Samba Dance Workouts and Body Joy: The Secrets to Health and Happiness

Samba dance and workouts may not be two phrases you’re used to seeing together very often. If you’ve ever worked out then you’ll have some idea of the pain that can be associated with it and the immense pleasure from the satisfaction of achieving your exercise goal. Have you ever wondered about how you can make your workouts more enjoyable?

To experience fun and excitement for the duration of your session, the exercise you’re doing has to be fun and exciting. That’s why listening to music when we’re at the gym or doing aerobics helps us with the task of doing those repetitive drills. The sense of energy and beat helps us keep moving and motivates us. The kind of music we use is very important and plays a major part in how we feel about what we’re doing. That’s why it makes sense to choose a type of music that’s normally associated with movement – something with a heavy beat and driving energy.

Samba music is full of drums, whistles and energy. It’s used as a carnival dance and has almost non-stop movements that really work up a sweat. Far more important than the physical effects of the dance is the fact that the energetic moves are an enjoyable experience in their own right. It encourages body awareness. As you become more in tune with your body and the dance then you can luxuriate in the way your muscles become more toned and your stamina increases. Combine that with the effects that the release of endorphins has on your mood and you start to get somewhere near what Theresa Stevens calls Body Joy.

Body Joy is much more than an exercise concept or a dance form. It encompasses the whole body – mind, body and spirit – in a program that promotes enjoyment of the way your body moves and encourages you to be aware of the pleasure that sensation creates. The Samba type movements she uses are unlike many other dance forms because they can be practiced alone, at home, in front of a mirror.

The benefits of learning a dance type sequence of steps are manifold. The exertion of the stepping forms the basis of the physical exercise. The process of learning, recalling and repeating the steps is like a form of brain training. The release of endorphins and resulting flood of pleasure actually helps you keep fit, lose weight and stay young.

Apart from the way it makes you feel, anyone who has ever learnt any kind of dance will tell you how useful it is to have a few steps up your sleeve for weddings and parties. Just imagine how learning a Samba dance workout could work for you.