Dance for Health

 

Introduction 

According to the findings of the "Physical Fitness Test for the Community" released earlier, in general, Hong Kong people were not doing enough physical exercises to maintain good health. To improve their physical fitness and health, they should build exercises into their daily life and develop a healthy lifestyle.

To encourage the public to do exercise regularly and maintain healthy living habits, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Department of Health (DH) have joined hands to organise the "Healthy Exercise for All Campaign" since 2000 to promote the benefits of doing exercise. The activities organised under the Campaign have been well received by the public.

"Dance for Health" is one of the highlighted programmes of the "Healthy Exercise for All Campaign". Through organising a wide variety of dance play-ins and dance nights, we hope that the public will be encouraged to participate in dancing and foster a habit of doing exercise regularly for the benefit of physical and mental health.

For enquiries on the various dance training courses and programmes organized by the District Leisure Services Officers (DLSOs) of the LCSD, please approach the respective DLSOs or visit “Community Recreation and Sports Programmes” of LCSD’s website -  social dance, modern dance, jazz dance, Chinese dance, folk dance and children dance.

Benefits of Dancing 

An accumulation of at least 30 minutes of dance (at least 10 minutes per session) every day persistently can bring you the following benefits:

*Dancing & Calories

To learn more abouts the calories expended during physical activities will help weight management. The actual amount of energy expended is determined by factors such as intensity and duration of activity, as well as the physical fitness, skill level, gender, age, body weight of an individual.

Body Weight(kg)	Calories burned every 30 minutes of dancing (kcal)
35	53
40	60
45	68
50	75
55	83
60	90
65	98
70	105
75	113
80	120
85	128
90	135
95	143
100	150

Types of Dance 

There are many types of dance, each with its own characteristics, some of which are as follows:

Social dance In the old days, Social dance was a classy social and recreational activity that catered for minority interests. With growing popularity, it has been taken up by people from all walks of life. Today, social dance is not only a kind of art performance, but also a competitive event in the sports arena.

Modern dance Only becoming popular in Hong Kong in the mid-70s, modern dance has developed rapidly since then. With different schools and distinctive styles, it has multiple expression techniques that stress the uniqueness and creativity of the dancers.

Jazz dance Jazz dance with strong beats and diverse steps, is very popular among young people. Since it has fewer rules as compared with social dance, dancers can express themselves freely through dancing.

Chinese dance Chinese dance is divided into classical dance and ethnic dance, reflecting Chinese cultural characteristics and traditional customs of ethnic groups. Rich in content and varied in forms, it enables dancers to understand more about the culture and arts of our country through dancing.

Folk dance Folk dance is a very common form of entertainment in festive celebrations and gatherings. Though easy to learn, its clear rhythm calls for co-ordination and co-operation among dancers. Cultural characteristics of different places can also be displayed. It is such a dance suitable for all.

Children dance Dance tailor-made for children can be called children dance. It adopts basic techniques of various types of dance (such as ballet, jazz dance and folk dance). Light and lively in mood, it helps children to develop an interest in dancing.

Street dance Originated in the United States, street dance is an umbrella term which includes a fusion of many dance styles associated with different street cultures or music styles. Hip-Hop and break dance are the two most common types of street dance. The common characteristic of street dance is strong swinging movements, a variety of improvised moves and that there are no rules on what you wear. The best aspect of street dance is its rich vibrancy and passion. Regular practice can improve your whole body co-ordination.

Line dance Line dance is a type of Contredanse and is widely popular across the world. It has its origins in the western United States at the time when disco was dominating the dancefloors. It is made up of simple dance moves and does not require a partner. The dancers stand in lines and dance the same steps with the sound of cheerful music and repeated turns. In addition to improving cardiopulmonary functions, joint mobility and hand and foot coordination, line dance can also improve memory and sense of direction.

Group dance Group dance includes various types of dance from line dance to jazz dance, Chinese dance, folk dance, social dance and Latin dance, etc. A partner is not required for these dances. Props such as fan, sleeve, scarf, tambourine and bamboo clapper are normally used by dancer to move with pleasant music.

 

Guidelines on the Amount of Physical Activity

Children and the Youth (Aged 5 to 17 years):

Physical activities for children and the youth include participating in games and sports competitions, leisure activities, physical education lessons and planned exercise at school and in their family and community life, as well as daily commuting (e.g. walking and cycling).

• They are recommended to do at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily for better health
• Most of the daily physical activities should be aerobic in nature. Moreover, physical activities of vigorous intensity should be planned for at least 3 times a week, in which bone and muscle strengthening exercises should be incorporated.

Adults (Aged 18 to 64 years):

Physical activities for adults of this age group include ordinary and recreational activities at office and in their daily, family and community life, e.g. daily commuting (walking or cycling), performing official duties (i.e. working), doing housework and participating in games, sports competitions and planned exercises.

• They should engage in at least 150-300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activities, or at least 75-150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activities, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities.
• For greater health benefits, they should increase their moderate-intensity aerobic physical activities to 300 minutes a week, or engage in vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activities for 150 minutes a week, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities.
• They should also do muscle strengthening exercise on 2 or more days a week that involves major muscle groups.

Elderly (Aged 65 years or above):

Physical activities for all healthy elderly aged 65 or above without any contraindication to physical activity include ordinary and recreational activities in their daily, family and community life, e.g. daily commuting (walking or stair climbing), performing official duties (for people still working), doing housework, and participating in games, sports competitions and planned exercise.

• They should engage in at least 150-300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activities, or at least 75-150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activities, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities.
• For greater health benefits, the elderly should increase their moderate-intensity aerobic physical activities to 300 minutes a week, or engage in vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activities for 150 minutes a week, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activities.
• They should also do muscle strengthening exercise on 2 or more days a week that involves major muscle groups.
• The elderly with poor mobility should engage in physical activities on 3 or more days a week that help improve their balance and prevent falls.
• For those who cannot do the recommended amounts of physical activity due to health conditions, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow.

Remarks: Under the relevant guidelines of WHO, old age is defined as persons aged 65 and above. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department, in consultation with the relevant local professional bodies, considers that the Guidelines on the Amount of Physical Activity for the Elderly set out above also apply to persons aged 60 to 64.
(Reference: Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010.)

Dancing Safety Tips

1. To avoid injury, do warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after dancing.
2. Wear suitable clothing and shoes for that type of dance.
3. Dance on a smooth surface.
4. If feeling unwell during exercise, stop immediately and seek medical assistance or professional help.

More information

For details about the “Healthy Exercise for All Campaign”, please call the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) 24-hour Customer Hotline at 2414 5555 (This hotline is handled by “1823”) or visit the website of LCSD at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/healthy.

For more information on health, please call the Health Education Infoline of the Department of Health at 2833 0111 or visit the Centre for Health Protection Website at www.chp.gov.hk.

Download Area

Download Pamphlet of "Dance for Health"

Acknowledgements:
Hong Kong Dance Federation
Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China