Attention Ladies

[livewell]

I wanted to share a form of exercise, which I never actually realized was exercise until recently.

Belly Dancing.

As most young girls of Indian and Persian decent, I have been belly dancing since as long as I can remember. As part of our culture I was taught to belly dance as a very young girl. Here are a few excerpts from an article on Belly Dancing, which I came across recently:

Belly Dancing as Exercise
By Caryn J. Murray

“Belly dancing can bring excitement to a workout routine. Belly dancing can also be an alternative to a basic cardiovascular workout, and can also provide a strength and flexibility workout. Learning the rhythms of the music and breathing exercises are part of belly dancing which can help participants relax and reduce their levels of stress.”

“ Belly dance offers a distinctive form of exercise. The dancer uses many muscles in the body in flowing, expressive movements. There are several basic body moves that work either in unison or in any combination. The moves consist of hip shimmies, hip rotations, serpentine arms, snakelike head movements and abdominal undulations. The abdominal undulation is the foundation of belly dance. The hip rotations and shimmies gently and repetitively move the body's joints and ligaments in the lower back and hip areas.
Once a student learns the undulations of the abdomen and pelvis, other parts of the body are added, such as the arms, chest, shoulders, head and neck. The arm and shoulder lifts, circles and snake motions work the upper body.
Belly dance is considered a non-impact, weight-bearing exercise, which is especially good for women, since it can reduce the risk of osteoporosis. There is minimal stress on knees, shins and feet. Depending on the rhythms of the music and the repetitive body movements, participants can increase breathing and raise their heartbeat, which can assist in building cardiovascular strength. Research has shown that belly dancing can burn up to 300 calories per hour.
Another benefit of belly dancing is the calming effects it can have on the body and mind. The concentration that is required aids in reducing stress, and participants can "let go" and forget about all the other things in their lives. Typically, individuals carry stress in their head, neck, shoulders and back areas; belly dancing gently exercises and stretches the muscles in these areas.”

The following CNN article is a few years old, however it has some positive pros in regards to the benefits of belly dancing.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/diet....ing/index.html

A few friends of mine have purchased these workout tapes and they love them… Check it out ladies and start swiveling them hips!
http://beauty.about.com/gi/dynamic/o...lytwins.com%2F

[Kerri<3]

That looks like fun and the bf would like it too!
I just found my motivation.

[livewell]

Originally Posted by Kerri<3

That looks like fun and the bf would like it too!
I just found my motivation.

Trust me. Your bf wil be very supportive of this workout and the smile on his face will be very motivating.:bdance

[LoveGuinness]

I have tried the DVDs that are out there for Belly Dancing...to be honest I didnt feel a thing and eventhough I learned some cool moves, I would recomend doing this with other forms of cardio and weight lifting.

[livewell]

Originally Posted by LoveGuinness

I have tried the DVDs that are out there for Belly Dancing...to be honest I didnt feel a thing and eventhough I learned some cool moves, I would recomend doing this with other forms of cardio and weight lifting.

But of course. It was not my intent to state that this was to be
used as one's sole source of cardio, that is an obvious. I agree with you. This is merely a suggestion of an alternative method of exercise which is focused more on toning the abdominal and other areas of the body: A fun and unconventional method to add variety to one's workouts.
Like pilates, when the movements are done during belly dancing one is to focus on breathing and holding in the tummy a certain way...