I remember the first time I saw Dancing With the Stars. It was the first episode of Season 3, and future mirror ball champion Emmit Smith danced with a look of absolute joy on his face, mostly because he had never danced before, and he knew he was pulling it off. I was hooked on Dancing With the Stars from that moment. The hit program has inspired me and a lot of other people to shape up, too, and find our joy in dancing our way to fitness. Here are just a few reasons Dancing With the Stars can help inspire you to shape up:
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It’s fun! Just like when Emmit Smith grinned from ear to ear as he and Cheryl Burke nailed the cha-cha, dancing is a joyful activity.
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It’s a challenge. Especially for those of us who weren’t born with samba in our hips, figuring out dance steps and not screwing them up offers a great sense of achievement.
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It’s a workout! Have you seen the stars and their professional dance partners during rehearsals? They work up a sweat! Dancing is a great way to burn calories, all the while having too much fun to notice you’re working out.
Read Related: Shake it Up! Health & Fitness Benefits of Dancing
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Look at the results! Kirstie Alley, Kelly Osbourne, Marie Osmond, Chaz Bono…these are just some of the stars who dramatically transformed their bodies as a result of their grueling dance schedules. It’s a workout that works.
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It’s a great social activity. As Dancing With the Stars has grown in popularity, professional dance studios like Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire have seen a surge in enrollment. Dance classes are a fun way to meet people and get in shape at the same time.
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Or you can do it at home. Not quite ready to dance in front of a crowd? Dancing With the Stars has released a series of dance-fitness DVDs designed to provide a cardio workout while you learn new moves. It’s not quite like having Maksim Chmerkovskiy give you private lessons in your living room (or bedroom, whatever the case may be…), but it’s as close as most of us are likely to ever get!
