Why do you dance?

Well, I dance for the same reason that I live, which is the mind, the body and the soul! I believe that for the serious dancer, dancing should be a way of life. How can you be in true harmony with life, if you only have the mindset of a dancer, the spirit of a dancer, but ...you are out of shape and/or overweight?

(Oops! I can hear it now, a lot of angry folk yelling at me for what I just said!)

But think about it...

True dancing should cater to the overall essence of your existence which is being in harmony with your life. When one of these elements, the mental, spiritual and physical, is out of balance it is almost impossible to give yourself IN FULL to your audience.

So I ask again, why do you dance?

You see, it is your responsibility, as a dancer, to deliver the HIGHEST VALUE and RESPECT to your audience, by keeping your physical body as healthy, fit and beautiful as possible. How can you deliver your BEST performance if you are out of shape? Think of it as if you were an Olympic athlete who is going for the gold!

Now, if you are just starting out, or have not danced for several years, it's normal to be out of shape or overweight. It's not a bad thing, and I'm not here to talk down to anyone. But, if you are serious about this profession, then you understand the importance of delivering to your audience the VALUE they deserve, which is your BEST you!

So, to help you out, what I have done below is listed the "8 Best Weight Loss Tips for Serious Dancers."

#1 DRINK 10 GLASSES OF WATER DAILY

Dancers should drink at least 10 glasses of water daily. Drinking water can boost your body's ability to burn fat. Studies show that drinking water increases a person's metabolic rate by 30% and that even mild dehydration can slow down metabolism by as much as 3%. Studies also show that drinking water before meals can help fill you up so that you don't overeat.

#2 GET A LEAST 8 HOURS OF SLEEP DAILY

Being short on sleep can most definitely affect your weight. When you lack sleep you might be tempted to skip exercise, or in your case, dance rehearsal (too tired). A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when people are in need of sleep, late night snacking increases, and they are more likely to choose high-carb snacks. A sleepy brain and body appears to crave junk food and lacks the impulse control to say no to certain foods.

#3 FAST 14-16 HOURS PER DAY

Fasting is a great method for losing weight. When I say fasting, I don't mean to say that you're not going to eat anything for days. There is a method to be followed. Fast for 14 (women) to 16 (men) hours each day, and then “feed” for the remaining eight to 10 hours. During the fasting period, you consume no calories, though black coffee, calorie-free sweeteners, diet soda and sugar-free gum are permitted. What and when you eat during the feeding window also depends on when you workout. On days you exercise, carbs are more important than fat. On rest days, fat intake should be higher.

#4 EAT FOODS THAT EXISTED 10,000 YEARS AGO

If it existed 10,000 years ago, it good for you. If it didn't exist 10,000 years ago, then most likely it's bad for you. Some examples include, meat, fish, veggies, fruits, fats, nuts, and seeds. Protein consumption should be fairly high every day, though it will vary based on goals, gender, age, body fat and activity levels.

#5 STRENGTH TRAIN

There are so many benefits of strength training. Strength training helps keep weight off for good. Strength training translates to more calories burned because you'll burn calories while you're strength training, and your body will continue to burn calories afterward through a process called "physiologic homework." Additionally, it will help you build lean muscle mass and lean muscle will burn fat faster. More calories are used to maintain muscle than fat. Strength training also boosts your metabolism up to 15 percent!

#6 DO BODY STABILIZATION EXERCISES

Top athletes and dancers recognize the importance of stability exercises because it helps them perform better. These exercises benefit your neuromuscular coordination. In other words, they help improve communication between your brain and muscles. Stability exercises also help with muscle isolation and help you burn more calories because your body has to work much harder to stabilize. Something that is also very exciting about these exercises is that they help with core stabilization which translates to better coordination, athletic skill, and POSTURE.

#7 START DOING PILATES

Pilates truly is whole-body fitness. Pilates exercise focuses on core strength which is absolutely necessary for a dancer's movement. You have to have core strength to be a good dancer. Pilates helps build strength and helps develop balanced muscle movement as well as flexibility. Doing Pilates will also help you build strength without bulk and before you know it, you'll have a long and lean appearance.

#8 DO CARDIO AT LEAST 30-60 MINUTES/DAY

Cardio is absolutely necessary to lose weight and live a healthy life. You should do at least 30-60 minutes of cardio on the days when you don't have rehearsal. Another reason to perform cardio is for its effects on your metabolism. Along with speeding up your heart rate, cardiovascular exercise also increases the rate of other processes in your body, AKA YOUR METABOLISM.

Now, you wanna burn fat without spending a lot of time at the gym? Then, do some HIIT Training! HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and it's one of the best ways to burn fat off your body. You can do this outdoors jogging or at the gym on any cardio machine. Just do this for 20 minutes and no more. You're basically going to sprint for one minute and then jog for a minute. Then sprint for a minute and then jog for a minute and you keep doing this until the 20 minutes are up. Try it out. And be ready to sweat!

So remember, if don't feel as confident as you would like to on stage, stop wishing you looked and moved a certain way and start doing. I'll leave you with some words of encouragement.

THE BODY ACHIEVES WHAT THE MIND BELIEVES!

Believe in yourself. I believe in you!

Maestra Kareli =)

P.S.

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The 8 Best Weight Loss Tips For Serious Dancers