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Thread: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

  1. #1
    Glitter Queen
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    Question Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    I was just wondering, do other forms of exercise help your dancing?

    I've recently been thinking that it would do me good to try and keep fit in other ways as well as dancing myself silly and I was hoping for the benefit of the experience of other dancers on the forum.

    My reasoning is that it would be beneficial to utilise other muscle groups and also to build up stamina and muscle tone and therefore allow me to have better control over the way my body moves and enable me to keep dancing for longer.

    I would imagine that things like yoga and pilates would be helpful in improving one's dancing, is this true?
    I also know a guy who did ballroom and was also playing a lot of squash who found that the increase in his shoulder muscle mass from the squash actually hindered his dancing as his movements were not so free-flowing.

    Any and all advice and experiences welcome, please .

    Sparkles. x

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    Registered User Anna's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    hmmm well i do yoga and pilates and it definitely helps ur posture, flexibility, strength etc...

    and running to keep ur fitness level up .. or walking, long walks are good..

    not that i run at the moment but i really really start again..

    maybe if i just think about it intensely enough it'll have an effect....


    oh, and i know its still a dance form but if u want to improve your flexibility, fluidity of bodywaves and stomach tone, do bellydancing. It's an awesome workout and i definitely, definitely recommend it to anyone whos keen enough to try it

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    Registered User Trousers's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    [BLUSH] Can I call it excercise


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    Registered User Zebra Woman's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trousers
    [BLUSH] Can I call it excercise

    That explains a lot.....

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    Registered User Rhythm King's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zebra Woman
    That explains a lot.....
    Only if it lasts to the end of the song though

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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trousers
    [BLUSH] Can I call it excercise

    Have we met?

    S. x

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    Registered User LMC's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    I haven't been to yoga for far too long - but I noticed it made a huge difference to my posture and muscle control, even though I was still a complete beginner at both yoga and dancing (salsa at that time).

    I also walk miles, which is great if my leg muscles and/or back are sore from the previous night's dancing (still getting used to taking me own not inconsiderable weight on seducers )- because it gives them a more gentle stretch/warm up than dancing would do.

  8. #8
    Donna
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    hmmm well i do yoga and pilates and it definitely helps ur posture, flexibility, strength etc...
    Anna you took the words straight outta my mouth....yes yoga is definately the best form of exercise to help you with your dancing. I think if you build up to much muscle you tend to maybe feel a bit stiff and extremely heavy for the men to do drops, lifts etc. Leave the muscle building to the men that is!!

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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    The body adapts itself to the tasks being presented to it. The best exercise to improve your dancing is dancing.

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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdjiver
    The body adapts itself to the tasks being presented to it. The best exercise to improve your dancing is dancing.
    That reminds me of the old Freddie Trueman quote about getting fit for cricket by playing cricket.

    I've started using (again!) the rowing machine in the gym. Is supposed to be good for toning up muscles and stamina.

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    Basically lazy robd's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    I sometimes attend a class almost immediately after playing 5 a side football. I don't feel any problem in the class but the legs can ache the next day. However playing football regularly I think gives me a certain level of fitness that some other male Ceroc attendees do not have and one advantage I think that has is that it takes a lot longer/more strenuous dancing before the sweat starts flowing which is something that I guess my partners could be grateful for!

    Robert

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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Denise Lewis didn't do too badly. Maybe a bit of javelin throwing and some 100m hurdles would do the trick.

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    Registered User marty_baby's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Good Post!


    I imagine to increase Cardio stamina and staying power its got to be the big 3:
    Running
    Cycling
    Swimming

    I'd say swimming would be best for exercising the most muscle groups.
    (I'm no gym buff, but I'm sure I read all of that somewhere.... )

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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    I find that going to the gym has increased my stamina, and I suppose muscle tone which means one I can dance all night now

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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    wrestling?

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    Registered User Petal's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhythm King
    Only if it lasts to the end of the song though
    3 minutes

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    Registered User El Salsero Gringo's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by Biddjiver
    The body adapts itself to the tasks being presented to it. The best exercise to improve your dancing is dancing.
    I don't agree. It's very easy to dance badly, kink your spine and develop all the 'wrong' muscles which will prevent you from standing up straight.

    Pilates (it is said) is excellent for dance. I've just looked up some online background on Pilates and professional dancers and dance instructors are entwined with its development. Pilates focuses on strengthening and taughtening your core (abdominals and pelvic floor) which puts your posture straight and so should improve your dancing - and the development of long, lean musculature. At least that's the theory.

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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo
    I don't agree. It's very easy to dance badly...
    I was not advocating dancing badly. It would have been a more than a trifle odd if I was to advocate dancing badly as a way to improve ones dancing. One of the things that the SDF judges were hot on was dancing with the correct posture.

  19. #19
    Registered User El Salsero Gringo's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by bigdjiver
    I was not advocating dancing badly. It would have been a more than a trifle odd if I was to advocate dancing badly as a way to improve ones dancing. One of the things that the SDF judges were hot on was dancing with the correct posture.
    Quite true. Let's see if we agree on this: that dancing is good aerobic exercise and contributes to a healthy heart and lungs - so dancing helps you do more dancing. But other, specific forms of exercise will contribute to better posture, balance and strength and muscle tone - which will all improve your dancing beyond what simply more dancing will do for you.

  20. #20
    Registered User ChrisA's Avatar
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    Re: Dancing and other forms of exercise?

    Quote Originally Posted by El Salsero Gringo
    Let's see if we agree on this: that dancing is good aerobic exercise and contributes to a healthy heart and lungs
    Not sure I agree that dancing is all that good aerobic exercise.

    Dancing continuously to fast tracks is, obviously, but who likes to do that?

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