Atlas, a Greek God, was condemned to hold up the sky for all eternity, forever to struggle with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Can you imagine?!? In our busy lives, we’re zooming from place to place, making sure that everything we have on our plates isn’t too much to handle on an everyday basis. Stacking more and more “to do’s” on our list, it’s very easy to forget how much we already have going on.

Unlike Atlas, however, you and I have a choice. Part of that choice includes making time for fun, excitement, adventure and romance. If you’re looking for something that will be a cure-all for life’s daily stresses, consider adult dance lessons. Whether you’re a single, or part of a couple, dance lessons are an incredible investment in your happiness.

Social dancing is a great stress reliever! Think about spending a Friday night out Country Two Step dancing, instead of staying stagnant in front of the tv with a bowl of popcorn. Which one will help you meet new people and keep you active, fit and having a blast? Dancing, of course!

In 2010, best-selling author and fitness expert, Christina Chitwood, wrote an article that talked about ways to improve everyday life. In that article she notes that, “Dancing will improve your health, stamina, muscle tone, and coordination.” Furthermore, she adds, “It’s a great way to exercise and have fun!”  Take it from me, there’s no doubt about that!

A professional dancer by the name of Barbara Craddock, also noted that dances like ballet, salsa, ballroom and disco can burn up to 432 calories per hour, while helping to improve posture, confidence and so much more!

Social dances like Swing, Tango and Country actually have a profound effect on the human body. Exercising releases endorphins in the brain called serotonin and dopamine. These chemicals make you experience happiness, and interact with our brain’s neurotransmitters to block out pain. According to WebMD, dancing is the second best exercise when fighting depression because of the amount of endorphins released!

Scientifically speaking, the best thing you could do when feeling the blues is just GET UP AND DANCE! Even if its just nonsense, get up! Move and shake your body. Release all those endorphins and built up stress and anxiety and dance it off. Find a local studio for adults near you and take some dance lessons. Here at Dance FX Studios, we help many people add that thing in their daily lives that brings them joy and puts that smile on their faces. The goal here is to send you off happier than you came in, so if you’re feeling like Atlas with the weight of the world on your shoulders, remember what happened when Atlas shrugged the world away. He came down and took some lessons at Dance FX Studios, and you can too! We hope to see you on the dance floor. 🙂