People who go to night clubs or dance parties to get their groove on can certainly work up a good sweat, and burn off some calories. With a good mix of music or a DJ who really knows how to work the crowd, it can really be a lot of fun, as well as a way to get some great exercise. Unfortunately, night clubs and parties usually come with ways to retard the weight loss benefit in the form of high-calorie drinks, snacks, and other foods. If you want to just "cut a rug" and have a blast, then by all means, at least get the exercise benefit out of it, even if you aren't going to lose any weight. However, if you want to have the fun of dancing, and ALSO the weight loss benefit, here are some ways that dancing can crank up your weight loss efforts!

A Consistently elevated Heart Rate

One of the best ways to lose body fat is to keep your for long periods of time. Notice the term "lose body fat" as opposed to the term "lose weight". Many allegedly miraculous weight loss programs cause you to lose water weight or even healthy muscle tissue, both of which are unhealthy, short-lived, and can actually cause you to gain more weight back after the program.

Your mission when it comes to weight loss is to lose BODY FAT, not just to lose weight. Body fat goes away whenever your body has a need for energy that cannot be met by whatever calories are presently in your system. Specifically, whenever you elevate your heart rate into your Target Heart Rate zone (roughly 60%-85% of your maximum heart rate), you open the flood gates of your body's fat burning ability.

If you have ever really gotten into a dance set, at a party or otherwise, you know that you are breathing heavier than normal, you start to sweat, and your body starts to go looking for energy. That's the "sweet spot" whenever you are in a position to start losing weight, right there on the dance floor. However, that is provided that you don't hit the chips and dip table or suck down a beer as soon as you get off the floor…

Increased Metabolism

In addition to just raising your heart rate so that your body goes looking for additional calories from stored body fat, dancing raises your metabolism more than a more "traditional" exercise because dancing utilizes so many different muscle groups. So, the next time you feel like getting a little "freaky" when you dance, go for it!

A Powerful Core

Your "core" muscles encompass many different muscles groups, including your inner and outer abdominal muscles, your side abdominal muscles, the muscles of your lower back, and also the musculature that supports your spine. Having a strong core is necessary for many reasons, not the least of which being the prevention of injury, increased mobility, and the ability to do activities that people with a weak core cannot do. Although dancing uses many different muscle groups, it all starts in the middle, where your core muscles are. You can't gyrate your hips, bend over backwards, dip your partner, or do any other fancy (and calorie burning) dance moves if you can't control your core muscles.

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