Belly Dancing as a Weight Loss Exercise

Belly dancing is an exotic and interesting exercise to get into. In fact, few people ever look at it as an exercise, but it is actually one of the best exercises there is, especially for women and the waistline. Belly dancing is a form of cardio as well as resistance training—just in a different way than you might be accustomed to.
It is very possible to lose 20 pounds via belly dancing. The only thing you have to understand is you can’t just do that alone. Yes it burns calories but do make sure you are eating the right way. If you aren’t, then you won’t accomplish very much.
Belly Dancing will work out many large and small muscle-groups and actually tone you as you go along. Listening to the music and getting lost in learning the techniques, before you know it you will find that an hour-long class is over and many calories have been burned. Healthier eating choices also lead to more calorie burning, and within a couple of months, you will find yourself 20 pounds lighter and have a killer waistline.
It is a fun way to lose weight, but did you realize that you could always meet others who want to do the same? You can get into the social aspect of belly dancing for support. However, if that is not really you, you can certainly get a DVD for your home and look at tips and clips on YouTube.
The key is to make sure that you are paying less attention to the hand and finger movements than to the bottom half, which is where you need the workout more. The abs are worked more in belly dancing than in anything else. The lower back is also worked, and the love-handle area at the side flanks are worked more as well. It is a all-around body workout that is actually more effective in shaping the body, toning, and calorie burn than either pilates or yoga. It will also make your large muscles more supple.
Belly dancing will burn more calories than house cleaning or as many calories as walking a couple of miles at a moderate speed. The great part of it is that belly dancing is more fun! Whether you do it in your living room or you do it in a class, you stand to reap rewards in both weight loss and cultural learning.