Can You Dance Your Way To Fitness?

I went through a bit of a “fitness slump” in the spring of 2020. Part of it was due to the pandemic, and part of it was because I was experiencing a busy season at work that I unwittingly put ahead of my health. I’d also been stuck in a weight-loss plateau for months and felt a bit uninspired in general.

So I was looking for a way to get back into exercising regularly when I came across Facebook ads for Figure 8 Fitness, an 8-week program that claims to get you fit through Latin dance-inspired exercise. It looked like fun, so I took the plunge.

At first, I was skeptical that dancing could be good exercise. Up until then, dancing was just something I did in my early twenties on the weekend to unwind.

And it was usually with a drink in one hand.

I wondered, how can something so fun be healthy — even without the vodka martini?

But after doing the research and completing the Figure 8 Fitness program, my doubts were abated. Dancing is indeed an effective exercise —at least, for certain facets of fitness.

If you’re interested in the idea of dancing your way to fitness, it’s worth reviewing these pros and cons to determine if “dancercise” will help you reach your fitness goals.

Pros

Dynamic

I quickly learned that dance workouts are nothing like a Friday night boogie at the bar.

They’re incredibly dynamic, involving multiple muscle groups like your legs, glutes, core, and lower back. In the Latin dance program I did, I even felt sore in my arms and shoulders during the first week.

You’re constantly moving your body in different ways throughout the workout. Not only does this make the workout more interesting, it’s also a much more effective for full-body conditioning than repetitive endurance cardio like running or spinning.

Fun

Dancing is an enjoyable way for you to express yourself through movement and music. There’s also a social aspect to it if you dance in a group.

I admit, as much as I love my hard strength training workouts, I am not usually smiling when I’m doing them. But whenever I do a Latin dance workout, I find myself grinning like an idiot more often than not, and it brings a certain light-heartedness to my workout.

And because it’s so fun, a 40-minute workout flies by very quickly.

That’s why dance (along with walking) is one of my top recommendations if you’re struggling to get into an exercise routine; it makes working out feel more like play.

Improves Mental Health

It’s incredible how dance can transform your mood. Even if I have a crummy day at work, by the time I finish a dancing sweat sesh, all the stress from the day has drained away.

Studies find this spirit boost comes from endorphins, the feel-good hormone that floods your system when you partake in a joyful activity like eating dark chocolate, laughing, and of course, dancing.

Torches Calories

Dancing is an entertaining way to smoke calories fast. Although dancing tends to burn fewer calories per hour than running, it’s easier to keep dancing for longer.

For example, running for 30 minutes will burn roughly 300 calories, but it’s a long, intense 30 minutes for most people. Many dance workouts are around 40–50 minutes and burn approximately the same number of calories.

Excellent for Heart Health

A study published in 2016 revealed that moderate-intensity dancing may reduce the risk of heart disease more than walking. Other research found that dancers were 46% less likely to die from cardiovascular problems than non-dancers.

The statistics sound impressive but don’t shock me at all; those Figure 8 Fitness workouts send my heart rate through the roof! I am always sweating buckets by the end of each session.

Improves Balance and Coordination

A study by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that dancing improves balance more than endurance training.

It’s not surprising; dancing is so dynamic, you’re constantly changing your center of gravity with each step, forcing your muscles to restabilize which facilitates better balance the more you practice.

Balance and coordination are essential for everyday physical activity and reduces your risk of falling and hurting yourself — an advantage that becomes crucial as you age.

In Figure 8 Fitness, I was toppling all over the place initially, but the more I practiced, the more coordinated I got, and my balance notably improved by the end of 8 weeks.

Cons

Steep Learning Curve

Bouncing around your kitchen to your favorite tune is one thing, but if you plan to do a fitness dance program, be prepared for a learning curve.

I was excited to start Figure 8 Fitness because I already loved to dance and thought I was pretty good at it.

Plus, the girls in the video made it look so easy.

But I ended up spending the first two weeks flailing my limbs around gracelessly, incapable of moving my feet, hips, and arms with any amount of coordination.

It was so frustrating I almost gave up. But after a few weeks, it finally started clicking, and that’s when it became fun.

Not Efficient for Muscle Growth

As with most cardio, dancing on its own has limited potential for building muscle and isn’t considered a strength training exercise.

I will concede that by the end of Figure 8, my core felt tighter, and I started to see some definition in my legs. But these changes were relatively minor compared to the results I got from the strength training program I did shortly after. (It was Body Revolution by Jillian Michaels, in case you were interested!)

Can Be High-Impact

Probably the biggest downside to dancing for fitness is the workouts tend to be high-impact. At least, with Figure 8 and Zumba, there is a lot of hopping and explosive movements.

While high-impact is not bad in and of itself, it can pose a problem for people with specific injuries or knee problems.

While you can take a lot of the impact out of dance with modifications, it’s still not as gentle on the joints as spinning or walking.

The Takeaway

There are more pros than cons when it comes to dancing for fitness. Therefore, if you enjoy it, go ahead and do it!

Dance workouts have been my preferred form of cardio ever since I first finished Figure 8 over a year ago. I still pop on those videos whenever I want to get my heart pumping.

But like all cardio, it’s not a complete fitness solution.

Strength training is crucial for overall health, and I would highly recommend that you supplement your dance workouts with at least 2–3 strength training sessions per week. Even if they are only 20 minutes long each, you will find it makes a big difference. It’ll help you dance better, too!

Want more fitness-related goodness? Download my free Workout Builder to easily create your own customized workouts!

Originally published in In Fitness And In Health on Medium.