I love to dance, so getting bored with the usual running/weights routine at my gym, I decided to spice things up with more engaging, dance fitness classes. As dance shows are sweeping the screens, it’s a big indicator of our pop culture trends. We love to dance, so why not make our fitness routine into a fun dance number? Fitness clubs and trainers are joining in on the fun, many offering zumba, barre and other popular dance classes. “All kinds of dance are great workouts due to the consistent physical movement of the body but also the engagement of the mind and spirit with the music,” says Kumbi Butler, owner of Heartbeat House dance studio in Atwater Village, CA. “For many, it’s a much more effective workout because it is so much more fun then running on a treadmill or elliptical therefore keeping you engaged to come back for more.” There are a number of dance fitness classes, so I look at the 6 most popular ones in relation to fun, ease of following, popularity and accessibility.
Xtend Barre
Barre fitness classes have been around for a long time. There is a certain lean yet muscular look that dancers can achieve and a barre workout offers this kind of opportunity. Xtend Barre takes it to another level. Alice Abrams, fitness expert and owner of Pilates of Boynton Beach, a leader in the Pilates and Barre method field, and now offering Xtend Barre, has been dedicated to fitness since her 20s. Now 61, and always looking for new workouts, Alice discovered that Xtend Barre gave her an incredibly chiseled look. She says, the reason is that you are using your own body to accomplish each move. You start off either using 1 pound or no weights and do numerous repetitions, basically exhausting each muscle slowly. This requires a lot of balance, so you are actively engaging your core. Of course, planks are included as well. Since moving slowly, balancing and exhausting your muscles will require you to be more focused on your breathing, Xtend Barre is also excellent for mind-body connection, and stress relief. With dozens of locations on the East Coast, Midwest and South, it’s very accessible.
Werq
If you like to dance, this is the workout for you. At first glance, it doesn’t even seem like a workout – a few easy looking dance moves. Add in the repetitions, intentisity and the need for good coordination and you’ll be sweating like never before. Each song is paired with the dance moves for it, so you will feel like a back-up dancer. Let me tell you – those J Lo moves to “On the Floor” only LOOK easy. What I liked best about this fitness routine is that you are combining the aerobic intensity with the elongating/stretching moves of a dancer. I have not seen anything like this in my 20+ years of various fitness classes. Most importantly, it’s fun! And when you feel like this, it’s an activity you will stick with. Currently offered in Chicago (Chicago WERQ), it’s about to spread around the states quickly.
Zumba
I’ve had my share of ballroom years and I cha-cha and salsa at every opportunity, but I never followed the zumba craze until recently. Let me tell you – it is NOT overrated. This class is full of unabashed fun, warming up every possible muscle, sweating up a storm, and getting an amazing workout as a result. Nancy Corrales of LA’s AnatomyLA agrees: “What I think is unique about zumba is that it doesn’t feel like a workout. It feels like you are dancing in a club! The music is fun and upbeat and you forget you are working out!”
Natalie Smith from LifeBridge Health and Fitness offers a perfect summary of what this class is about: “Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance-fitness program set to high-energy Latin and international music. It is fun, high energy and becomes a lifestyle for everyone from the deconditioned to the avid exerciser who wants to stay in shape and have some fun.” Zumba may burn up to 800 calories an hour (depending on your weight and intensity of exercise). The class is one giant party that happens to be not just an intense dance class but also an excellent workout. As with WERQ, I really appreciated the musicality of it and having the movements fit the music and not the other way around. Zumba is a strong cardio routine but is especially helpful to working on your legs, glutes, core and arms. “The way Zumba is structured”, says Nancy Corrales, “it is fast paced to 1 or 2 songs and then it is slower paced the next song and then it is faced paced again. Your heart rate is going up and down so you are burning more fat and calories this way.” It is very easy to follow for everyone from teens to seniors, just with different intensity, and instructors offer easy/harder/hard moves.  Extremely accessible, zumba is taught at most gyms and rec centers around the country. There are also many DVD and WII alternatives. So what are you waiting for? Go have a party!
Bollywood Cardio
If you are looking for non-stop action, fun and serious cardio, then Bollywood should be your choice. Ajanta Chakraborty, co-founder and president of Chicago’s Bollywood Groove, says Bollywood Cardio (or at least Bollywood Groove Cardio) is an extremely effective workout. “The moves are extremely energetic and get you moving and shaking from head to toe. The infectious music creates a fun environment and the participants do not even realize until the end how hard they worked”, says Ajanta. A big plus, bG Cardio can burn up to 700 calories in an hour! Ajanta Chakraborty thinks Bollywood is unique since all Indian songs have a strong theme attached to them: “It is about enacting the words and capturing the essence of the song. It is not just about putting together a random sequence of dance moves. This meaningfulness is what the participants enjoy a lot. From the facial expressions, hand gestures to the region specific dance moves, it gives the workout a purpose and makes it more satisfying.” Nancy Corrales of AnatomyLA agrees this is a very upbeat, fun and different class. “You learn choreography, put it together and sweat up a storm. Not only did you work out, but you learned something!”
Belly Dance
While belly dancing often looks like a performance art form, it is actually a grueling workout, excellent for your core. Have you ever noticed how flat a belly-dancer’s stomach is? If you are ready to shimmy, shake, do some hip hits and sweat, this is the workout for you. “Belly dance moves involve developing body awareness as you learn to isolate different parts of your torso,” says Kumbi Butler, owner of Heartbeat House dance studio. “This looks easier than it is to actually do and once anybody tries a full class they are sure to feel sore in their abs the next day.” Kumbi explains that it’s not just a cardio effect: “Arms and shoulders get toned through maintaining different arm positions and repeating moves that coordinate with the torso.” Belly dancing is a non-impact weight-bearing exercise, so it’s good for people of all ages and will really help with flexibility and strengthening your abs. “Bellydancing is much more low impact [than bollywood or afro-caribbean] but a great ab/core and upper body workout”, says Kumbi.
Afro Caribbean
Just like Bollywood, Afro Caribbean dance workout is very cardio intensive – lots of step step moves, rhythmic jumping. It’s a fusion of African, Caribbean and some creole dance moves. “Afro Caribbean dance like most African-based dances is very aerobic and high energy in that the rhythmic motions are set to fast paced drum beats and/or music,” says Kumbi Butler of Heartbeat House, “It involves a lot of jumping, hopping, running with full torso and arm movements.” Perhaps, one of the most cardio intensive dance workouts, this is a fun challenge.
