Health Topics
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Healthy Living
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April 2011
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| Dance as a Means of Keeping Fit |
| Aleksandar Josipovic |
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The best time to stretch is after you have warmed up with 10-20 minutes of cardio or dance; between strength training sets; or at the end of your workout. Stretching before warming up could lead to injuries and has no real benefit. |
Understanding Dance
Dance, according to my definition, is a combination of multiple movements that correspond to a certain speed and rhythm. Our first mother language is body language - movements and dance.
Through my twenty years of experience as a professional dancer, I have understood the power of dance, movement and how amazing its therapeutic powers are. Dancing allows you to improve your health; it is proven to raise immunity, reduce stress, treat depression, give vitality and foster creativity. It directs you towards the perfection of the movement of body and mind using only primordial natural tools - all integrated in your body.
The best part about dance is that it is an absolutely free treatment that you can gift to your body. It is up to you to choose the time and place where you want to utilise this marvellous form of exercise. And of course, you can take it with you everywhere.
Embrace Yourself
Regardless of all the wisdom, philosophy, theory, different definitions, and different dance methods and dance pedagogy, the moment you immerse yourself in the movements of dance, you realise you are in the position of looking face to face with the unknown. Only then you can start your adventure with dance and be more healthy, happy and fit.
This essential movement - dance - is derived from one’s unique instincts. It is the moment when you must engage your instincts to find the best solutions for a specific situation. I strongly believe that the movement of dance is as exquisite as the finest French perfume. The right steps will bring you peace and joy in everyday life, apart from a beautiful, slender and flexible body.
How to Increase Flexibility
I shall now discuss a few ways to increase flexibility. I strongly advise everybody to work only with professionals.
Static Stretching: technique is used to stretch muscles while the body is at rest. It is composed of various techniques that gradually lengthen a muscle to an elongated position. You must hold on to that position for thirty seconds to two minutes. Thirty seconds is the minimum duration to start getting the benefits of stretching, whereas two minutes is the maximum.
Strength Training: is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the physical strength and endurance. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the weight/gravity training and the training with the help of resistive equipment.
Isometric Stretching :Dancers practise this kind of stretching extensively. Isometric stretches help you to develop strength in the ‘tensed’ muscles, and help your body decrease the amount of pain usually associated with stretching.
Yoga, obviously, is one of the best ways to improve the body’s agility and flexibility.
5 steps to improve your agility trough dance
- Practise balance. It is one of the most important aspects of agility.
- Dance frequently.
- Dance different kinds of dance styles - that can help you develop better coordination, which will improve your agility.
- Stretch and warm up your muscles before and after dance or other exercise. Proper stretching will help improve your agility.
- Dance at home. Freestyle dancing is perfect, especially if you incorporate many different moves.
4 steps to get a slender body
There are certain things every person needs to follow to remain fit and get a slender body. Apart from dancing, these are some of the things you should do:
- Maintain a proper healthy diet is the primary factor, because this is what we are directly introducing to the body.
- The kind of lifestyle you have decides a lot about how obese or how slim you will be.
- Everyone advocates exercise as the best way to get slim, and it is indeed true.
- Cleansing your body internally makes a big difference to your overall health, and is of paramount importance in weight loss. My secret for cleansing the body internally is water and lemon.
It is simple. Life is a dance so you just need to move the smart way, in the right direction. Stay positive. |
Aleksandar Josipovic is Serbia-born, Paris-based multimedia artist, dancer, dance professor, life coach, NLP therapist and author. He is also a regular performer at the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris. His works can be accessed at
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