i'd be a ball of fat. dance class is the only thing that gets me to the gym...
found these articles written by one of my salsa teachers' (in L.A) students :
Let the Rhythm Melt the Weight Away
"Ladies, who is the clueless authority that said exercise had to be a boring chore? Let’s all hang him by his toes. The best way to shape and sculpt those lovely silhouettes of yours is to get them moving in whatever way gets them to move again and again. So why not sculpt with revitalizing music coursing through your being, a gentleman on your arm (or not), a smile embracing your lovely face, and the night at your beck and call! In order to claim the kind of curves that demand respect, drive men to their knees, and beg your little black dress to dazzle, you must make exercise a way of life and not “a thing to do.” You accomplish this by making it fun, exciting, invigorating, and dare I say, thrilling. Make exercise something you channel passion through. ...
...A dancer’s body is one to behold, wouldn’t you say! Here is a big secret. Most devoted dancers don’t do much extra besides dance for that fabulous body. I personally cannot wait for my workouts because I set the floor afire through salsa myself. I let the divine trance of Latin dance melt me into form, and boy, do I enjoy every sizzling note. Studies have shown that from one night of aerobic dancing you can shave off one-half to one pound and then some (details in Health 101). That’s what I call encouragement to dance again. Not only do you carry a beaming smile, unwind the toils of the week by releasing stress, destroying endorphins, and get better at dancing, but you also get a sculpted body as the cherry on top. In fact, you even burn more calories for the next few days as an extra bonus (details in Health 101). I challenge you this month to dance the night away at least once and see if you don’t come back for more “exercise.”
I can hear you all now with all your reasons for not being able to, but I’ll do you one better and make it even easier. Maybe you can’t get to the night scene, but there is no reason you cannot dance. Take a class in your gym or through professional classes. It’s great to learn something new, and classes nowadays cater to every level of dancer.
Expand your rhythmic horizons to any and all styles of dance. Let the music take you where it will. Try swing, fox trot, quickstep, tango, hip-hop (you know you secretly love it), samba or any of dozens of others, as long as you love it and are left thirsty for more. I know enjoying exercise is a revolutionary idea, but it’s true, ladies. It can be done... The passion and results you’ll invoke are as fantastic as they are liberating.
The reason this feels so wonderful is because the music and dancing stimulate the same endorphin release as that of a good tub of ice cream, except a stronger amount without the guilt, and a body to die for as a reward."
Health 101 – Rhythm Divine
"In this article we explore the monumental benefits of dance on your overall life ...Studies have shown that ... Dancing is one of the highest calorie burns around and, in my opinion, one of the most beneficial. The bigger picture is that dancing helps to destroy stress, which is a plague upon our busy lives. Stress puts our bodies in self defense mode, which affects our moods, our performance in our daily lives, as well as our waist size. High stress leads to your body releasing high levels of cortisol into your system, which means more closet time for your little black dress (article on stress to come). Remember that your body is not trying to give you a hard time. It is simply protecting itself, so let us work with it. Dancing reverses this whole ugly chain of events. Not a bad deal, wouldn’t you say?
Let me put this all in perspective for you. One night of vigorous dancing ... that dazzling night of lights and feverish flavor just shaved off nearly a third of a pound with a huge smile on your face if you made an effort to move. Now, here is the bonus to all that twirling and laughing. I call it the “after burn.” Let’s reminisce if you will. I want you to go back to that one night where the drinks were flowing, the company was superb, every song was your song, and life just coursed through your every fiber. Remember how sore you felt the next day from all that dancing? Well, that’s the “after burn.” You see, your body isn’t done working once you stop dancing. In fact, the work has just begun. Your body needs now to repair the muscles you just beat up from all your frivolity. You are now burning significantly more calories that night because your body is repairing the muscles while you sleep. You are burning higher fat while you sleep! Can it get any better than that? Well, actually it can, not to mention that from a good enough “workout” your metabolism is naturally heightened by up to 30% for the next three days as your body continues to do repairs from that one night.
Wow... To sum that all up, one night of fun equals nearly 900 calories, plus extra fat burned while you sleep, plus 30% metabolic boost for the next three days equals a grand total of anywhere between 1400-2000 calories burned from one night of fun. Please make a note not to forget about the crucial stress release you get from all this, which will really benefit your life all around by making you become more productive, sleep better, and enhance your moods and relationships overall. If you are not sold by now, then I quit. You see, the concept is to personalize exercise so that it becomes a way of life. If you find your niche, you might not need to “exercise” another day in your life. Wow, what a modern concept! I say it’s time for us to take back our health by personalizing fitness to suit our passions, not what they tell us. I propose a toast to heavenly curves and a long healthy life with a smile on our faces! Cheers!"
ah, 
dance <3
(amused).
![n607829_34185495_1584[1]](http://x04.xanga.com/c2bc06fad9731169420713/z128435201.jpg)
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