Working out doesn’t always mean pushing it and working up a vigorous sweat at the gym! Working out could also mean incorporating different types of physical activity into your day, and in this case, it involved shaking my two left feet and busting a move (and believe me this made me break out in an intense sweat as well!). So I am far from being a dancer, heck I don’t think I can walk in a straight line with my feet straight let alone twirl around but I’ve always been one to aspire to and highly appreciate the art form. Dance is a tough skill to master but an extremely fun activity to (attempt to) learn. When I was abroad my roommate and I always wanted to go for a hip-hop class but never really got the opportunity but lucky for me back home is filled with new ventures and since I’m on this fitness quest I thought why not venture into this highly desired mystery!
Every Saturday back home there’s a class that encourages beginners to enjoy themselves, break a sweat and most importantly gain and a bit of confidence and let your inner wild child out- making this particular class the perfect time. The teacher was teaching a rather sexy routine and since I wasn’t feeling myself as much as I should have been I couldn’t miss it. I was a little apprehensive going in for the class not because I didn’t know anyone, or how to dance but because a) I wasn’t feeling ‘sexy’ and b) I didn’t know if you could consider it a workout (boy was I wrong). Picture yourself in my shoes, a bit shy, a bit awkward, breathing in deeply to avoid any unnecessary anxiety and all the tenseness and nerves seem to fade away with the deep bass notes of the song which was echoing through my body to the depths of my stomach. The song that I’m so fond of, consuming my entire mind, and putting my body finally at ease. Looking at myself in the mirror with this almost calming atmosphere around me I sigh with relief as if all my thoughts disappeared for those few seconds. Safe to say even walking into to something so unfamiliar could be good for you.
The teacher welcomed each of us and before she started the class she said something really important, “I’m not here to teach you how to dance better or move better, I’m here to help you learn how to listen to the music differently. I want you to be able to feel and express yourself and let your confidence show so look at yourself and be confident because honey trusts me ain’t nobody looking at you- they’re all looking at themselves or me haha!”. She started off the class on such an esteem builder than it didn’t go anywhere but up! The dance was sexy and sensual and incorporated a lot of control which helped us engage our glutes and our core. A few body rolls and jumps into it and I was already dripping with sweat (and we hadn’t even finished half the routine). With all the practices with and without the music, the parts we had to learn and the moves we had to master the 2-hour class left all of us exhausted! 2 hours and I already felt like a dancing god, not to mention a few grams lighter for sure.
Honestly all and all I felt like it was a great experience not so much for my body but mostly for my mind and self-esteem (which really needed a boost). One thing I really took from this was that people who come here don’t come here to judge and they don’t care about you. Each and every girl there was dancing for themselves, to learn something, to get better. No one cared if their stomachs were toned or if they were doing it right, they felt the music, the steps and themselves and the vibe was so positive that it made me want to come back. I love my experience with dance! It made me feel like I could actually do something so different happily (and look good doing it).
From purely a workout perspective personally I feel like I wouldn’t just be satisfied if I just came for dance and didn’t go any other form of training just because I prefer more strenuous exercises for my body so I paired this workout with a 40 minute cardio session (HIIT cardio that I mentioned in my earlier posts) and I felt like the workout together made a better impact on my body.
I love that I can try out all these different types of workout and see what suits my body before I start a regulated programme by the end of the month. Do let me know if there is a new workout programme I should try or a type of workout. I’m always on the lookout for different kinds of workouts and how they impact my body and mind and trying something so out of my comfort zone like I did today really paid off!
DANCE PROS
- really worked my core and glutes
- constant repetition worked as multiple sets of the same movement working various muscles
- MAJOR self-esteem booster
- confidence booster
- worked muscles didn’t know I had
- major sweat factor
- practice makes perfect- makes you a better dancer haha
DANCE CONS
- Not enough of a workout (as I’m used to more weight intensive workouts)
- Needs to be accompanied by some form of training to be complete
- Doesn’t focus on certain areas of the body and is more generic
- can be quite ineffective if you’re self-conscious or aren’t giving it your all.
LIFE TRACK 