Here is a short list of benefits of dance training that will bring fun and better muscle health to any sport or daily activity-

1. Bring a smile to your workout
2. Make every move like you really mean it
3. Use the breath to increase the power behind every move
4. Learn to recycle energy for extended range and stamina
5. Reduce strain on isolated areas by connecting the whole body to every move
6. Life long increase of brain power by building new connections.

Dance training provides a unique approach to improving muscle efficiency. The aim is to connect all the muscle groups in the body so any move is done with maximum energy no matter how small or how forceful the move may be. One specific example is the benefit of engaging the abdominals while walking, running or jumping. Dance training and related exercise programs focus on building the inner muscles of the torso, called "the core." Through carefully designed movements developed over centuries, this new strength is used to connect the abs to every movement of the body.

The goal of dance training is a long, lean, highly responsive body resilient to injury. The responsive body is built with an emphasis on flexibility and interactive support from muscles throughout the body. Every body part is trained to the max from fluid motion of neck and head down to powerful use of the feet for springing and turning.

A signature of dance training is the use of circular movement that activates the joints and requires the body to rotate around the spine. This rotation, called crossing the mid-line, activates brain growth in children and prepares all ages to move in any direction with confidence and to minimize injury.

Dancing also specializes in exploring a variety of movements from forceful to force-less and from quick to slow motion. Small and large muscle groups are called upon for subtle as well as bold movements. These varieties make connections of nerves and muscles that further build responsiveness and connection of the entire body to every movement.

Parents especially benefit from their children building these connections that mean more brain power. Benefits to the brain from dance are more similar to music than to athletics due to relating breath, rhythm, and emotions.

Athletes benefit from dance training in a variety of ways. The first benefit is learning to enter every movement with full exuberance. Injury prevention becomes obvious as the muscles balance strength with flexibility. Detailed muscle control across the joints can benefit repetitive motion sports such as running, soccer, and basketball. The complete follow through of every movement can benefit short burst sports such as golf, tennis, racket ball, and martial artists. Rhythm and quick shifts of weight are enhanced by tap dancing. With dance, the athlete or the average person can learn new ways to move safely by coordinating small and large muscle groups and using a variety of speeds and levels of forcefulness.

HERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO GET DANCE TRAINING

Taking dance classes of any kind goes directly to the training of the body developed over hundreds of years.

The ballet barr exercises are the basis for many systems of dance training. The sequence coordinates every muscle in the body and brings the focus and wisdom of centuries of temple dancers and performing artists. Laban training is detailed series of exercises based on ballet technique.

Modern dance goes deep into the body to explore the dynamics of rising and falling and unique uses of the joints, limbs, and abdominals to add power to every movement. The breath is used to give extra power and awareness to every movement.

Contact Improvisation is an athletes' way to explore ways to use the body's weight and partnering to go air borne and to fall.

The Pilates exercise system is based on dance workouts rather than athletic body building. The goal is to build long, lean muscles responsive to all types of movement. Recommended is to begin with a private class on the Reformer equipment before continuing with group classes with or without the equipment.

Z-Health is another example of dance influence on a body training system, specializing in building the connections between nerve and muscle in the joints. Using many of the principles of early ballet and modern dance innovators, Z-Health has discovered how to take exercises deep into the joints to increase range of motion and prevent deterioration. .