How can dancing make you fit
Dance - health benefits - Better Health Channel
Actions for this page
Summary
Read the full fact sheet- Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes and sizes.
- Dancing can improve your muscle tone, strength, endurance and fitness.
- Dancing is a great way to meet new friends.
- See your doctor for a check-up if you have a medical condition, are overweight, are over 40 years of age or are unfit.
About dance
There are many forms of dance, from ballroom to barn dancing and disco to Morris dancing.
Dance has always been a part of human culture, rituals and celebrations. Today, most dancing is about recreation and self-expression, although it can also be done as a competitive activity.
Dancing is an enjoyable way to be more physically active and stay fit.
Health benefits of dancing
Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes and sizes. It has a wide range of physical and mental benefits including:
- improved condition of your heart and lungs
- increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness
- increased aerobic fitness
- improved muscle tone and strength
- weight management
- stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
- better coordination, agility and flexibility
- improved balance and spatial awareness
- increased physical confidence
- improved mental functioning
- improved general and psychological wellbeing
- greater self-confidence and self-esteem
- better social skills.
Getting started with dancing
You can dance in a group, with a partner, or on your own.
There are lots of different places where you can enjoy dancing, for example, at dance schools, social venues, community halls and in your own home.
Dancing has become such a popular way to be active and keep fit, that most fitness clubs now offer dance classes in their group exercise programs.
Dancing can be done both competitively and socially. It can be a great recreational and sporting choice, because anyone of any age can take part. It doesn’t matter whether it is cold or raining, as dancing is usually done indoors.
The gear you need for dancing will depend on the style of dancing you choose. For example, tap dancing will involve buying tap shoes, however many forms of dance do not need special equipment or footwear.
To get started, simply choose a style you enjoy, or would like to try, look online for dance schools in your local area and join a class.
Types of dance
There are many styles of dance to choose from, each with its own attractions. Popular styles of dancing include:
- Ballet – mostly performed to classical music, this dance style focuses on strength, technique and flexibility.
- Ballroom dancing – this involves a number of partner-dancing styles such as the waltz, swing, foxtrot, rumba and tango.
- Belly dancing – originating in the Middle East, this dance style is a fun way to exercise.
- Hip-hop – performed mostly to hip-hop music, this urban dance style can involve breaking, popping, locking and freestyling.
- Jazz – a high-energy dance style involving kicks, leaps and turns to the beat of the music.
- Pole dancing – has become increasingly popular as a form of exercise. It involves dancing with a vertical pole, and requires muscle endurance, coordination, and upper- and lower-body strength.
- Salsa – involving a mixture of Caribbean, Latin American and African influences, salsa is usually a partner dance and emphasises rhythms and sensuality.
- Square-dancing – a type of folk dancing where 4 couples dance in a square pattern, moving around each other and changing partners.
- Tap dancing – focuses on timing and beats. The name originates from the tapping sounds made when the small metal plates on the dancer’s shoes touch the ground.
Choosing a dance style
When choosing a dance style, ask yourself questions such as:
- Do I want to dance to improve my fitness?
- Am I trying to improve my flexibility and coordination?
- Do I prefer fast dancing or slow dancing?
- Do I want to dance with a partner, or on my own?
- Do I want to join a group, or have private lessons?
- Will I enjoy competitions, or do I want to dance just for fun?
General tips for dancing
If you are thinking of taking up dancing, suggestions include:
- See your doctor for a check-up if you have a medical condition, are overweight, are over 40 years of age or are unfit.
- Wear layers of clothing that you can take off as your body warms up.
- Do warm-up activities before you begin a dance session.
- Drink plenty of water before, during and after dancing.
- Make sure you rest between dance sessions.
- Don’t push yourself too far or too fast, especially if you are a beginner.
- Wear professionally fitted shoes appropriate to your style of dance.
- Check with your dance instructor that you are holding the correct form.
- Sit and watch new dance moves first. Learning new moves increases your risk of injury, especially if you are already tired.
- Perform regular leg-strengthening exercises.
- Move as fluidly and gracefully as you can.
- Cool down after a dance session, including stretching.
Where to get help
- Your GP (doctor)
- Physiotherapist
- Victorian Square Dancing Association Tel. 1800 643 277
- DanceSport Victoria – ballroom and competitive dancing
- Victorian Line Dance Association
- Get Active Victoria
- Sports Medicine Australia Tel. 1300 711 211
- Fong Yan A, Cobley S, Chan CL et al.
2018, ‘The effectiveness of dance interventions on physical health outcomes compared to other forms of physical activity: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Sports Medicine, no. 48, pp, 933–951.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
Give feedback about this page
Was this page helpful?
More information
Content disclaimer
Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.
All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.
Reviewed on: 25-05-2022
9 Ways Dancing Is Good for Your Health
Dancing can be many things: An expression of art, a fun hobby, a representation of culture, and a great form of exercise.
“Dancing is the ultimate workout,” says Julie Granger, a Paris-based International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) personal trainer and founder and creator of The Studio Paris and Ballerina Body Training. Not only does dancing involve engaging all of your muscles and limbs, it also gets your heart pumping. Plus, dancing can be a whole lot of fun.
A workout you can look forward to? Sign us up.
The style of dance you do will influence how intense of a workout it is, but pretty much any style of dance can be a workout. Granger, who is also a former professional ballerina, says choose a type of dance according to your favorite tunes. You can sign up for a class at your local gym or studio, take one virtually, or hit the town. “No matter which you choose, and even if it is just dancing at the club on Saturday night, you will get benefits,” she says.
So, what are the specific health benefits of busting a move? Some are the health benefits that come with any type of exercise; others are unique to dance.
Here are some research-backed ways dancing can improve your health.
1. Dance Boosts Cardiovascular Health
Like other aerobic exercise, dancing is great for improving cardiovascular function. A study published in 2016 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that people who engaged in moderate-intensity dancing (defined in the study as enough to make you out of breath or sweaty) were 46 percent less likely to develop heart disease or die from it than nondancers over 10 years of follow-up, according to population-based survey data of adults ages 40 and up.
In comparison, moderate-intensity walkers were just 25 percent less likely to suffer heart health issues.
The study also notes the social aspect of dancing, and the relaxation that comes with it (more on this below), could be partly responsible for its health benefits.
2. Dancing Builds Core Strength
Dance requires balance and helps build core strength, which helps promote good posture and prevent muscle injuries and back pain, according to Mayo Clinic.
Granger adds that this is particularly true for ballet. “In ballet, you train your body to stand still, often on one leg. This helps you train the deep muscles in your body, which you would not work otherwise,” she says. You are also engaging your abs, “which are an essential part to balancing,” she notes.
3. Dance Promotes Flexibility
In addition to building strength, many forms of dance stretch the limbs of the body, which improves flexibility, says Elizabeth C Gardner, MD, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at Yale Medicine and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
“Both of these (improved strength and flexibility) contribute to improved balance, which can help to avoid falls and reduce the risk of injury in other aspects of life,” she explains.
This is especially true for ballet dancers. “Ballet training involves a great deal of flexibility training. Flexibility means improved mobility, which means that any type of daily activity will be more enjoyable, whether you take yoga or you are trying to reach for the top cabinet in your kitchen,” says Granger.
4. Dance Can Help With Weight Loss
Dancing is also a form of both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, which is a great calorie burner, Dr. Gardner says. “Jumping and twirling movements are great aerobic training, while holding positions of squatting and balance positions can turn on the anaerobic energy system,” she explains.
In general, the more up-tempo the dance style, the more calories and energy will be burned.
Depending on the style of dance and your bodyweight, 30 minutes of dancing can burn between 90 and 252 calories, according to Harvard Medical School.
This type of high-intensity calorie burning can help support weight loss if you’re trying to shed pounds. If you want to maximize calorie burn, Granger suggests taking a dance cardio class, designed to blast calories and improve physical fitness.
5. Dancing Is Good for Bone Health
“As a form of weight-bearing activity, unlike a stationary bike or swimming, dancing can help to maintain bone density,” says Gardner. Per the National Osteoporosis Foundation, high-impact and weight-bearing exercises, including some forms of dance, help you effectively maintain and even build new bone mass.
Some research suggests for older adults with osteoporosis, dancing can help reverse some of the damage of that chronic condition. Other research in children suggests that those who took ballet had better bone mineral content after a three-year period compared with children who didn’t do ballet.
6. Dancing May Help Prevent Memory Loss
Dance often requires learning moves and routines (choreography).
“There’s actually some very good evidence that social dancing can reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we get older,” says Carolyn Fredericks, MD, a neurologist at Yale Medicine, citing a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine involving 469 people over the age of 75. Out of all the physical activities, including walking, bicycling, stair climbing, swimming, and group exercise classes, dancing was the only activity associated with a lower risk of dementia.
“We always recommend that older adults seek out cardiovascular exercise and social engagement, and cognitive challenge — social dancing gets all three of these,” Dr. Fredericks says.
7. Dance Is Good for Mental Health
Research shows that dance can help decrease anxiety, increase self-esteem, and improve psychological well-being.
And certain types of dance have even been used as treatment for depression. Research published in 2019 in Frontiers in Psychology found that dance movement therapy (DMT) — defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as the psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social, cognitive, and physical integration of the individual, for the purpose of improving health and well-being — was effective in treating depression.
8. Dance Can Help Bust Stress
If you’ve had a tough day, have you ever cranked up your favorite tunes and busted a move to blow off some steam? Any type of movement can help bust stress, according to Mayo Clinic. But dance may be particularly good for doing this.
Research published in The International Journal on the Biology of Stress, for example, found that DMT also impacted the cortisol awakening response, a marker of chronic stress, while high intensity aerobic activity did not.
9. Dance Can Help Us Feel More Socially Connected
Social connectedness and interaction is a really important part of mental and physical health. Much research shows that feeling lonely or socially isolated can have myriad negative health effects.
“Dancing is sharing, and when you take class surrounded by other people, you know you all have something in common. You are not here to compete, you are here to enjoy, and there is an amazing feeling that comes with that,” Granger says.
“Go take a class, and feel the energy of the room.”
Fitness and Exercise: Health Benefits, How to Get Started, and How to Get Better
By K. Aleisha Fetters10-Minute Pregnancy Strength Workout With Kelsey Wells
Wells, a personal trainer, designed this pregnancy-appropriate, full-body workout that can be done at home with no or minimal equipment.
By Jessica Migala
Dance Workouts: What Counts, Health Benefits, How to Get Started, and How to Get Better
By Lauren BedoskyThe Best Exercises for Stronger Abs and a Stronger Core
Try these three ab workouts from personal trainer Eric Botsford that can be matched to your fitness level — and will target all of your abdominal and ...
By Ashley Mateo
The Best At-Home Exercises for a Stronger Back
Personal trainer Eric Botsford designed three workouts for the muscles of the back.
Choose the one that matches your fitness level — no gym required!
By Ashley Mateo
How to Get Started With Dance Workouts: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide
By Lauren BedoskyHow to Get Started With Pilates Workouts: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide
By Moira LawlerPilates: Health Benefits, How to Get Started, and How to Get Better
By Moira LawlerInstead of sports: TOP-5 dance styles for a slim figure
Waist centimeters will melt before your eyes.
When the usual workouts in the gym get bored, it becomes more and more difficult to motivate yourself for sports. But do not force yourself to go on a treadmill or pull dumbbells if it does not bring any pleasure.
Sports will be much more effective if you find something to your liking.
Instead of traditional fitness, we will offer you an option that you will definitely not get bored with - dancing. Believe me, they keep the body in good shape no worse than the gym. In addition, this is perhaps the most pleasant way to take care of your figure. Choreographic classes give aesthetic pleasure, self-confidence and form a beautiful silhouette. But this is not as easy as it might seem - but the centimeters of the waist will disappear before your eyes.
Photo: Getty Images
Another advantage of dancing is that you can easily find "your" style. You can alternate them - then you definitely will not get bored. We will offer you five tempting options that can easily replace sports. And the choice is yours.
Latin American dancing
Hot latina is very spectacular. There is where to speed up: samba, cha-cha-cha, jive, salsa, rumba and many more dances that you should try.
But get ready for loads: here your hips will spin at such a speed that there is simply no chance not to lose weight. The muscles of the legs will be the fastest to train, but long-term exercises will provide tightened arms and stomach, even posture and grace.
Another advantage is that you can take your partner to class. Then the dance will become passionate, and the fire in the relationship is guaranteed.
Photo: Getty Images
Flamenco
Passionate Spanish flamenco can be watched forever. Why don't you try to do it too? Moreover, this style evenly loads all the muscles of the body at once. Especially this dance is suitable for those who want to tighten their arms and straighten their posture. In addition, flamenco adds smoothness and confidence to movements - and this suits everyone.
Photo: Getty Images
Pole dance
Pole dance is the most effective of all. They are able to put the body in order in the shortest possible time.
Pole dance classes load all muscle groups, relieve complexes, develop plasticity and stretching. Read more about this sexy form of fitness in our material.
Photo: Getty Images
Belly dance
Oriental dancing is no less seductive than pole dance. Despite the fact that they are often performed by puffy beauties, you can burn 400 kilocalories in an hour session! Belly dancing trains the press - especially the oblique muscles, which are not so easy to pump up, as well as the buttocks and hips, makes the waist slimmer, adds sexuality and confidence.
This style has practically no contraindications. It minimally loads the joints, so you can master belly dancing at any age and even after injuries. Learn more about him at the link.
Photo: Getty Images
Modern styles
Hip-hop, contemporary or even jazz-funk is not just a dance, but a way of self-expression. Here you have to choose with your heart. But whatever you like, it will definitely be good for your health and figure.
Classes in any of the modern dances are a powerful cardio workout that will help you get rid of excess weight and ensure good coordination.
Photo: Getty Images
Don't be afraid to try new things. And to make the undertakings less complicated, read our other materials about sports:
1. What will happen to the body if you jump rope every day
2. How to enjoy running: 5 effective tips
3. What stretching will do with your body: 5 unexpected facts
4. Pumping arms lying down: It only takes one exercise
5. How to build six-pack abs with just one exercise
Nagornaya Anastasia
Site Editor
Tags:
#sport #useful tips #dance #autumn with 1+1
Related news
“Russians support the war, which means they are directly involved in it,” Ukrainian gymnast, Olympic champion Oleg Vernyaev
November 8
#war
Football club "Dynamo" (Kyiv) has become a partner of UNITED24: the club will finance the resumption of the destroyed department of the Chernihiv city hospital
October 7
#war
"Sports Front": skeletonist Vladislav Geraskevich called on international athletes to join the boycott of Russians and Belarusians
October 1st
#Sports Front
"Times change.
We used to throw flares and firecrackers at the stadium, but now we throw artillery shells at the enemy,” – FC Prykarpattya ultras September 26
#war
“The so-called special operation is nothing more than a full-fledged war to destroy Ukraine,” - Alexander Shovkovsky, the legendary goalkeeper of Dynamo Kyiv
September 25
#Sports Front
"Profootball Digital" showed the realities of life of Ukrainian defenders on the front line
September 23
#war
Why do you think dance classes are recommended for people with poor posture
Answer or solution2
W
Dancing can really improve posture - both due to appropriate physical activity, and due to the fact that posture is constantly monitored in dances.
Classes are specially held in a hall with a mirror wall so that the dancer can see his reflection and correct his posture.
But in practice there is a nuance. Most of the dance sections are aimed at competitions, performances, achievements. And a person with bad posture, especially when it comes to a child, simply will not be accepted.
D
Posture is a matter of not only appearance but also human health. This problem is especially relevant for children, because their age is associated with a period of active growth and development of the musculoskeletal system. Meanwhile, schoolchildren spend most of their time sitting, which contributes to the deterioration of posture, the appearance of stoop. One of the most effective and at the same time enjoyable ways to improve your posture is dancing.
The influence of dancing on the formation of posture
The relationship between posture and dance is known and obvious to everyone.
A beautiful dance is inconceivable without good posture, so the development of dance movements is invariably associated with straightening the shoulders and back. Dance movements contribute to the development of the musculoskeletal system, the muscular corset of the back, and the alignment of the spine. The result of dancing is harmony, flexibility, smartness. However, dance classes are expected to take place for at least several months. The posture developed by dancing is preserved for life. And improving the condition of the spine has a positive effect on the work of all body systems, helping not only to become slimmer, but also to maintain good physical shape.
Which dances are best for developing beautiful posture
Having decided to take up dancing, I want to know which dances are most effective for developing posture. It turns out that almost all dances can help this, but some of them will contribute to a faster result. Consider the main of these dances:
- Flamenco.
