Every time I turn on the television it seems there is some new diet or exercise trend on the market. These fads try to cajole me into forking over hard-earned cash for methods meant to hold my attention just long enough until the next fad comes along.
I had heard about capoeira, a style of fight dancing from Brazil. When a friend described it to me, it sounded like aerobics. Because I wasn’t much on aerobic dancing when it was popular a couple of decades ago, you could say I was a bit dubious.
3 Major Health Benefits of Capoeira
Then I saw capoeira in action, and I liked what I saw. It looked fun. More importantly, it looked healthy. My goal isn’t to have the Adonis-like body of the instructor, but to drop a few pounds and tone up. Here are some of the health benefits of capoeira.
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It’s Going to Make You Sweat –
Instead of “no pain, no gain”, the phrase people should use when working out is “no sweat, no fret”. Sweating pushes toxins from your body. This promotes healthy skin, which is the biggest organ in your body.
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Your Heart Will Love It –
Building up your heart rate is the heart of a healthy workout. Interval training alone can’t provide your heart with the exercise it needs. Capoeira on the other hand helps you build stronger muscles, starting with the heart.
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Kiss Those Extra Pounds Goodbye –
Plagued by a spare tire? Love handles jiggle when you walk? Brazilian capoeira can help you banish your extra pounds and keep them off, so you look more like Channing Tatum and less like Kris Kringle.
How 20 Minutes of Capoeira Affects Your Body
The easiest way to get into capoeira is to just try it. Make a playlist of upbeat songs, like your favorite Brazilian beats, that last about twenty minutes. Start and end with a slightly slower paced rhythm, so you have enough time to warm up and cool down.
Although capoeira happens in a short amount of time, the beneficial effects on your body, when you do it on a regular basis, are tremendous. These benefits increase when you alternate capoeira with other forms of training.
For example, you might do capoeira one day, and then cross train the next day with jogging, swimming, boxing, or weight training. This helps make your workout fun and interesting, and keeps you feeling positive about keeping fit.
Why Brazilian Capoeira Is for Every Body Type
It does not matter if your body looks as sculpted as Michelangelo’s David or seems hard wired to carry a few extra pounds. Using this Brazilian fighting dance style of workout can help keep you healthy regardless of your height, weight, and body type.
Whether you want to drop extra pounds or just tone up your current body image, this Brazilian fighting style can help you achieve your fitness goals. It may seem complicated at first, but those who stick with capoeira enjoy big health rewards.
Canadian freelancer Mark Harris is an avid outdoorsman. When he’s not checking out sites like http://www.celebratebrazil.com/ for the articles he writes, he enjoy exploring Canada’s scenic western coastline via hiking trails or kayak. Mark lives in White Rock, BC with his wife.