Lifetime Health with Belly Dancing and Dance Fitness

Posted by Angela on July 4th, 2007 filed in Belly Dance Fitness

Why belly dance? Why dance? Main reason is everyone’s face lights up when they’re bodies are moving to music. It’s fun and freeing. Shaking the body, hips and spine also has stimulates the pituitary gland and hormonal system. Dancing stimulates the brain juices to keep the motor pumping and stay young!

Belly dancing has been enjoyed for thousands of years because it’s good for the whole body, not just the belly. Belly dancing is an internal workout which builds up your body heat as well as works out your organs and hormonal system that is powered by the mid riff and central channel of the body. The movement of the pelvis repeatedly works like a pump on the belly cavity that holds and protects the organs. Belly rolls or undulations both massage the organs and soothe the nervous system.

Shimmies and vibrations in belly dancing are popularly seen as a butt action. The traditional use of belly dance uses shimmies in the hips, buttocks, chest, midriff, shoulders and chest. When first learning belly dance moves I encourage beginners to feel the shimmy coming from the ground up the feet into the hips. Eventually with more sensitivity to the body parts you can start a shimmy from that body part. A full body shimmy is the best way to wake up the body as it activate all centers of your internal body clock that sits in the lower belly, the organs, the heart area and the brain.

Belly dance moves are not only about building body and muscle strength or control. The idea is to get deeper into your self and have as much internal strength while also expressing yourself in a graceful and skilful way. Once you have the basic belly dance moves, the art of belly dancing brings your creative expression into the dance. Belly dancing combines all aspects of the self, the mind, body, emotions and spirit.

Belly dance is an ancient art form that also developed moves that keep you challenged and involved with your body. In repeating a belly dance move you will become more intuitively in touch with that part of the body and able to move it more comfortably to music of all varieties. You literally “send juice” to your body parts - blood, synovial fluid, visceral fluids, lymph fluid - that soothe and strengthen the body at the same time.

Dancing with the belly and center part of the body is an excellent fitness expression no matter what age, shape or size or whatever lifetime you were born into. While civilizations have come and gone we still have the same bodies that need more than a body building work out. Belly dance moves are a fun way to explore your body and keep your brain stimulated, connected and involved in what you are feeling.