After six weeks of intense salsa dancing, my body has been getting pretty solid. After all, dance is one of the most athletic things you can do ... cardio, muscles, flexibility, etc. is all activated at once.
My neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back and legs have gotten firm ... and even my friend Kyla suggested bouncing a quarter off my butt to test out its strength (sorry, Ky, couldn't resist! ;) I have more energy ... I have more overall strength ... I finally have good core, and it's helped with general aches and pains that come from a stressful job.
But then ... there is this ... (photo to the right):
Where the hell did THAT come from??!?
**In case you were wondering ... this is NOT a picture of me ... I don't have a pregnant man gut ... I don't wear white undershirts ... and I shaved the grey moustache years ago ...*
I just learned a lot of female salsa dancers end up with a bit of a belly. It's rock solid underneath, but there is still some love handle action if not overhang
I was advised to stop eating bread, pasta and rice ... and just constantly graze and eat healthy snacks throughout the day. Dancing is so demanding and burns so many calories that eating the basic 3 meals a day doesn't cut it. Eat healthy but also allow yourself to snack or else you'll hit the nearest vending machine for a good 'ol Snickers bar. Since I started dancing, I'm famished ALL the time. I eat before the am rehearsal and am eating my lunch by 9:30 am.
My massage therapist -- who has treated dancers over the years -- told me many dance moves tend to make you arch your back, stick out your butt, and so the tummy is more obvious.
The gut arrival was kind of freaking me out ... but I'm happy to finally understand it. The way I see it ... J-Lo helped "real" women embrace the concept of big booty years ago when she hit the scene ... I guess "salsa belly" is the next big thing! And there must be a reason it's called a "love" handle, right? :)
No comments:
Post a Comment