Dance Off the Freshman 15

Many universities give students free access to gyms, but who wants to hop on a treadmill for 30 minutes and well, work out? You could listen to music to make the workout seem less like work and more like fun, but even then it doesn’t always help.

 

Even the buddy system is designed to help motivate each other, but after so many “you can do it’s!” a coffee date instead of a gym date becomes more exciting. Yet when that Freshman 15 starts to weigh you down, you start searching for a solution.

 

In group workout classes, you have the buddy, the music, the positivity and most importantly the fun. While you enjoy fist pumping at the trademark house parties on campus, why not fist pump and shed a few pounds in the process?

 

Alana Ishmael, a Junior at Pace University said, “I like going to the hip hop dance workout class. The music is upbeat and I have fun.”

 

Often times you don’t realize until afterward that the moves on the dance floor are the same that have your muscles aching. “I get caught up in the movement and the music and the routine, so I’m not focusing on all the calories I’m burning or how much my muscles hurt,” Ishmael said.

 

Dance workouts aren’t only good for you physically; there is also a mental aspect while your jamming to the music. According to the American Association of Retired Persons, research has shown that partaking in dance classes at least twice a week makes a person less susceptible to developing mental illnesses like dementia: “Research also has shown that some people with Alzheimer's disease are able to recall forgotten memories when they dance to music they used to know.”

 

Livestrong also discusses the benefits of dance aerobics. “Aerobic dancing burns an average of 480 to 625 calories an hour, according to the Calorie Control Council. Not only can you potentially lose weight from these calorie- and fat-burning exercises, cardio dance workouts also elevate your heart rate and improve your mood.”

 

Popular dance classes include Hip Hop and Zumba but at the University of Pennsylvania they offer even exotic genres like Belly Dancing. Sasha Lagombra, a Junior at UPenn, said, “I haven’t attended any classes but I would like too. I’ve heard great things about their belly dancing class and my friend is obsessed with Zumba.”

 

Any dance class can count as a workout whether it be belly dancing, clogging or even two stepping. As long as it is consistent, there should be positive results that will be seen in your mirror.