Thread: Is Bellydancing enough?

For someone who is of healthy body composition, can bellydance be "it" as far as working out goes? I'm just getting started dancing and my routine currently includes pilates/ core work and weights/ strength training. I don't do any cardio because I have 5 little kids, I have no car, and that and the type of housecleaning we do where I live is enough.

If I start do a bd DVD everyday, including drills and warm up, is that enough to leave out all of my old workouts? Or will I need to keep up with the core work and strength training?

I used to be able to replace alot of workouts with bellydance, but I still did pilates, yoga and abs to stay flexible and strong. There is something needed in addition to bellydance to stay flexible, and if you want to get stronger to do floorwork or other things, you may need more than just bellydance to build up to it - at least I do/did. And now I have to add back in cardio, strength, and flexibility training because I need to rebuild my strength after pregnancy. So, I guess bellydance can keep you at a plateau - but I don't know if it is enough to build new strength, flex, cardio capability.

But for cardio, bellydance was a fine replacement. For myself, I created a mix-DVD of sorts combining shimmy drills and drum-solo choreographies from various places and would run through them all in a row for a 30 minute bellydance cardio workout.

You can certainly replace cardio with dance if you can find DVDs/drills/routines that bring your heart rate into your target range and sustain it there for 20 minutes.

If you're not into calculating and measuring your heart rate, use the 'talk test.' If you COULD talk if necessary, but you'd really rather not, you're in your target zone. if you're too out of breath to talk, you're working too hard. If you could do what you're doing and still carry on a conversation, you're not doing enough.

(this is why teaching can't offer a good cardio workout. Teachers have to talk. Also why people who 'power walk' with a friend and chat the whole time aren't getting a workout).

It would be good to maintain some kind of strength training, although if you're under 35-40 and have young kids, housework, etc. it's less important than if you're older and more sedentary, or are trying to lose weight. If weights aren't accessible (like you're thinking about giving up a gym membership) there are strength-training videos you could use. I love New York City Ballet Workout as strength training AND it helps my dance. There are also mat pilates and yoga workouts for strength.

I agree with the above posts. I think it depends on how much belly dance you're doing, at what level, and what kind will determine how much other stuff you do. I like straight-ahead exercise because it can be so straightforward; it's good for you all by itself and it supports your dance too.

after a while your muscles will get used to it, and become efficient at it. when that happens you'll have to re-add strength training in.

I am a strong advocate of weight training for everyone.

I agree with the above posts.

I was using bellydance for years as my only form of exercise (teaching and performing) and it kept me in relatively good shape. But when I wanted to lose extra weight and tone up it wasn't enough because my body was so used to it. I started adding weight training and some extra cardio (running) and that helped me, eating healthier was a huge part of it too.

I've been thinking about getting one of Delilah's weight belts to increase the benefits of my dance training, anyone tried it?

when i first started, bd was more than enough for me (on top of running occasionally) and i dropped 15 pounds that first year. however, ur body gets used to it so adding cardio and weight lifting isn't a bad idea :)

You can certainly replace cardio with dance if you can find DVDs/drills/routines that bring your heart rate into your target range and sustain it there for 20 minutes.

current studies say an hour, 5 days a week.

No, it's not. Cross training is important to prevent strength imbalances in the body, for example overly strong abs, weak lower back muscles create an ideal recipe for lower back injury and pain.

Cross training improves your physical fitness, your dance and helps to keep your body strong.

i supplement with swimming/surfing of course right now i'm not "bellydancing" per se it's more go go ..hmm.. i did buy a pole to learn some basic gymnastics and increase upper body strength and i'm quite pleased how progress is going on that

Originally Posted by kina

current studies say an hour, 5 days a week.

I thought that was the recommendation for weight loss? Not a full hour in the target zone, but an hour overall (warmup and cooldown included)?

Or have I missed a more recent update? Is it an hour for fitness now? A full hour in the target heart rate zone?

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I thought that was the recommendation for weight loss? Not a full hour in the target zone, but an hour overall (warmup and cooldown included)?

Or have I missed a more recent update? Is it an hour for fitness now? A full hour in the target heart rate zone?

I'm not familiar with the research Kina was referencing, just an "in general" comment that officially sanctioned "recommendations" seem to be rarely based on "current studies".

For example, current (and not so current) studies are also highlighting the importance of intensive anaerobic workouts, e.g. interval sprints or the equivalent in other activities (in addition to other kinds of workouts, not instead of) to help defray the decline of HGH levels (the lack of which causes a plethara of aging symptoms including heart disease, weight gain, muscle loss, aging of the skin, inc.). There is actually a quite extensive literature on this subject going back several decades, but it never seems to make its way in to the recommendations given to the unwashed masses.

oh my goodness for me it as been mmore than enough but i bellydance five days a week so thats probably why. its a mattter of your dance style and vocabulary. i like to use high energy and big moves that challenge. I always have tons of moves i learn that keeps me sharp so from year to year it gets harder and harder as the moves i learn become more and more complicated.

Certainly agree with everyone's posts, but with 5 kids, you're lucky to get any time to do ANYTHING!! haha. Technically, yes, you must include something that will get your heartrate up and sustained at that level for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week, but honey, as a mother myself, I remember how hard it was. I had a step bench at home and I used to be holding an infant while trying to get my work out in on the step bench! crazy!

Just do what you can do and I would keep up with the bellydance dvd's for now. At least it's a passion of yours and Lord knows you need something just for you! Good luck

I've got 4 kids & I HEAR ya! but you really do need cross training of some kind- I get my cardio with dance & walks with the kids- I usually do a little stretch & centering as part of my dance routine- even if it's staying 5 minutes after class while everyone else is getting changed (but I'm the teacher, so I can get away with it!) and do a little strength training before the kids get up. I'm trying to get the whole clan used to calisthenics in the morning- everyone's mood seems to improve when we start that way! & the more I can do *with* the kids the better, schedule wise.

Like several other posters have mentioned my body has gotten used to this dance so I have to switch up my routine and add walking, yoga or pilates. Or dance at a higher level of intensity for a longer period of time.

I too have heard that five times a week now is the recommended dosage to stay heart healthy. It's what I do anyway but I believe weight lifting for strength training is a minimum of three times a week (not sure how long).

If you get good "burn" going with bellydance, it should suffice for cardio training as well as toning at the same time. But as stated before, your body can get used to the same kind of workout and you may need to change up your workout routine. So in addition to dancing, I also do bike riding and walking, now that it's summer.

For weight loss, cardio two times a day for just 20 minutes five days a week should get the weight off, in addition to cutting back calories. But this is also age related; if you are younger, chances are you may not need to work out this much.

However, bellydancing is so much fun that it doesn't really feel like working out to me.