The Sparkle Coach: How belly dancing can boost your fitness and wellbeing

We often steer away from gentle exercising that’s low resistance and ‘slower', but whilst I may perform acrobatic sets during a belly dance performance, the core of this art form and dance derives from enjoying your body as it moves.

A good shimmy and belly dance class not only burns calories but belly dancing helps to strengthen your core which improves your posture and it provides a full workout for your mind and body.

Belly dancing is based on small but isolated movements, as well as holding a ‘core posture', which means you engage and use a range of muscles that are often neglected.

The isolating moves of this dance form, from the percussive hip drops to the undulations of a belly roll and your posture as you perfect your snake arms movement, all contribute to a power-packed full-body ‘exercise class.’

The results are much more transformational than physically 'a stronger leaner body', however. You’ll improve your confidence, become part of a community, and learn the art of breathwork as well as work in the ‘flow’ with your body rather than against it.

Many of my belly dance students find that this dance class helps to ease aches and pains, improve flexibility and reduce inflammation throughout your body thanks to the gentle joint movements of the wrist in your hand positions and the mobility of the spine through fluid movements.

Plus when I discovered belly dance aged 14, I finally embraced who I was inside out.

So whilst the physical fitness benefits of belly dance are impressive, the results of regularly practising this low impact dance can be life-long.

I challenge you not to feel good in mind and body after a class. Feel strong, sensual and smile as you shimmy walk or Arabesque to the beat of your own drum.

Sophie teaches classes live and on-demand online or one-to-one in person and via video call as well as running regular classes from Wakefield city centre, West Yorkshire. She teaches and performs at events, weddings, parties, venues and teaches workshops throughout the UK.

Wakefield in-person classes commence in January 2022 on Wednesdays and Fridays at The Sparkle Hub inside The Yard at The Ridings Shopping Centre.