Dancing is an engaging and continuous activity with great physical rewards. Most dances cause enough exertion to get the heart pumping and the muscles working, and dancing can be associated with increased cardiovascular conditioning and bone-friendly, weight bearing benefits as well. But the reasons to make dancing your exercise of choice go way past these physical rewards and they include the following:

1. Once you choose the dance that is right for you, there is no boredom because you are in enjoyment of what you are doing.

2. The range of dance choices is endless and you can even mix it up as you like. The many dances that are out there include: salsa, hip hop, urban, belly dance, tap dancing, ballroom dancing, samba...

3. You don't require props or equipment or even a partner for most dances. Aside from comfortable clothing and good music, you usually just need yourself. Even for dances like salsa which is usually enjoyed by two people, you can get away with practicing on your own.

4. Because dancing is more of a social activity, you can expand your social network and have fun with like-minded people as you are exercising. You find for example, that people who are together in a dance class to be more likely to hang out outside the classroom setting. They also seem to be more likely to form friendships and act to enhance the dancing experience for each other.

5. You can practice your dancing almost anywhere.

6. You get to choose the level of monetary investment you put into it. Most dance classes will give you the option of paying per class, so you can choose as little or as many classes as you like. But dancing can be free too. You can dance at home. Also there are many opportunities to dance for free in a social setting-eg. clubs with after-work, no-cover offers or free before a certain hour offers. And let's not forget the house parties-My house or yours?!

7. You are more likely to find " a partner in crime" if you might want to take a class or go out dancing. Most people love to dance and if they can't dance they want to be at the place where the music and dancing is going on, because that's where the action is.

So need I say more? Get up and dance and allow yourself to enjoy the most fun physical activity that I know of. And if you may still have doubts about the impact dancing can have on your mind, body and spirit, perhaps you should rent the movie "Happy Feet". If I haven't done it as yet, then perhaps this cheerful, dance-themed movie might be better at convincing you! Happy Dancing!