Something the Dancing with the Stars contestants  have found out.

One of those stars in Nancy Grace, who recently told the show business magazine – People Magazine: “This has been a great side effect to dancing, so I’m happy, but I just think women should love their bodies like they are.” Nancy has apparently lost 16lbs so far.

Referring to her professional dancing partner Tristan MacManus, Nancy added: “I’ve noticed Tristan has lost a lot of weight. He really needed to. He was carrying way too many pounds around.”

Nancy Grace isn’t the only contestant reporting a weight loss as a result of spending hours practicing for the show. Ricki Lake, the well-known talk show host, is noticeably thinner. Ricki has always had to battle hard with her weight, but actively exercising and something she obviously is enjoying doing is paying dividends.

Scientists have always known that in order to lose weight and more importantly keep it off, a person must eat sensibly and exercise regularly. While many sports can help, dancing has one major advantage over other exercise regimes, as it is very sociable and highly enjoyable.

That said, simply doing gentle dancing is not going to make much difference. What is needed is a vigorous workout. The Dancing with the Stars competitors are certainly finding that learning to dance is not all plain sailing, but it does have its benefits.