Morris dancing diet helped me lose five stone

MORRIS dancer Paul Woodhead has stepped into a fitter future after taking up the challenge of English folk dancing to shed the pounds.

The father-of-two, 53, was hitting the scales at 17st 10lb until he started performing with the Horwich Prize Medal Morris Men.

He first signed up in August 2017 and after dancing in a series of festivals along with weekly classes at the Horwich Resource Centre in Bolton, he has become a lean 12st 2lb.

Mr Woodhead was inspired to throw on a pair of breeches and take part in the dance by his daughters, Georgia, 16, and

EARLY DAYS: Mr Woodhead was more than 17st when he started dancing

Greater Manchester, said Morris dancing had made a big difference to his waistline. “I tried lots of various ways to lose weight, cutting out things, low-fat diets, nothing really worked. I would lose a few pounds and put a bit back on,” he said.

“I started dancing in August 2017 and I lost weight in seven or eight months. We had been booked for the Sidmouth Folk Festival and I used it as exercise. I knew there’d be a lot of dancing. I tried it as an exercise regime as it’s good cardio.”

Mr Woodhead added: “I would look at Morris dancing and sneer at it. I did not know anything about Lancashire culture, but then I really embraced it.

“You dance five or six times a day. It’s a good way of exercising without realising you are exercising. Getting involved in any kind of physical activity is a good thing but to get involved in a physical activity with the community involved helps. I have become an evangelist about English culture. People do not always feel the same about their own cultural heritage. The social side is fantastic.”

He said: “I now do sword dancing and clog dancing on a Tuesday and Horwich Men dancing on a Wednesday.”

Along with dancing, Mr Woodhead also changed his diet. He said: “I looked at what I was ingesting as it’s about meal choices. It’s easy to eat far too much carbs and for the weight to creep on.

“I was 12 stone in my 20s and I went up to 17 stone 10lb. I needed to do something about it in my 50s as I thought things could start happening to my health.”

‘I tried dancing as an exercise regime as it’s good cardio’