'Have been in car accident',' lost my body tone','Profissonal advice:on which ballroom dance class can I join'

Question

Ive spent longtime in bed till I recovered.I tried 2maintain my weight,but as a matter of fact z lack of activity has changed my fat distribution.From hips&down am wider thn my waist&up,also my body is no more tonned.Frankly Ive never been into gym,I always maintained my body tone through everyday activities eg using stairs instead of z elevator.Ive joined work&I work long hrs&Idon’t feel like goin 2gym nor exercisin after work,its just borin &no fun(& ya am lazy!).So I thought of ballroom dance classes,as dancin tones z body&its fun.but Idon’t hve any background in this regards.So PLZ advice me which ballroom dance has z most muscle tonin effect frm hips&down,which involves z least partner contact(a wired request,I know!)&a dance easy 2learn(so I won't standout like an idiot,though I knw tht I'll b joinin a beginner class).Ps I keep a healthy deit,till now I get short of breath on any regular activity eg walking fast for 20mins,lookin 4 a dance tht I tolerate practicin 4 z time being.

Answer 1

Pretty much any Ballroom (Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep, Vienneze Waltz) and Latin (Cha-cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive, Paso Doble) will give you the desired result. Ballroom is easier on your body than Latin, Latin will definitely burn more calories and requires a lot of energy. Try both and see what you like better or what works.
Any dance that is danced socially is usually danced without much contact in the body. Any dance is a good exercise. But I cannot resist giving more details (I love dancing!)

Start out with Waltz and/or Rumba. They are slower by comparison, and won't make you run out of breath so quickly. However, as you advance, you'll learn to put more and more tone in your body tus making your dancing look better and achieving what you want to achieve in the mean time.

Jive and Vienneeze Waltz will make you burn the most calories, but those are pretty fast, you are saying you are running out of breath easily. So I'd suggest working your way up to them eventually, but not right away. Also, they are concidered more advanced dances, and it is recommended to get some dancing experience before learning them in any case.

Since you say you prefer the least partner contact, American style Ballroom vs International will be better suited. International style Ballroom requires body contact. Better yet, stick with Latin or Rythm. It doesn't requre any contact other than touching the hands and arms. Yeah, it looks sexy, you stand pretty close, but you don't get to touch each other. See these people dance Cha-Cha at pretty advanced level - they don't touch each other. Actually, more advanced you get in Latin less you have to remain in closed hold with your partner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh4JGpcsLeY&mode=related&search=

Here is a real calorie burner for you - advanced Jive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSkwhKqCHXA&mode=related&search=

The videos I've included are pretty advanced (National level) so don't get intimidated, I just wanted to show you somthething that looks good. Join a beginner class and you won't stand out. Everyone starts out as a beginner.

Check for dance studios near you on http://www.ballroomdancers.com/

Wishing you all the best and enjoy dancing.