To stay fit and have fun, join the dance revolution

Anyone can be a dancer, including former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, legal commentator Nancy Grace and Florence Henderson, TV's favorite mom from the 1970s hit show, "The Brady Bunch." ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" has taken dancing to a new level as we watch our favorite celebrities transform into ballroom, salsa and tango dance performers. Other shows such as "Fame," "Glee" and "So You Think You Can Dance" are climbing the charts.

Since early black-and-white films such as "Singin' in the Rain," (1952) television, musicals and movies have popularized dance as an art form, entertainment or hobby. Movies such as "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), "Footloose" (1984) and "Dirty Dancing" (1987) featured dancing as fashionable and coveted traits. Michael Jackson stunned the world with his moon walk in 1983 and popularized hip-hop, break-dance and other forms of street dance that still exist today. Country music clubs have become trendy with line dances such as the cha cha slide and electric slide.

But dance isn't just art and entertainment. It is a way to be active and maintain fitness. Dancing is a great way to make fitness fun and not drudgery while still building stamina and maintaining muscular strength. It can be performed at various levels of exercise starting at 4 METS (energy expenditure in metabolic equivalent), which is similar to walking a dog, golfing or very light bicycling; or it can be performed at more moderate or vigorous intensities, around 9 METS, which is comparable to running a 10- to 12-minute mile, playing basketball or swimming. It depends on how much energy you want to expend and for how long.

Health clubs offer aerobic dance, hip-hop classes and step aerobics that incorporate choreography and rhythmic movements with dance club music to create a fun atmosphere for exercisers. Trendy dance fitness programs such as Zumba combine Latin and international music with dance styles from salsa, merengue, mambo and reggaeton to make exercising enjoyable.

Not long ago, I attended my first Zumba fitness class at 24 Hour Fitness in Las Vegas. Zumba fitness instructor John Yamamoto calls it "traditional aerobics with no boundaries." Yamamoto says his goal is to make people feel confident and sexy while creating a party environment. There were men and women of every ethnicity, both young and not so young. Some were clearly dancers, while others, like me, were just moving and having fun.

Take caution, however, when attending high-energy dance fitness classes as they are generally high-impact and can be strenuous on your bones and joints:

n Consult with your physician -- especially if you have health conditions or are older than 50.

n Wear good workout shoes -- worn-down shoes provide little support.

n Check your instructor's qualifications and certifications -- since classes are often taught in large groups of varying fitness levels, proper technique and form instruction can be compromised or even overlooked.

n Exercise at your own pace. Start easy and build up.

One way to alter your level of intensity is to incorporate or eliminate use of the arms. Dancing with just your legs and no arm movement requires much less energy than using the whole body. So add arm movements for a more intense workout. If you get tired while performing dances, drop the arm movements and just move the lower body.

Don't like the gym? Local studios offer ballroom dance lessons, salsa, swing, country or tango. Sign up with a partner or go stag and meet some new friends. You'll improve your social life and maintain your health, all while having fun.

Whatever genre of music you like, whatever style of dance you enjoy, whatever your fitness level is, or whether you enjoy clubs, fitness centers or staying at home, dance is a great way to shape up. You don't have to be a dancer -- just get moving. And while season 14 of "Dancing with the Stars" is rolling out, get off the couch and dance like a star.

Annie R. Lindsay is an assistant professor and exercise physiologist at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She conducts research and programming in adult fitness, physical activity, body image and childhood obesity prevention. Contact her at lindsaya@unce.unr.edu.