TresSugar

3 Eating Tips to Keep a Social Dancer Light on Her Feet

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:18:15 PST

You might think that only athletes, runners, and cyclists train strenuously enough to refuel on protein-, carb-, and electrolyte-rich snacks before, during, and after a workout, but dancers need nutritious ammunition as well. Most dance halls that teach genres like salsa, lindy hop, or ballroom will have a social dance after the lessons so you can practice your newly obtained moves in a safe and friendly dance setting. Lessons and the social dance can add up to three to four hours and work up a serious sweat.

If you aren't eating the right things throughout such an intense round of dancing, you run the risk of experiencing DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. Besides sore muscles, DOMS makes you feel exhausted, nauseated, and practically hung over the next day. An average 130-pound woman will burn 324 calories per hour of dancing, and if you plan to stick around for the social dance, you could burn up to 972 calories in a three-hour dance period. To keep your body adequately fueled for the exercise itself and to quickly recover for your next dancing round, here's a breakdown of what you should be eating and drinking.

Keep reading for the breakdown.

Would You Go to a Yoga Studio-Turned-Nightclub?

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:30:09 PDT

Your yoga studio might offer Friday night kirtan, but have you ever heard of a yoga studio transforming into a nightclub on the weekend? Shiva Rea's Yoga Trance Dance and Aarona's Yoga Soundscape fuse yoga with dance elements, but these days yogis are rolling up their mats and raving after class (sans the alcohol, of course). Get Your Dance On has popularized the trend of combining a challenging yoga class followed by a liberating dance party, complete with live DJs, funky, local musicians, and a smoke machine. After a detoxing and purifying class, yogis can continue to socialize by dancing in a noncompetitive, nonalcoholic, and all-inclusive environment. The energy stays high as guests sip on kombucha and coconut water and eat raw, vegan noshes. While most events occur in NYC at Judson Church, Urban Zen, and YogaWorks SoHo, the dance party has ventured to the West Coast in LA and San Francisco. I'm hoping to bring this dance revolution to my local studio. We're gonna tell that yogi to pass the kombucha tea!

Source: Aria Isadora Photography

Burn Calories on the Dance Floor With Your Husband-to-Be

Heather Dale — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:05:13 PDT

Dancing is a great way to let loose, work up a sweat, and have some fun with friends on a Friday night. And if you've got an upcoming wedding in the works, you may already be choreographing a grand wedding entrance or taking lessons to perfect your first dance as a married couple.

The good news is, one hour of dancing can burn around 266 calories, so whether you're enrolled in a class or out social dancing, dancing can be a great way to keep the pounds off before the wedding day. Pair dancing with weekend hiking dates and you'll be getting in shape without even knowing it!

Here's a full list of how many calories you will burn with various dances.

Guess Who Spent the Day Dancing?

FitSugar — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 00:26:12 PDT

Can you guess which celeb burned some calories from dancing?

A Healthy Bite: Lea Michele

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:45:51 PST

"I believe that what we put into our bodies is important. I became a vegan when I moved to California."

- Actress Lea Michele on the importance of having awareness of what we put in our bodies. The Glee star told Glamour UK that she loves to cook and eats a lot, "but really well. Every morning, I make a tofu scramble with soy cheese; lunch and dinner is usually a salad, with lots of vegetables, and pasta. I love to cook. I make a great baked ziti pasta.” Besides healthy eating, Lea said that all of the dancing that she does on Glee helps keep her in shape.

Link Time - Is Refusing to Dance a Dating Deal Breaker?

TresSugar — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:25:38 PST

Would you dump a guy who refused to dance? - YourTango
How men feel about the female condom - Em & Lo
Is long-distance love worth the money? - SavvySugar
Convincing an ex it's really over - Glamour
What's a mind condom? - The Frisky
12 worst relationship mindsets - Huffington Post
Five celebs who hated their hair - BellaSugar

Source: Flickr User moonshine415

Fitness Lessons From My Dancing Days

Susi May — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:30:33 PST

Like almost every young girl, I loved ballet class. Unlike the majority of my peers, I didn't quit ballet in junior high but added the sparkle fingers of jazz and the barefoot freedom of modern to my class load. And I kept on dancing through college and my 20s - I earned money for rehearsing and performing and got to tour abroad - not a full-fledged professional, but sweet perks for doing what I loved. I learned some things on the way, too; unsurprisingly, many transfer to my fitness life today. Here's just a handful of life lessons from my dancing days.

Stand tall: After countless hours spent at the ballet barre followed by a decade of teaching Pilates, good posture has been drilled into me. My elongated spine keeps my back happy sitting or standing, and posture is one less technical detail to worry about when running. I think good posture is a confidence booster in any situation.
A good warmup is a good thing: Before you leap you have to plié, if you don't want to tear any muscles or freak out your tendons. Dance classes begin by warming up the body to prime muscles and joints for bigger, bolder movements later in class. This lesson applies to all my workouts - I even like to warm up before yoga. Appropriate warmups are the foundation of a good workout.

I learned a few more things, so keep on reading.

Trendy Fitness: Popular Workouts of 2010

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:10:44 PST

A workout is a workout, but how we get our sweat on changes with the times. The recession seems to be influencing our fitness lives, from ditching running shoes to skipping fancy classes. Dance workouts are rising in popularity, and the ancient art of yoga continues to spawn hybrids. Read on for highlights of the fitness trends from 2010.

Running sans sneakers: The buzz about barefoot running has been building for a few years now, but this year the trend seems to have fully blossomed. We see seasoned runners logging miles fully dressed minus footwear or wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes. We even tested the barefoot running waters, and while the experience didn't sway us to ditch our sneaks, it did make us interested in trying a less fortified shoe.
Just dance: Whether shaking your booty with Zumba or working your backside in a balletic arabesque, dance is back! Maybe the popular reality TV shows featuring dance have helped the revival. Skip the Barre Method and try an actual ballet class like Natalie Portman in Black Swan.
Working it old school: Gone are the fancy props and expensive equipment; nothing is cooler these days than working out with your own body weight. Circuit training, featuring push-ups and lunges, pull-ups and squats, is all the rage. Bring on the burpee and squat thrust yourself back into shape.
Yoga mixes with everything: The age old practice of yoga seems to mix with anything. This year, we learned about Snowga (that's yoga on the ski slopes) and Paddleboard yoga (yoga on the water). You can even mix some roundhouse kicks with your down dog and try Koga - that's a hybrid of kickboxing and yoga.
Trying a tri: Mixing three disciplines in one race is surely a challenge, but it's one that more and more people are taking on. The triathlon frenzy has been growing for the past decade, and there are no signs of the trend slowing down. Mixing three disciplines into one training schedule is a great way to prevent overuse injuries, a common threat to endurance sport fanatics. Plus it feels hard core!

Source: Flickr User lululemonathletica

Students Must Sign Dancing Contract to Attend the Winter Semi

Colleen Barrett — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:00:32 PST

There will be no "overt and/or prolonged public displays of affection" on or off the dance floor at one South Carolina high school this December. In order to attend the Winter semiformal, and Spring prom, at DW Daniel High School, students must sign a contract agreeing to abide by dancing guidelines. Signatures also bind students to a no-drug/alcohol policy (as opposed to last Spring's rager?) and a dress code, which with the "must wear shirt" clause puts it on par with a convenience store.

Were there guidelines at your high school dances? In writing?

Name That Dancing With the Stars Fitness Quote!

Michele Bell — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:00:50 PST

If you want to shed some weight, tone some muscles, and don some fancy beaded backless outfits, you might try to get on the roster of Dancing With the Stars. Of course, you'll have to sport the orange glow, too! These stars have credited the shoe tapping show with their new and improved physiques. Come take the quiz to see if you can guess who said what.

Question 1 of 5

Who said, "When I decided to do Dancing With the Stars, I did Pilates three days a week and cardio twice. I hated it, but it helped. Once I started dancing, things changed faster than when I was just working out."

Photo courtesy of ABC