Winston Salem WellnessWinston Salem Wellness – Winston Salem Health Promotion

I remember when I first started going to the gym. It was all new to me, an all I really wanted was to have access to a treadmill, stationary bike or the pool in case of inclement weather. Now, however, there are all sorts of different aerobics classes and things that you can get involved in to keep you in tip-top shape and health as ever. You’d think that more people would take advantage of this opportunity! In any case, one of the latest crazes to hit gyms everywhere has to do with dance aerobics.

For some reason, people in the United States LOVE to dance. As awkward as some critics may think dancing looks, it has actually proven to be extremely beneficial, getting your heart rate up and burning those calories! And what better way to get into shape and lose weight than through the art of dancing?! I mean, really! I tried one of these dance aerobics classes not that long ago. I signed up for it (it was actually free at my dad’s gym) and was anxious about what it would entail. I just thought that there would be a bunch of people in a room dancing to their own beat. Boy, was I wrong. We ended up dancing almost non-stop and probably would have if it wasn’t for the fact that we actually had to learn some choreographed dance moves. It was exhilarating though. I finally felt like I could audition for Janet Jackson’s entourage and have a chance…Ok, so maybe I wasn’t that great; but it still felt good to be able to come back at the end of the aerobics session and put together a bunch of choreographed dance moves that we had just learned.

There is a lot of repetition in dance aerobics. But there are also a lot of different moves. I think the key to what makes it interesting is the fact that while a lot of the dance moves are somewhat repetitious, a good instructor will know when to vary it so that you’re not doing the same move over and over again for minutes on end. While I still prefer dancing in my living room or with a bunch of friends at a party (because it’s less restricting), I can really appreciate how difficult it can be to be a dancer full-time. In my brief forty-minute session of dance aerobics, I was able to understand how complex dance moves can be. It is most certainly not all fun and games! While the end results are typically extremely rewarding, like anything else in life that is worth doing right, it takes a lot of sweat, determination and hard work to get to that point. I realize and have come to terms with the fact that I’ll probably never be a part of Janet Jackson’s choreograph-worthy dance crew, but that’s ok. I truly commend all of the dancers out there not only for entertaining the rest of us, but also for having the discipline to do so!