Dancing just feels good for your muscles and soul, whether you have two left feet or you can dominate the two-step. If a song I like comes on, especially an ’80s song with a big old kick drum and dreamy synths, I’ll probably be humming and bobbing my head or tapping my foot at the very least.
Previous research highlights how dancing is a true form of exercise that can enhance physical fitness, mental health, social skills, and more. Another study revealed that even if you don’t have any music and you’re not a trained dancer, dancing ramps up your heart rate and offers similar benefits to other types of exercise, such as running.
Hearing about this makes me want to boogie on down. So, what about trimming your waistline and ditching fat? Can dancing help with that, too? Let’s explore interesting research.
The study
In a meta-analysis published in the journal PLOS One, the researchers wanted to investigate whether dancing is an effective intervention for fat loss in people who are overweight or obese. They reviewed multiple studies of dance interventions on body composition with no restrictions on dance forms. They evaluated many different types of dancing.
The results
After looking at 10 eligible studies, the researchers concluded that dancing is an enjoyable and effective workout for fat loss and that people were more likely to stick to dancing as a form of exercise because it’s fun.
They also found the following:
- After people who were obese or overweight took part in dance programs, they experienced notable improvements in body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist circumference.
- People who danced lost 1.9kg of body weight on average and decreased fat mass by 1.6kg compared to people who didn’t dance.
- The dance participants also lowered their waist circumference by 3cm and had a 2.2% more significant drop in body fat percentage compared to their non-dancing counterparts.
- While all types of dance were effective, “creative” dance types seemed to be superior to more “traditional” dancing.
- There was no notable impact on the waist-to-hip ratio, leading researchers to believe that fat loss is more evenly distributed throughout the body with dance, rather than just in one specific area.
- The dropout rate for the dance group was also low, indicating a high level of adherence to this type of exercise over time.
How long do you have to wear your dancing shoes to see benefits?
While this is just one study, participants attended three sessions per week on average, with each session lasting between 40 and 90 minutes. The researchers noted that three months or more of boogying on down yields results, but you can also see positive benefits for fat loss sooner.
What to dance away with
This study contributes to the growing body of research on the numerous health benefits of dancing and demonstrates that various dance styles remain effective for promoting fat loss. If fat loss is your goal and you don’t feel like stepping up on a treadmill, going for a jog, or picking up some weights, simply switch on some of your favorite tunes and let the music move you instead.
