5 Effective Belly Dance Exercises To Try Out Today

If I tell you that you can ‘sweat sexy and feminine’, you would most probably give me the ‘are-you-crazy?’ look. But believe me ladies, you would definitely do that. And when all that sexy and feminine sweating results in major calorie incineration and a sexier and more feminine body? Feels like a jackpot, right? Belly dancing gives you exactly that!

Belly dance is a Middle Eastern dance form, which involves moves like shimmys, hip twists, rolls, drops, pivots, etc. The dance form is seductive and celebrates the female body and spirit. Popularized by celebrities like Shakira, belly dance is now one the favorite workout choices of women all over the world.

Top 5 Belly Dance Exercises:

Here are the top 5 belly dance moves you can try:

1. Hip Circles:

Image : © Mqdee

One of the simpler moves in the dance form, hip circles warm up the whole core area. Hip Circles are great waist-whittlers and are effective in killing those muffin tops. The main target areas are obliques and your glutes.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and keep your arms free.
2. Start moving your hips in circles, from right to center to left to center to right.
3. Work those obliques by increasing your range of motion.
4. Do the alternate side.
5. Move your arms however you want. Make the movements and enjoy it.
6. Increase the speed and intensity according to the rhythm.

2. Rib Slide:

Image : © Mqdee

Here is another beginner move. It needs more practice and concentration. It is works effectively for the abdominal muscles.

1. Stand with your back straight and hands on hips. Keep feet hip-width apart.
2. Now concentrate on moving your ribs to the right side, then move to the left side going through the centre.
3. Try and keep your hip stationary during the whole motion.

3. Hip Drop Steps:

Image : © Mqdee

It is an intermediate step but all the more fun to do. It can be done with your body facing the front and also with sideways.

1. Start with feet together and back straight, arms to the sides.
2. Keep your knees slightly bent.
3. Lift your left hip upwards slightly and then slowly drop it.
4. Keep the arc long.
5. You can do the same with the other side.
6. A way to do the hip drops is to do 3 long drops and then do 3-4 short fast drop and keep alternating them.
7. The trick behind every drop step in belly dancing is to first lift that part slightly and then drop.

4. Horizontal Figure Eights:

Image : © Mqdee

This is a great move for the lower abs and that booty.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms free to the sides.
2. Move your right hip forward and sweep a circle with it, taking it back and then to the centre.
3. This will take your left hip forward.
4. Do the same motion with it, back to center.
5. Continue making these horizontal eights according to the rhythm.
6. Move your arms like graceful snakes slithering at your sides.

5. Camel Undulations:

Image : © Mqdee

This move targets your entire torso. Undulations are basically making waves with your body.

1.  Stand with feet hip-width apart and arms to the sides.
2. Now move your chest forward while pulling your shoulders back.
3. Then tuck your abs and pelvis in while pulling your shoulders forward.
4. Do it in a flow and make waves.

Benefits Of Belly Dancing:

Here is a list of all the amazing benefits of including belly dancing in your fitness routine.

1. Belly dancing is an aerobic activity. So it gives your body a total body cardio workout. This leads to major calorie burn.
2. It is a weight bearing exercise. So, it helps in strengthening and toning your muscles.
3. The dance form consists of intricate movements. This, combined with the weight bearing aspect of the dance form, works on different small muscles in the body, which otherwise might get left out by conventional strengthening moves. The graceful hip drops, rolls and arm flows work on all the major muscle groups in the upper as well as lower body.
4. Since belly dancing moves involve moving the hips and butt while keeping the torso still, it strengthens the stabilizers in the core.
5. Belly dance is a low-impact activity and therefore it is unlikely to cause injury or damage to the joints.
6. It is very effective in weight loss.
7. Belly dancing is known to help in soothing post menstrual syndrome.
8. It is also useful as part of prenatal care.
9. It is a fun activity and helps in reducing stress and tension.

In times gone by, women used to get together and do belly dance for each other. It was a way to commune with their feminine spirit and strengthen their sisterhood. So, get a nice belly dancer costume, join a belly dance class and get to know your inner banjaran. Later on, you can do a little show for your man, and make him forget Helen and Katrina’s shimmies with your own moves and that sexy body you gained with the dance form!

And don’t forget to leave a comment.