5 good reasons to hip hop your way to better health

Do you think of dance as more of a fun hobby than a form of fitness? If so, it's time to educate yourself. Whether you're heading out to the club or off to a hip hop dance class, you'll be walking away with these five benefits.

• Heart disease continues to be a leading cause of death, but exercise is a valuable tool in the war against this cardiovascular killer.
• Hip hop is the perfect form of aerobic exercise.
• All that popping and locking really gets the heart pumping, while giving your pulmonary system a workout.
• Thinking of taking a hip hop class? Your heart and lungs will thank you for it.

• Tired of running out of steam midway through your workout?
• Hip hop offers even elite athletes a new path to unprecedented stamina.
• Not only are you able to endure cardiovascular activity for longer periods of time, but you also build muscle strength as you dance.
• Hip hop makes a funky contribution to your cross training regimen.

• If you've tried everything to drop that stubborn 15 (or 50!) pounds and nothing is working, don't throw in the towel yet. Instead, hit the dance floor.
• Sometimes you need to literally shake up your workout regimen.
• Hip hop burns tons of calories and helps your body turn fat into muscle.
• Many people who take up dancing find it's exactly what they need to jumpstart their stalled weight loss.

• Hip hop doesn't just benefit your body, it also helps your brain.
• When you exercise, your brain releases "feel good" chemicals that contribute to a positive mood and outlook.
• Throw in the beneficial effects of music on the brain, and hip hop dancers dance away with a powerful one-two punch of brain-boosting benefits.

• Tired of standing around at parties with your back pressed up against the wall, hoping no one will try to cajole you onto the dance floor?
• Hip hop gives you a go-to set of moves guaranteed to make you the life of any party. Instead of dreading social occasions, you'll look forward to them, thanks to your crowd-pleasing hip hop skills.
• What's better than having a whole new set of awesome dance moves? Having the confidence to show them off!
• While ballet may first come to mind when you think about a dance class, hip hop also offers many exciting benefits.
• If you're looking to shake up your workout routine, improve your health and just feel better in social occasions and every day, hip hop lessons may be a perfect option.