Dance Workouts: What Are the Benefits of Adding Dance Exercises to Your Routine?

Dance workouts are one of the best ways to build fitness and flexibility while also reducing weight and toning the body.

They're a fun and interesting way to kickstart your fitness journey and break a sweat. Although dance exercises may seem easy, they're a challenging workout, as they require strength and coordination.

Keep reading to learn more about cardio dance workouts and the benefits they offer.

What are cardio dance workouts?

Cardio dance exercises are suitable for all fitness levels. (Photo via Unsplash/Rainier Ridao)

Many dance classes typically focus on cardio dance workouts, i.e., high-energy dance-based exercises that elevate heart rate and offer cardiovascular benefits. Dance styles like hip hop, Zumba, jazzercise, barre, and TurboJam come under the cardio dance workout categories.

Any typical dance workout class includes a warm-up session to get the muscles activated, followed by some light stretching to get the body moving. That's followed by a dance session that gives the muscles an intense workout and also increases heart rate.

The best part about dance workouts is that they're suitable for all fitness levels, be it beginners or advanced. Moreover, they're a perfect at-home workout option, as you don’t really need any complicated equipment. Dance exercises offer a simple way for people to move their body and offer a wide variety of health benefits.

What are the benefits of dance workouts?

Dance exercises help reduce weight. (Photo via Unsplash/Thought Catalog)

Cardio dance workouts offer a plethora of health and mental benefits. Here are some of the top ones:

Good for heart health

Dance workouts are a type of cardiovascular exercise that helps strengthen heart health and reduces chances of chronic illnesses like heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and more. In fact, studies also suggest that low to moderate dancing helps lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.

Helps in weight loss

If weight loss is on your mind, you can simply dance to lose weight. Studies have found that cardio dance exercises can help you shed just as much weight as any other cardio workout like jogging or running.

Suitable for all fitness levels

Most dance exercises are appropriate for all fitness levels, as the initial moves are typically low-impact and can be easily done by anybody. As these exercises don’t include heavy equipment or high-intensity movements, they're less likely to cause mishaps. Moreover, the movements are modifiable to suit any level of fitness.

Improves flexibility

Dance workouts can help increase overall agility and flexibility while reducing muscle tightness.

Studies suggest that a few minutes of cardio dance exercises every day can improve joint mobility, increase range of motion and boost flexibility of the spine too. All that leads to a reduction in body pain in the long run.

Improves mood

Feeling sad or agitated? Just dance your heart out, and let go of all the sadness. Physical activity like dancing has been linked to lower levels of anxiety and stress.

That's because physical activity enhances production of endorphins, the feel-good hormones in the body that improve mood and make you happy. Studies have found that people who dance more have more mindfulness and also report better psychological well-being compared to ones who don't.

Promotes brain health

Dancing can improve overall brain health and prevent diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Studies have found that cardio dance exercises can also reverse volume loss in the brain’s hippocampus - the part of the brain that controls emotions and memory.

Overall, dance workouts can be beneficial both physically and mentally for people of all ages.

For people with limited mobility and chronic health problems, dance exercises can be a great option to move their body. For others, it can be an incredible way to maintain weight, tone muscles, strengthen joints, and let out their feelings.

So, now that you know about the benefits of dance exercises, get started with it today, and make it a part of your overall wellness and health routine.