Numerous health and wellness organizations recommend that people get roughly 150 minutes of physical activity each week to boost their overall health. Physical activity can come in many forms, with some getting the blood pumping and the body moving more than others.
According to the findings of a recent study, one form of fun physical activity that people should consider is dancing. Dancing to your favorite music or no music at all is a great way to burn calories, and roughly 20 minutes of it a day may be enough to meet the recommended amount of exercise each week.
A peer-reviewed study conducted by a researcher at Northeastern University in Boston examined dance as a form of exercise, and how much of it would need to be performed to meet the level of recommended weekly physical activity. The results of the study were published in the academic journal PLOS One.
“Engaging in dance of various styles confers health benefits among adults; however, additional studies on free-form dancing are needed to quantify its intensity and advance research on dance and health. This study characterized the absolute and relative physical activity (PA) intensities of solo, free-form dancing at self-determined moderate and vigorous intensities in adults.” the author of the study stated.
“Participants (N = 48) ages 18 to 83 years old, with 0 to 56 years of dance training experience, engaged in 5-minute free-form dance bouts at respectively self-determined moderate and vigorous intensities, both with and without music. Absolute intensity was measured during bouts using indirect calorimetry (metabolic equivalents; METs = O2 ml·kg-1·min-1/3.5). Relative intensity was measured by ratings of perceived exertion (Borg scale) and heart rate. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess the relationship between absolute and relative intensity metrics and model covariates.” the author stated about the methodology used.
“On average, the relative intensity of self-determined moderate-to-vigorous intensity dancing, with and without music, was 76% of the age-predicted maximal heart rate; 74% of the heart rate reserve (HRR); and 13 on the Borg scale. By measure of %HRR, all adults reached at least a moderate PA intensity across all dance bouts.” the author stated about the results of the study.
“When characterized using HRR, engaging in free-form dance at self-determined moderate-to-vigorous PA intensities provided a sufficient stimulus for all adults to reach a moderate PA intensity, which provides evidence that dancing however one wishes at such perceived intensities may support adults in accumulating the recommended weekly dose of 150 minutes of moderate intensity PA.” the author concluded.
Putting all of that into laypeople’s terms, moderately intense dancing for bursts of 5 minutes at a time was enough to get the subjects’ heart rates elevated enough to constitute sufficient physical activity. Doing so a handful of times a day, seven days a week is enough to meet the recommended amount of weekly exercise.
Keep in mind that it has to be ‘moderately intense’ dancing. A simple side-to-side two-step will not be enough to boost most people’s heart rates to the target level. The dancing doesn’t have to be good, it just has to be enough to get the body sufficiently moving. If you struggle to get enough physical activity during your week, consider cranking up the Footloose soundtrack (or your preferred music) and cut some rug.