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jlc0213
jlc0213 Posts: 3
in Social Groups
I had no idea about the groups on here...much less one about BELLY DANCE!!! So fantastic! I'd love to see what worked and what didnt for your weight loss strategies. I'm at the point where I feel like I need to lose weight and gain flexibility to be able to advance in my dance, and I need HELP!

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  • Janice2Shakira
    Janice2Shakira Posts: 257
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    Just found the group myself. I'm hoping my dance grows as my body shrinks.
  • missdaisy79
    missdaisy79 Posts: 566 Member
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    Hello to you both :)
    What I find has been working for me is doing other exercises to strengthen my core, such as yoga. My dance teacher is very knowledgable about how to strengthen the core and the rest of the body, and it really does work.

    Outside of belly dance, I took up running in order to just plain burn calories and lose weight, which has worked up to a point. I've now moved over to maintenance calories whilst I train for a half marathon!
  • ThorneDust
    ThorneDust Posts: 189 Member
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    Hello! :D Only thing I do is cut cals and I do pilates. It is FAB for the core and works all the muscles, which is what you're probably going to want to do and it helps with flexibility too. You can get a whole program for free at blogilates.com And she's super upbeat and that just seems to make me want to do it more, to gain some of that positive-ness too. A nice mix of pilates and yoga and a moderate calorie deficit would be great for the goals you're trying to obtain.
  • shimmygirl411
    shimmygirl411 Posts: 100 Member
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    Hi there!

    Through my 9 years of belly dance, I have found that belly dance alone won't do it for me. To help with flexibility, endurance and weight loss (or weight management at this current time), I also do yoga, pilates, strength training and cardio workouts (elip, walking, biking). Once your body gets used to something, it doesn't derive the benefits that it used to, so I mix it up and keep the bod guessing. :wink:
  • Izanami66
    Izanami66 Posts: 181 Member
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    Hello hello, and welcome!!

    I agree with my friends above! I like to do a nice mixture. I dance two nights a week. On my off days, I like to do a mixture of 30 Day Shred, Pilates (if you'd like a DVD suggestion, I like Lara Hudson's rapid results Pilates. It's got 10 minute segments you can mix and match.), hiking/walking, calisthenics and weight training. I've just gotten started with weights, so I'm a bit inexperienced, but it has increased my strength. As others have said, Pilates really helps with core strength and flexibility. I have noticed, since my fitness has increased, so has my dance ability. Not only do I feel more balanced and strong in my technique, my confidence has increased substantially! That has lead to better stage presence! Please feel free to add me if you're looking for friends! I log every day, except for the weekends, where I "practice for maintenance." :wink:

    Cheers and shimmies! :flowerforyou:

    ~Iza
  • heatherloveslifting
    heatherloveslifting Posts: 1,428 Member
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    Hi!

    My classes and rehearsals are pretty long- usually like 1.5- 2 hrs 3 days a week so I figure that is enough cardio. I try to lift weights 3x a week for "firmness" and do yoga once a week for flexibility. I've only been dancing 3 years, but I feel like both of these have actually helped my dance progress quite a bit.

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