The workout
PREPARE Clear your workout area and wear well-fitting shoes
with wicking socks. When dancing on carpet, opt for shoes with
smooth soles that allow you to pivot and move freely.THE ROUTINE Begin each move by standing tall with your
arms relaxed at your sides. Start with Step 1 and continue on
to Step 2 once you’re ready. After some practice, put on your
favourite music and try doing each move for a whole song,
switching from Step 1 during each verse to Step 2 during the
chorus. Follow the Posture Tips for best form.THE GOAL Learn the moves well enough to combine them
into 20 minutes’ dancing. Aim to do this at least three days a week.THE MUSIC
MOVE TO
Go ahead, dance a little! Let this Zumba
Gold-inspired workout, by former Rockette
Joy Prouty, energise you to get movingDancing is a way to break
out of your daily rhythms
and let loose. Many people
dance because it feels good – it
can boost your energy levels and
improve your mood. But it’s also
exercise in disguise. “Enjoy the
movement for fun, and fitness
will be your reward,” says Mary
E. Sanders, a registered clinical
exercise physiologist who
helped create this dance series.
Music to our ears! Dancing is
a full-body workout that’s been
shown to improve fitness and
lower blood pressure and fasting
triglyceride levels. Learning new
movements can teach your body
to respond faster to “surprises”such as trip hazards, by
creating brain-muscle
memories that enhance
balance, adds Sanders.
But what if you think you
can’t dance? “Dancing isn’t
about perfection, it’s about
being true to yourself and
enjoying the music,” says Joy
Prouty, co-creator of Zumba
Gold, a dance-fitness program
with modified, low-impact
moves designed for beginners
and older adults. Her advice:
“Begin slowly and learn the
moves as you’re comfortable
learning them.” Trust that
the more you dance, the
stronger you will become.