• 7 Benefits of Rockin' Your Body
• New Workout FOR KIDS ONLY!
  (but we've got something for grown-ups, too)
• 4 Diet Pitfalls—and How to Avoid Them
• Test Your Dancing IQ!

Dance is the hidden language of the soul.

Martha Graham

7 Benefits of Rockin' Your Body

Around her 60th birthday, rock star Tina Turner was asked what exercise regimen she used to keep her famous figure in such great shape. She replied that she didn't do anything, but she did say that she had been dancing on stage for two to three hours almost every night since she was 17 years old (in high heels, no less). So who needed exercise on top of that? Well, we can't argue with success. And while we think that you can achieve great results in less than three hours a day, and your podiatrist would probably advise you to ditch the heels, there's no denying the slimming and toning effects of dancing. And with popular TV shows like Dancing with the Stars and video games like Dance Dance Revolution sweeping the nation, America is clearly ready to put a little boogie in its butt.

Hip Hop Abs® creator Shaun T knows the benefits of dancing, and his new workout series, Rockin' Body™, is designed to give you a full-body workout while allowing you the fun experience of a dance floor. Shaun knows the most important key to success is that the workout has to be fun and inspiring. Very few of us are going to look forward to the kind of no-pain-no-gain workout we remember from high school sports, but most of us are up for a night out on the town at our favorite club. That's the idea behind Rockin' Body—to have a great time and make you forget that you're working out . . . that is, until you look in the mirror later! Here are some of the benefits a great dance workout can give you.

1. Dancing burns calories. Like any brisk aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, bicycling, or skating, dancing burns a fair number of calories. An hour of sustained dancing can burn between 250 and 800 calories, depending on the dancer's weight and activity level. In fact, a study that put pedometers on square dancers found that they had covered over five miles of distance in a single evening of dancing. So depending on the effort you expend, you can skip the treadmill if you hit the dance floor.
   


2. Dancing improves flexibility. The shortest distance to your goal isn't always a straight line. Running, jogging, walking, and bicycling are great, but you're generally always moving in one direction. Dancing gives your muscles a more varied workout as you are generally also moving up and down, side to side, and backward—giving you a workout that increases your flexibility and range of motion. In many ways, the kind of workout you get from dancing is similar to what you would get from a sport like tennis or football, which explains why so many macho football players can be found in ballet class during the off-season.
   


3. Dancing is good for the heart. People who engage in regular aerobic exercise like dancing for over 30 minutes three to four times a week reap huge cardiovascular benefits, including a slower heart rate, reduced blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. Other aerobic exercises like jogging can provide similar benefits, but you're more likely to keep up the workouts if you enjoy them, and that's where dancing has the advantage—it's a lot more fun grooving with Shaun T and his group of hotties than staring at the wall in front of the treadmill.
   


4. Dancing is good for the head. I mentioned in last week's article the link between children and exercise, and how good dancing is in creating new neural pathways in the brain. Listening to music and translating the rhythms into actions and coordinating them engage many areas of your brain. Studies in seniors comparing those with walking regimens against those who studied dance found that both groups showed improved memory, but the dancers made much greater strides in the areas of motor skills, balance, and multitasking. Dancing has also been linked to lower rates of dementia in older people. This is largely credited to the increased brain activity associated with dancing. We hear compliments like, "Nice abs!" or "Nice glutes!"; but the next time you see a dancer, you might want to say, "Nice lobes!"
   


5. Dancing is good for your bones. Because dancing involves transferring your body weight from side to side, large bones like your tibia, fibula, and femur become stronger. This is vital in preventing osteoporosis (loss of bone mass). Although, we still recommend a good calcium-magnesium supplement as well.
   


6. Dancing is addictive. But not in the bad leave-your-spouse, empty-your-bank-account, wake-up-in-jail way. I mean in the healthy, forming-good-habits-that-last-a-lifetime way. The exercise will get the endorphins going, which will give you that great natural high; plus hot music will get your blood pumping and keep you energized. And because you're mentally engaged and having fun, you'll want to keep coming back for more.
   


7. Dancing increases your social profile. If you're like me, your moves may have been limited to the "white man's overbite" (popularized by Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally), the Macarena, and the chicken dance. But by practicing cool moves like you get in Rockin' Body in your spare time, you'll find, unbelievably enough, that you start to get some killer instincts and moves at the clubs when it's time to freestyle. That's one of the cool things about Shaun T's programs. It's like Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid—Daniel-san didn't know why he had to paint the fence and wax the car until it was time to kick Cobra Kai butt. By then, the moves were ingrained in his muscle memory. Shaun T is your Mr. Miyagi and his workouts ingrain some fierce moves that will help you kick butt on the dance floor (not to mention that his workouts are way more fun than painting and waxing).
   

If you've loved dancing with Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Jam®, or Yoga Booty Ballet®, you're going to love Rockin' Body. It's like the hottest new club in town just opened on your street. Shaun T has designed a program that works out your entire body, but at the same time keeps your body flowing and your mind entertained. Plus, it's got killer tunes like "Holiday," "I Will Survive," "Eye of the Tiger," "I Love Rock N' Roll," and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." Check it out and sign up to be the first one notified when it drops later this week!

Related Articles:
"6 Survival Tips for Eating in Bars"
"5 Simple Steps to "Reprogram" Your Weight"
"Getting to the Core of Your Ab Routine"
"20 Secrets of Very Fit People"

If you'd like to ask a question or comment on this newsletter article, just email us at mailbag@beachbody.com.

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	Shaun T's Fit Kids™ Club DVD Shaun T and the Fit Kids are bringing the fun and fitness to help kids, ages 7 and up, achieve a healthy lifestyle! Plus get snack tips, a label-reading guide, and a FREE cool wall poster!
	Shaun T's Dance Party Series Shaun T, professional dancer and choreographer to the stars, brings all the hottest dance-floor moves to your living room. If you're ready to learn exclusive moves only available to Shaun's celebrity clients, these Dance Party workouts are made for you! Plus get a BONUS 5-minute Ab Blaster workout!
	Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.

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4 Diet Pitfalls—and How to Avoid Them

Oh sure, everyone always says to me, "Shaun, I swear, I eat very healthy. I have a clean diet." But when people are experiencing "stubborn pounds" that won't budge off their bodies, I see uncertainty and fear in their eyes when I say, "I bet it's a common eating habit that is undermining your hard work."

Oh yeah. It's natural for us to be less than honest with ourselves about where we're cheating on our nutritional plans. We work out and have the best of intentions for our daily menus, but we end up falling short of our goals for a balanced nutrition for various reasons. Some of the most common pitfalls can be avoided simply by being aware of them.

1. Stress eating. Hey, I readily admit that food is comforting—especially comfort food. You know, the mac and cheese; the meatloaf and buttery mashed potatoes; an entire pint of butter pecan ice cream . . . enough said. But there are so many better ways to beat stress than by eating yourself into a stupor.
   
   Do this instead: My favorite thing to do is to get out and just take a walk. Focus on your body and forget the snacks, and get some air deep into your lungs, clear your head, feel your blood pumping, and stretch your legs out. It won't take but a few minutes for you to reap big benefits from a brisk walk . . . away from the vending machine. Or if it's raining, put on some great music and dance—that works too! You can get plenty of this done with Hip Hop Abs® or Hip Hop Abs® Dance Party Series.
   


2. Grazing. Many people have a complete lack of structure to their daily meals—they actually never stop nibbling all day long. From bits of bagels and a bite of donut in the morning all the way through to chips in front of the TV for late-night channel surfing. Grazers have absolutely no set meal times, and end up shutting down their body's natural calorie-burning cycle through the constant onslaught of fat and calories.
   
   Do this instead: Of course, avoid the bad stuff. Instead of vending-machine junk and food with low nutritional value, pack healthy snacks for nibbling. And make time for balanced meals that will satisfy your appetite so you won't be reaching for whatever's near. See the action plan for #3.
   


3. Unconscious eating. Eating without paying attention to what you're doing, or without even realizing that you're consuming calories.
   
   Do this instead: Keeping a food journal is the best way I know to determine whether you have unconscious-eating tendencies. One of my clients confessed that while keeping her journal, she would catch herself working at her desk and suddenly realize that she needed to jot down the cookie she'd just eaten at a coworker's desk. They'd offered her a homemade cookie and she'd eaten it without even thinking about it—much less factoring it into her daily planned food intake. Cha-CHING! Those 200 sweet calories needed to be added to her daily tally in her food journal to get an accurate picture of what she was eating.
   


4. Double portions. It's not just restaurants that are offering us bigger portions to show us the value of their meals; it's loved ones and friends and ourselves who proudly serve up much more than our bodies need for fuel at meals—on a regular basis. It's because we think we're showing love, or are being shown love, through food. We'd also feel stingy if the plate were to be served with less on it. The sad fact is that "normal" portions in the U.S. aren't just a fraction more food than needed for a balanced meal—they're like double, which is in excess of what your body requires, and WAY more than you can burn in your daily workout!
   
   Do this instead: Ask yourself: do 20 bites of a huge sandwich really taste that much better than 10? How do those 10 extra bites taste when you know you can't burn them off that day and at least half that sandwich is going to turn into those "stubborn" pounds? Stick with sane portions; listen to your body.
   

Yes, these are four common pitfalls. They're all too common—but that doesn't make them any less devastating to our fitness results and our ultimate health goals (and don't forget that it can also be discouraging to the mental image you have of where you want to be). Be aware of where you might be defeating yourself and take some time to form a personal plan to help you avoid these pitfalls on a daily basis.

Peace Out.
Shaun T

Related Articles:
"10 Foods You Should Eat"
"10 Scariest Fast Food Dishes"
"10 Ways to Put Your Appetite on Cruise Control"
"10 Healthy Snacks for Couch Time"

If you'd like to ask a question or comment on this newsletter article, just email us at mailbag@beachbody.com.

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Test Your Dancing IQ!

Match the following dances with the corresponding calories burned (calculated per hour and based on a 150-pound person; amounts may vary based on other contributing factors).

1. Square: 280 calories. Bring out the boots and hats and enjoy a bit of do-si-do. Mayo Clinic researchers reported that social dancing helps reduce stress, raise energy, improve strength, and increase muscle tone and coordination (see Joe's article above). Dancing is a successful form of exercise—one that provides the heart-healthy benefits of an aerobic exercise while allowing you to engage in a social activity.
   


2. Ballroom: 306 calories. If you've watched Dancing with the Stars, you know that a session of ballroom dancing can leave you dripping with sweat. In fact, John O'Hurley stated that he'd lost 15 pounds while on the show. Dance is a weight-bearing activity that's effective for strength building. Ballroom dancing can work out the backs of the thighs and buttock muscles in ways that other forms of exercise will not.
   


3. Salsa: 396 calories. One hour of salsa dancing can potentially help you burn 396 calories. Other similar dances like disco, cha-cha, mambo, cumbia, and merengue can help you reap similar benefits. You can dance salsa alone or with a partner, and styles vary from Cuban style to Los Angeles style to Puerto Rican style. However, the health benefits are the same: weight loss, muscle gain, physical endurance, and greater range of motion.
   


4. Ballet: 430 calories. Get those ballet shoes out and start burning some serious calories! On a 150-pound person, 1 hour will burn 430 calories. Ballet can build great lower-body strength—specifically the legs and the core (or the abs). You'll also develop flexibility and strong feet (to keep on dancing!).
   


5. Hip hop: 465 calories. Rockin' Body™, Hip Hop Abs®, or Hip Hop Abs® Dance Party Series, anyone? One hour of hip hop dancing could burn off 465 calories for a 150-pound person. And with Shaun T, you won't even feel like you're working out. You'll just feel like you're on the dance floor from start to finish. Read Joe's article above on rockin' your way to a slimmer, happier you and for other benefits associated with dancing.
   

If you'd like to ask a question or comment on this newsletter article, just email us at mailbag@beachbody.com.

Check out our Fitness Advisor's responses to your comments in Steve Edwards' Mailbag on the Message Boards. If you'd like to receive Steve Edwards' Mailbag by email, click here to subscribe to Steve's Health and Fitness Newsletter. And if you'd like to know more about Steve's views on fitness, nutrition, and outdoor sports, read his blog, The Straight Dope.

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