Posted February 20, 2025 by H. Kelley Riley, M.D., MBA, Chief Medical Officer
Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. If you’re looking for a fun way to boost your health in the new year—try adding dance to your fitness routine!
From ballet and tap to ballroom, hip-hop or disco, dancing is not only enjoyable but also a great form of exercise to help keep your health in rhythm.
Some styles of dance offer a more intense workout than others, but moving your body, in general (with a few caveats), can be beneficial for both your physical and mental well-being.
Dancing allows you to engage multiple muscle groups and gets your heart pumping while also releasing “feel-good” hormones with mood-boosting benefits. It’s truly a full-body workout, and might just be the right type of “fun” exercise you’ve been searching for to keep you motivated and active.
Not convinced? SummaCare is here with six more ways dancing can help you achieve your health goals—physically and mentally. Give it a try. You can “boogie down” in your own family room if you want — no equipment necessary! Just remember, if dance is your only form of exercise, aim to get at least 150 minutes a week, or 30 minutes each day, to maximize those health-boosting benefits.
Just like aerobic exercise, dancing gets your heart rate up. Moderate-intensity dancing strengthens your heart muscle, allowing it to pump blood more efficiently throughout your body. It also widens your blood vessels to allow more blood flow that can help to lower blood pressure.
In fact, research shows regular aerobic dancing can lower your risk for coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found moderate-intensity dancing was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, possibly due to the high-intensity bouts of physical exertion during dancing.
Dancing engages multiple muscle groups which causes your heart rate to jump. This burns more calories and aids in fat loss, helping you to maintain or lose weight. On average, a 30-minute aerobic dance routine burns about 252 calories for a person who weighs 155 pounds. Studies show that a regular dance routine boosts your metabolism and can lead to weight loss, lower BMI and waist circumference over time.
Research shows that regular dance improves balance.
Dance styles, especially ballet and belly dancing, include leg lifts, turns and abdominal movements that build core strength. Core strength is important for balance and stability, making it easier to do many everyday activities like bending down to tie your shoes and effectively reducing the risk of falls.
In addition, dance moves your body in many different ways and requires coordination. It teaches you to use your mind and body together to create in-sync steps that improve agility and balance.
Dancing is also a great way to improve flexibility. Styles like ballet, hip-hop and contemporary dance can include diverse movements, such as bending and twisting that can increase the elasticity of muscles and joints. Over time, these continuous movements improve flexibility and allow for a greater range of movement — and can reduce your risk of injury.
Dancing is a form of high-impact, weight-bearing exercise that builds muscle strength. To support stronger muscles, your bones must adapt by building more cells and, as a result, become stronger.
In fact, the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation states that dancing as a form of exercise can help maintain bone strength and even build new bone mass. This can slow the development and progression of osteoporosis.
Dancing is a great way to socialize with friends and family while getting a good workout. Research shows socializing can reduce symptoms of depression by decreasing feelings of loneliness, isolation and anxiety. Both physical activity and positive social contact release natural chemicals in your brain called endorphins which reduce stress and can improve your mood.
Dance also allows you to let loose and be expressive, so you can relieve pent-up tension and forget about your worries for the time being.
What’s more, many dance styles are choreographed to music that can help with emotional regulation. Listening to upbeat music can improve your mood while music that is calming can reduce stress.
Dancing challenges your brain in new ways which helps slow cognitive decline. In contrast to many other forms of exercise, dance requires you to continually learn new moves and routines. When you learn something new, the brain forms new connections or neural pathways, and your memory and brain health improves with each new connection formed.
Plus, gaining a new skill works multiple areas of your brain. For example, as your brain learns new body movements—your memory comes into play to memorize a sequence of steps. At the same time, multiple senses are incorporated like sight, hearing and touch (if you have a partner).