice and Fuel Co. warehouse. The south St. Louis studio, full of high-flying apparatus, is also home to a bakery and recording studio. "Wait a minute," McCarthy, 37, remembers thinking. "There's actually a class where adults can do this?" The fun inside Bumbershoot is highly visible thanks to the studio's enormous windows. Passers-by on Gravois Avenue often press against the glass, staring in wonder at the brightly colored silks, ropes, hoops and a trapeze hanging from a 26-foot-high ceiling.
For owner and instructor Joelle Pendergrass, who grew up performing circus skills with her 11 siblings, having her own studio was a dream. "It's really been a blessing for me to find aerial arts. It's been a therapeutic influence in my life," said Pendergrass, 24, who formerly taught classes for Circus Harmony, a circus school at the City Museum and home to a youth circus troupe. "I wanted other people to experience that." While Bumbershoot offers classes for children, the focus is on adults. Pendergrass picked the name Bumbershoot, a colloquial term for umbrella, because she imagines an umbrella program of acrobatic classes such as gymnastics and aerial fitness (focusing on cardio rather than mastering tricks) not typically offered for adults. Classes also are offered in handstands and tumbling, and moms and their toddlers can take some classes together. There's even a date-night class for couples. "You can only go to dinner and a movie so many times," Pendergrass said. Bumbershoot intrigued McCarthy. The gymnastics classes she took as a child had been replaced with aerobic classes at the gym or monotonous minutes on an elliptical machine. "I was bored out of my mind," she said. 'Beatiful and Graceful' McCarthy signed up for Bumbershoot's aerial silks class, which involves "dancing" while suspended from two pieces of fabric. "It is so beautiful and graceful," McCarthy said. At first, McCarthy's feet weren't strong enough to grip the silks; she slid down as soon as she climbed on. "Now, I can climb to the top of the ceiling," she said. "It was a huge accomplishment. It's very exhilarating when you do it." This combination of physical and emotional well-being is what Pendergrass loves about aerial arts. Students often tell her at the start of class that they'll never be able to do this or that: They're afraid of heights; they hate to be upside down; they are not strong enough. But they always end up surprising themselves, she said. The feelings of empowerment and self-reliance that come from completing a skill are just as real as the fitness benefits, Pendergrass said.
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