Questions for a newbie bellydancing for fitness

[HazelGirl]

Hey guys. I'm about 5'5, 128lbs. Currently doing kickboxing 2x a week, running 3-4 times per week, and doing weights 1-2 times per week. I try to do yoga once in a while, but I don't usually have time when the classes are offered. I have lost about 50lbs and I am OK with my current weight. My main focus now are my problem areas that need to be toned up and I'm also trying to gain some muscle in my arms (already seeing some!!!). My tummy has always been a problem. It is not as big as it used to be, but there is a little flab. I know that will eventually go away because I am changing my eating habits and doing lots of cardio during the week. I want to work on TONING and getting some definition down there.

My questions are as follows:

*I teach full-time at a university so my schedule is a little wacky sometimes. I want to be consistent so that I will see some results...how many times per week would be good to start? I was thinking 2x per week.

**How long (in weeks or months) do you think I will notice a positive diff in my mid section if I am going 2x a week? Keep in mind that I also do kickboxing, weights, and running the rest of the week and I am slowly seeing some of my flab disappear already.

***How long before you start to actually look good doing the moves? I am soooooo NOT coordinated at all (my trainer almost knocked me out today because I can't get my lefts and rights straight....lol) and I have trouble with my form. I do want to look good because I think bellydancing is beautiful. I may even work up the courage to do a solo sometime, but that's a LONG ways away!

Anyway, that's about it...any suggestions appreciated!

P.S. I took maybe 3 classes in the US and now that I am in Korea, I have taken one class (with a teacher who knows my old teacher) so I have taken a class before...this will be my first attempt at consistency. I go home to the US in two months so I want to have a consistent program down during that time.

 

[Yame]

I am changing my eating habits and doing lots of cardio during the week. I want to work on TONING and getting some definition down there.

If you are eating well and doing a lot of cardio, your weight loss will come from doing cardio. Belly dance probably won't help you lose weight, especially at the beginner level. Belly dance can be used as light cardio at higher levels (once you can do choo choo shimmies and traveling moves), and someone belly dancing professionally for hours and hours everyday is probably getting a lot of fitness benefits from it, BUT the most intense cardio belly dance is not going to be as intense as the most intense cardio workout you can find, so beginner belly dance won't even come close.

Belly dance is also not going to help you get toned. If you are very inactive then certainly, belly dance is great activity and might help you gain a little bit of muscle, but if you're already doing other things, which is what it sounds like you are doing, belly dance won't make much of a difference.

Here's how I think of it: if you want to work out to lose a lot of weight and get muscle, you should focus on working out. So, lots of cardio and resistance training. If you want to work out to have fun at a moderate activity level, dancing is great. If you like to dance, want to get better at it, or want to be able to move your body a certain way, then dancing definitely is for you. But do it for the sake of dancing, because that is what it is... dance, not a workout program.

 

[khanjar]

Dance is supposed to be fun and a leisure activity, treat dance as a fitness regime and the fun will go out of it as it becomes just a means to an end, then what next.

Added to that dance is also artistic interpretation, if the focus is on getting fit or stronger what room for that artistic interpretation, will it be recognised or conveyed ?

 

[Kashmir]

As the others said - if you want to lose weight - do some cardio.

If you want to dance you need to concentrate on control and musicality. If you are "dancing" to tone you'll always look (at best) like you are doing drills. How long before it looks like you are dancing depends on your starting ability, how much you practice, and how good your teacher is. Rarely, people can "get it" in six months (but they still have a lot to learn). Others still don't look like dancers after several years.

 

[~Diana~]

Unless you are doing a performance you won't get enough cardio workout to loss weight doing bellydance. Bellydance on it's own is good for building some strength and flexibility. However most dancers I know do weight and flexibility training on the side to get what we really want.

 

[Daimona]

Hi! I just moved this thread to the Beauty and Fitness section..

 

[Jade Forest]

Have you considered a belly dance inspired fitness class? There seems to be a lot springing up. They have names like BellyFit, Bellyaerobics, I think there is one in the US called SharQui or something similar.
I agree with the others, a beginners Belly dance class is not likely to bring you fast and dramatic results like you seem to be craving.
I have however developed quite a bit of tone from the dance but not in the "rock hard abs" kind of way. Just a bit of definition in the torso. I didn't realise how deep and strong it was until I gave birth to my second child. I had done 6 years belly dance at that point and was fascinated to see the muscles strongly push the baby out. (It still hurt, LOL) but I hardly had to do anything, the abs seemed to have it all under control. Belly dance was the only regular significant form of exercise I was doing during that time, so that's what I credit it to.
So I think it comes down to this - you have to sort out your priorities. If you want to be a dancer you have to take dance classes. If fitness and weight loss are your main motivators, then you need to take fitness and cardio classes.