Belly dancing can boost fitness and mental health

Popular for the fitness benefits of its torso-driven moves and for pure enjoyment, the practice of belly dancing could also lead to improved body image for women, according to researchers from Flinders University in Australia.

“Belly dancing is an activity associated with positive body image, because participants tend to focus less on their external appearance, and more on the experience and what they are able to do with their bodies,” says lead author Dr Marika Tiggemann of the psychology department at Flinders.