Spinning revisited

It has been more than half a year since I last went to a spinning class at the university sport centre. This weekend, having done no dancing at all (is that really me?), I definitely needed the exercise when I went to spinning Sunday morning. And I tell you - it did me good.
Since last time the sport centre has made a new room only for spinning, with extra good airconditioning, a good sound system, a computer and beamer for possible digital introductions to the lessons, and last but not least a party mirror ball in the ceiling. Apart from the mirror ball, I find these things are excellent improvements to the spinning experience. (The mirror ball just makes it bling-bling, and who needs bling-bling when sweating and panting for your life?)

Illustration courtesy: Stadium.be

Salsa as a sport

As has also been the case in Denmark for some years now, the Dutch ministry of health has put a special focus on the health of children and young people, in an effort to work against the growing obesity being reported ever more often. In this project the ministry published a folder 'Time for sport' highlighting the health benefits of sporting, and the initiatives undertaken by the public sector to increase active participation in sports. The Dutch association of dance teachers were surprised that no dance was mentioned as a sport. As a result the ministry ordered a scientific investigation of the sport intensity of a number of popular dances. It turned out that many dances qualify as high intensity sports. Salsa, for instance, has a mean metabolic equivalent (MET) above that of a single player match of tennis. This means that salsa is now not only officially accepted as a sport, but also many dance schools and teachers are now entitled to apply for financial support for a number of activities.

Read the summary (in Dutch) on: Sport KnowHow XL

If I had... a digicam

I would take a picture of my feet after every salsa party, to show exactly how often you get bruises on your feet, i.e. how dangerous a sport salsa really is.