You’re in the home stretch of the work week, but there’s a deadline looming, a day full of meetings, and the emails won’t stop flooding your inbox. Guess that post-work cycling class will have to wait until the weekend… But there’s still a way to get in a quick activity sesh! Take a deep breath, stand up, and burn a few calories with some cardio dancing. Here are 3 reasons to get your jazz hands going now.
Dancing Brings People Together
Getting your co-workers to shake and shimmy along with you to some dated-but-still-cool dance moves, like the kind used in Jazzercise, creates camaraderie. Why go retro? It’s about bringing people together, about coming to terms with a shared past of questionable fashion decisions. It’s about taking your health seriously and improving a sedentary lifestyle with a sense of humor that’s to the max!
Dancing Gives You the Giggles
There’s nothing like a healthy dose of laughter to carry you through compiling that monthly expense report. Laughing in an incredible stress buster! In fact, the American Heart Association reports laughter can decrease stress hormones, reduce artery inflammation, and increase HDL, the “good” cholesterol. And more research on laughter and cardiovascular function shows individuals who watched 30 minutes of a television comedy experienced improved arterial blood flow for up to 24 hours. Proving a regular dose of laughter can potentially lower risk factors for heart disease.
Dancing Pumps Up Your Creativity
Cardio-boosting activities, such as running, Zumba, hip-hop dance class, and more, can act as a cognitive enhancer. A study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience shows regular exercisers do better on tests of creativity than their more sedentary peers. Which means, finding the beat could help you rock your next team brainstorming session.
Here’s a video from Jazzercise founder Judi Missett that will get everyone at your next team meeting marching to the music and laughing—until your abs hurt! Not ready to lead a cardio class in the conference room? Make this your mantra: “Dance like nobody’s watching,” pop in some earbuds, and throw a groove fest for one at your desk. For maximum laughter, do the entire routine in full view at your cubicle.
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Are you a cardio dance fan? When was the last time your jazz hands were out? Tell us in the comments!
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.
Amanda Natividad
Amanda Natividad curates workplace health and wellness advice for Fitbit Group Health. In past lives, Amanda was a technology news journalist and a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef. Now she focuses on the corporate wellness space and loves figuring out how to stay moving throughout the workday. She averages 11,000 steps a day and makes a darn good paella.
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