by Tina Haapala

Created on: June 01, 2009

As Shakira sings, "hips don't lie". A belly dancer enjoys benefits for the body as well as the mind. If you are considering belly dance for fun and fitness, here are some of the advantages you will enjoy.

As you begin to belly dance, you will notice some of the physical benefits right away. Some of the positions and movements you will be holding lead to toning in muscles you don't use everyday. For example, belly dancers look elegant with their arms held up, away from their bodies, shoulders back, elbows just slightly bent. This works the upper back, shoulders and arms. The hip movements don't just help the hips. By lifting the hips up, and dropping them down, the oblique abdominals and the lower back benefit as well.

The belly dance stance must be learned and kept during the dance. The stance includes standing with chest lifted, shoulders back, and pelvic area tilted slightly forward to protect the back. By keeping the core area of the body firm, the back and abdominal muscles are engaged. The dancer's posture improves, and she begins to look more graceful, on and off the dance floor. You will begin to feel and look a bit taller and more confident.

Repeating common belly dance moves will allow your body to learn this uncommon way of moving as well as condition your muscles and heart. Many classes will incorporate your new moves into choreography, and you will begin to learn a dance. This entails practicing with and without music over and over. Your body will be working double duty: you are getting a cardio workout because of the repetition, and your mind is becoming sharper because you are learning new steps.

Recent studies involving dance and the workings of the brain have found that dancing improves memory and brain function more than other types of physical activity. A 2003 article in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that people who danced at least 3 times a week were less likely to develop dementia than those who danced little or not at all.

Performing a belly dance may improve the mind and body grow stronger. For example: A belly dancer may decide to do a dance with a veil. As she dances, a snapshot in time shows all of the different mental and physical demands she's placing on herself. She does a hip circle (working her core muscles) as she raises her veil behind her head (arm muscles). Taking the slight breeze into account, she decides to forgo the planned veil toss and improvise a new move (incorporating decision making), before going on with the rest of the prepared dance (use of memory). All this time, the dancer is also creating a connection with the audience by interpreting the sensuality of the music with her eyes and movements (tapping emotional brain functions).

Dance has long been a form of communication between people. Another benefit of belly dance is the camaraderie that's created at classes and workshops. In many classes, you will learn choreographed routines. You begin to think of your group as a team; you start to pick up on cues from the other dancers that help your performance, and eventually the practice pays off. The sense of community when a dance is performed together is very satisfying.

Belly dance is varied and complex. The common elements seem to be the benefits. Strength and confidence blossom from a beautiful art form, creating friendships (and new neural pathways!) along the way.

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