Dance as Cardio Exercise

Dancing is a great form of cardio. It is considered a HIIT cardio workout. Normally when you dance as cardio you sweat a lot which burns the extra and unnecessary fats and calories from your body, resulting in weight loss and fat loss.

Different types of dance can vary in intensity, with some forms being more aerobic and demanding than others. High-intensity dance moves such as Salsa, Zumba, and Hip-Hop give a harder cardiovascular workout than slower ones like Waltz and Ballet.

Most people don’t take cardio dances that are good for toning until they go to the gym and lift heavy weights or do high-intensity exercises there. But that’s not a reality. Dance cardio can be as good as any other exercise to strengthen and shape your body, especially your glutes, legs, and obliques.

The Benefits of Dance as an Exercise

Dancing is the movement of your whole body and increases your heart pulse rate and blood circulation. When someone dances fast-paced, his heart rate increases and gives a healthy cardiovascular exercise.
Dancing can be effective exercise but it depends on your fitness goals and preferences. Some health benefits are given below that prove that dance is a very good exercise.

1- Strength and flexibility

Various types of dancing involve different muscle groups of our body which help in improving strength and flexibility. For example, ballet dance can improve core strength and posture and hip-hop dance can build up lower body strength.

2- Cardiovascular Benefits

Dancing is a great cardiovascular exercise that can help improve heart health, increase endurance, and burn calories. Depending on the intensity and style of dance, it can be as effective as traditional cardio exercises like running or cycling. For more information, contact Fitwell Hub

3- Balance and Coordination

Dancing requires coordination, balance, and agility, which can help improve motor skills and overall body awareness.

4- Mental Benefits

Dancing can be a fun and social activity that boosts mood, reduces stress, and improves mental well-being. It can also help improve memory and cognitive function.

5- Weight Management

Dance cardio is beneficial in losing weight and keeping a healthy weight. It is a fun way and easier to include in our daily life routine than other traditional and toxic exercises.

6- Good Socialization

If a person is non-social and introverted then dance can be a good opportunity to be socialized. Proficiency in dance steps can make you more self-confident in dance class and you will feel it is a fun activity with people.

Dancing will boost your mood and you will feel happy, motivated, and excited in the gatherings and this will increase your interaction with the people. While dancing can offer many benefits similar to other forms of exercise, it may not provide the same specific benefits as targeted workouts for certain fitness goals. For example, traditional strength training may be more effective than dancing alone if your goal is to build significant muscle mass.

Dance as a cardio

Cardio is such a workout in which a person’s heart rate goes up after a certain period and it depends on age group as well. So, the same happens in doing Dance steps which makes dance a cardio exercise.
There are various types of cardio dance like AKT, dance body,305 fitness, Zomba, etc. Cardio dance classes are available online as well as in dance studios.

If you are a beginner to cardio dance then it is better to practice at home first. This will warm up your body for dance steps so you go with the flow during dance class. Regular participation in dance can help improve cardiovascular fitness, endurance, coordination, and overall physical health. It can be a fun way to get your heart pumping and stay active.

Cardio Dance Fitness: A Fun Way to Stay Fit

Cardio dance fitness mainly focuses on cardiovascular exercise combined with dance steps which raises the heartbeat level to an extent. You have to hire an instructor who guides you by choreographed dance steps on musical beats. That’s why you didn’t find it a boring exercise routine.

This dancing exercise meets all fitness levels but you have to maintain its complexity and intensity according to your fitness level. Cardio dance class instructors mostly provide easy-to-follow dance steps that encourage people to keep moving and raise their heart rates. This includes dance styles like Zumba, jazzercise, Lablast, hip-hop abs, Turbojam, and Bukwa.

30 Minutes of Dance: Good for Heart and Weight Loss?

Dance can be the best way to lose weight but some factors matter. Which dance intensity suits you depends on your age and body shape. It has now become the talk of town how to lose weight. People do a lot of exercises and follow diet plans that they see doing others.

People should know their daily calorie intake, age, and body mass then choose cardio dance exercises. Various cardio exercises at the same time burn different amounts of calories. For example, ballet dance will burn calories twice that of modern dance. If you want to maintain good health then a 30-minute cardio dance workout is sufficient.

But if you want to lose weight then 30 minutes is not enough. You have to increase your workout time and dance intensity. One hour of dancing can be helpful in weight loss if you maintain your calorie intake, and choose the right intensity, music, and dance steps.

Persons with high BMI (Body Mass Index) can lose 3 pounds and those with lower BMI (Body Mass Index) can lose only 1.5 pounds in a week with dance cardio.

Different Types of Cardio Dance

There are different types of cardio dance that everyone can do at home through online classes and YouTube videos. You can choose from a beginner to an expert level according to your body’s needs. Some of them are given below:

1. Zumba: Zumba is a high-energy, easy-to-follow, and full-body workout for all ages that combines Latin dance moves with international music. Zumba covers dance moves like hip shaking, arm movement, footwork, and body rolls ensuring a full-body workout.
2. Hip-hop Dance Cardio: Hip-hop dance is a combination of hip-hop moves with cardio workouts. Hip-hop dance moves such as high knees, butt kicks, jumping jacks, grapevines, and arm swings improve rhythm and agility.
3. Bollywood Dance Fitness: Bollywood dance fitness is a vibrant workout and is a combination of India’s traditional dance (i.e. Bhangra) with a cardio workout. Its expressive dance moves can boost the mood and help relieve stress.
4. Salsa Cardio: Salsa cardio is a dynamic workout that combines fun and energetic salsa dance moves with a cardio workout. Usually, salsa dance is not about a couple of dance moves but also the solo dance steps can cause perfect footwork and rhythm.
5. Aerobic Dance: Aerobic dance is the same as cardio dance but it requires choreographed and structured dance moves. Cardio dance is freestyle and loosely structured. But both workouts provide cardiovascular exercise and healthy fitness.
6. Barre Cardio Dance: Barre Cardio Dance is a series of ballet barre moves with a cardio workout that makes it a unique and versatile workout program. It is useful for people with joint issues because it puts a minimum impact on joints.

Many gyms offer these cardio exercises in group set form but if you can’t afford or physically attend them then that’s not an excuse now. Many online apps and websites offer online full courses and video classes.
You can also do them in your house but you just need some space to move and exciting music. You just have to choose a course according to your fitness level then you can increase the dance moves intensity as your body becomes flexible.

Final Thoughts

Dance can be an effective exercise if you schedule it in your daily routine and get weight loss benefits from it. Then it can be a fun way to relieve stress, boost your mood, and keep you away from hectic and boring exercises. Dance cardio workouts ensure both mental and physical health benefits.

Dance is an enjoyable and dynamic way to burn calories, improve cardiovascular health, enhance strength, coordination, flexibility, and stay active. The accessibility of online classes and studios makes it easier to include dance into your fitness routine, regardless of your skill level or location. Ultimately, embracing cardio dance promotes physical fitness and fosters a sense of joy, creativity, and community, making it a holistic and fulfilling approach to staying active and healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions