I admit it. I am addicted to dance reality shows. Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance are thoroughly entertaining, physically inspiring and dare I insinuate that they actually bring a form of high art into our living rooms?
I am always intrigued by the body transformations that occur on these shows - especially on Dancing with the Stars. Each week we literally see body fat drop off the stars, showcased by increasingly revealing costumes. The more skin and sequins the better!!
Dance obviously provides the catalyst for these body re-engineerings. Dance based classes are an ever growing trend in fitness. But, group classes can be intimidating, the choreography can often be so challenging that you never really get your heart rate up and sometimes it's just tough to find the time to commute to the class.
Why not create a dance mix on your Ipod of your favorite jams, crank it up and do your best Tom Cruise in "Risky Business." That's right. Dance with yourself. By yourself. Set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes and shake your money maker. It doesn't matter what you look like or what you do. Just do what the music tells your body to do and keep doing it until that timer goes off. If your dance style rivals Napoleon Dynamite, so be it. That's between you and your bootie.
You'll be working your body in multiple planes of movement, so this is a great way to avoid injury from repetitive motions and to coax your body into the lean lines of a dancer.
Confession - I do this whenever I have the excuse to. Especially when I'm traveling and trapped in a hotel room. Headphones, my Ipod and me equals a sweaty, fun workout.
You can do this form of cardio three to six times per week. Be sure to stretch when you are finished, hydrate before and after and check the room for hidden cameras before you begin. This is cardio for folks who hate cardio, but you probably don't want it showing up on YouTube.
(photo from: blade-dance.com)
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