Our first Family Fitness Focus is Dancing and look out in coming months for advice on Cycling and Swimming.

Dig out your dancing shoes as dancing is a great way to keep fit! As a fun and enjoyable form of exercise, dancing can be a motivating way to become, and stay, active. 

From salsa to ballroom, dancing provides something for everyone as it appeals to people of all ages. Check out your local dancing clubs for the following dance types:

• Line Dancing – don your cowboy boots and get dancing to country and other types of music.
• Disco Dancing - upbeat and quite fast paced.
• Ballroom Dancing – have fun and meet friends doing the foxtrot!
• Salsa – a taste of Cuba with a South American flavour.
• Barn Dancing – very easy involving simple movements.

Dancing is an aerobic activity that can improve fitness levels, help burn calories (over 300 kcal per hour) and keeps you moving Dancing can also improve your coordination and balance as well as your sense of rhythm. 

Dancing is also a great way to meet new people, is a sociable way to keep fit and can also lift your mood! Encourage your friends to join and support you on the dance floor and enjoy keeping fit together.

As with any exercise, start slowly and build up gradually. Aim to be breathless not speechless! If you have any health problems or have not exercised for a while discuss this with your GP or practice nurse beforehand.

Imagine you are standing in the middle of a square with feet together. In any random order (with music on in the background if preferred & for a beat) move one foot towards one of the corners then back beside the other foot. Start slowly, increasing the pace or if going to the music start with small steps then imagine the corners are further away. Once this is mastered then look to hold onto some weighted objects moving the arms up or away from the body in time to your foot movements.

Then add the dimension of North, South, East and West (in front, behind you, to the right, and to the left!). Put on your favourite tape and tap away to your hearts content and benefit! Beginning with one song only on your first go. Then go for two on the next time, three thereafter and already you are doing 12-15 more minutes of activity than you were used to!

TOP TIP: Go and buy either the Dance Mat bundles on Playstation or Twister and just use the circles as your targets or buy a dance mat.