Elliptical collecting dust in the basement? Wipe the slate clean this summer and try a brand-new dance workout routine! “In dance you use your legs but hold your form in the upper body, so you tone everything,” Dancing With the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff tells Us Weekly.
For beginners, Smirnoff — whose 50-minute Shape Up DVD features dance-inspired moves — suggests working out in groups of 10 to 15 dancers to avoid getting lost in a large class. “If the teacher isn’t paying attention, you won’t push yourself as hard,” explains Smirnoff, who taught Jacoby Jones to cut a rug this season on DWTS. Picking a style of dance is also important, as some steps deliver more of a card boost than others. Ballroom moves — the waltz, the fox-trot — burn 329 calories an hour, while hip-hop melts nearly 400.
Smirnoff, who suggests taking hourlong classes six times a week, prefers the salsa. “It’s effective!” she raves of the waist-whittling (and 500-calorie zapping) specialty. Smirnoff isn’t the only celeb who loves to work up a sweat on the dance floor. Rihanna, Snooki and LeAnn Rimes are three other stars who have slimmed down thanks to the high-energy routines. Read on to get inspired — and attend a class or two — to kickstart your summer weight loss.
2FLY: Rock to ’90s tunes (Bel Biv Devoe!) in this 45-minute class at Crunch, Padma Lakshmi‘s gym. Moves like the 2Fly slide torch 500 calories. (crunch.com)
Dancinerate: Rihanna and LeAnn Rimes sweat through the leg- and butt-toning jazz and hip-hop steps. In 60 minutes, devotees blast up to 700 calories! (equinox.com)
Zumba Sentao: Snooki shimmied off 42 pounds with this Latin class. For the Sentao version, a chair helps with moves like squats — and doubles as a partner! (zumba.com)
Ballet Beautiful: Zooey Deschanel sculpts muscles with the exercises (such as leg lifts and crunches) in these hourlong online sessions. Tutu optional! (balletbeautiful.com)
For more celebrity workout inspiration and diet tips, pick up Us Weekly‘s annual Hot Bodies issue, on newsstands now!
