To mix things up, take a Hula Dance class!

Be it salsa or ballet or hip-hop or ballroom, dancing has a myriad of emotional and physical benefits. As any dance instructor, avid dancer or weekend clubber will tell you, there is more than just hip thrusting and toe-tapping going on here.

Social dancing is equivalent to a four mile walk. It’s no secret that dancing burns tons of calories. Getting a workout without the gym? Yes, please. Dancing in any form will get your body moving in a way that’s great for your overall fitness and will often help develop better posture and poise.

Dancers have above-average peripheral vision. Due to the restrictions placed on the movements of the head as well as the rest of the body, dancers who do a lot of ballet or other highly structured and choreographed dance forms are often forced to make extensive use of their peripheral vision to guide them.

Scientists have found that dancing also helps social development. The ways in which we connect and cooperate with other people when we dance–our dance partners, dance instructors, or fellow ensemble members–gives us the tools beneficial to building strong relationships upon mutual respect.

Dancing can also make you a nicer person. Stress is almost unavoidable these days, and even the best of us get a little bogged down at times. Dancing is proven to relieve mental and physical stress. So remember to take it out on the dance floor, not your buddies.

So sign up for a dance class on HeyKiki and get on the road to a fit, stress-free, and healthy you. Dance instructors are in abundance in NYC and you can always find one just right for what styles you’re looking to master.