Does dancing count as exercise? What dance cardio really does
Yes, dancing counts as exercise. Health agencies list it as moderate or vigorous activity. Here is how long to dance, what research found and where dance falls short.
Does dancing count as exercise? Yes, and you do not have to take our word for it. The NHS lists dancing among its examples of moderate intensity activity. The CDC lists ballroom or line dancing as moderate and vigorous dancing as vigorous.
So the kitchen counts, and so does the living room. If it gets your heart and your breathing up, it counts toward your week.
Is dancing cardio
It is, when you put enough effort in. Cardio, or aerobic activity, is anything that makes you breathe harder and your heart beat faster for a while. Health agencies sort it by effort, not by type of activity.
| Effort | How it feels | Dance examples from the CDC |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate | You can talk, but not sing | Ballroom or line dancing |
| Vigorous | You cannot say more than a few words without pausing for a breath | Vigorous dancing |
The middle column is the talk test. In the CDC's words, "a person doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity can talk, but not sing, during the activity". The NHS adds that "Most moderate activities can become vigorous if you increase your effort", which is as true of dancing as of anything else.
So is dancing cardio or strength? Mostly cardio. Dancing works your legs and your core, but it does not replace strength work. The NHS asks adults to also "do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups" on at least 2 days a week.
How long you need to dance for it to count
The weekly target for adults is the same whatever you choose to do. The NHS puts it as "at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week". The CDC's example of how to spread the moderate version is "30 minutes a day, 5 days a week".
It does not have to come in long sessions. The World Health Organization's 2020 guidelines removed the old rule that activity only counted in bouts of at least 10 minutes. One song counts. Three songs count more.
What research on dance programs found
Researchers have compared dance with other kinds of structured exercise, and dance holds up well.
- Physical health. A meta-analysis of 28 studies concluded that "structured dance of any genre is equally and occasionally more effective than other types of structured exercise for improving a range of health outcome measures". For cardiovascular function, dance and other exercise came out equivalent
- Mood and thinking. A later analysis by the same lead author found dance "generally equally and occasionally more effective" for psychological and cognitive outcomes. Several of those findings are labeled preliminary, and a few favored other exercise
- Aerobic fitness. In trials with older adults, people in dance programs improved their peak oxygen uptake compared with people who did not exercise, and "No differences were found between dance and other exercises."
One caution applies to all three. These were structured programs that ran for weeks, not casual dancing. A few songs in the living room is not automatically the same dose.
What dancing will not do on its own
Knowing the limits makes for a better plan.
- It is not a strength program. Add the strengthening days the guidelines ask for
- It may not change your weight. The older-adult trials above reported that "Body weight and BMI were not altered by dance interventions." The CDC says changing weight takes a high amount of physical activity unless you also change what you eat
- It is not a treatment. The CDC says regular physical activity can reduce your risk of depression and anxiety and help you sleep better. That is a statement about activity in general. Dance is not a medical therapy
A dance workout for beginners at home
You do not need a class or a routine to start.
- Clear enough floor to step sideways and reach both arms out
- Start with steps that keep one foot on the floor, such as a step touch or a grapevine
- Use the talk test. If you can sing, pick it up. If you cannot talk, ease off
- Begin with a few minutes and add a song at a time
- Check that the floor is not slippery before you turn or slide
If jumping is a problem where you live, a no-jumping apartment workout covers the quiet options.
Where ShakeFit fits
ShakeFit is a rhythm workout game for your phone, and dance cardio is a big part of it. Of its 35 tracks, seven are Dance Pop and twelve are Aerobics, each 1.5 to 4.5 minutes long.
It helps to know what kind of dancing this is. The tracks are built from fitness moves done on the beat: step touches, grapevines, hip sways and knee ups, alongside jumping jacks, squats and overhead punches. The music is original. It is not choreography to chart songs. The front camera follows your movement and each rep that counts gets a grade word, which is what makes it a game.
Two honest notes. A grade word is a game score, not a measure of effort, so use the talk test for that. On an iPhone, if you let it read Apple Health, ShakeFit also shows the heart rate that an Apple Watch or a paired heart rate sensor measures while you play. And no study has tested whether ShakeFit delivers the results in the research above, which is about dance and exercise in general.
ShakeFit is entertainment and general fitness software, not a medical device. If you have a health condition or are new to exercise, talk to a doctor first, and stop if you feel pain or dizziness.
Questions people ask
Is dancing good exercise?
Yes. Health agencies count dancing as aerobic activity, and research comparing structured dance with other structured exercise found similar results for physical health. It does less for strength, so pair it with strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week.
Is dancing cardio or strength?
Mostly cardio. Dancing raises your heart rate and breathing, which is what aerobic activity means. It does work your legs and core, but guidelines list muscle strengthening as a separate thing to do each week.
How long should I dance for exercise?
Aim for the same weekly target as any activity: at least 150 minutes at moderate effort or 75 minutes at vigorous effort. Short sessions add up, because current guidelines no longer require bouts of at least 10 minutes.
Is dancing good for weight loss?
Do not count on dancing alone. Trials in older adults found that dance programs did not change body weight or BMI, and the CDC says changing weight takes a high amount of activity unless eating changes too. Fitness, and the fact that you will actually do it, are better reasons to dance.
Are dance workouts good for beginners?
They can be, because you set the effort. Start with steps that keep one foot on the floor, keep the sessions short and use the talk test to judge intensity. If you have a health condition, check with a doctor first.
Sources
- NHS, Physical activity guidelines for adults
- CDC, How to measure physical activity intensity
- CDC, Adult activity: an overview
- CDC, Benefits of physical activity
- World Health Organization, 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour
- Fong Yan and colleagues, The effectiveness of dance interventions on physical health outcomes compared to other forms of physical activity, Sports Medicine, 2018
- Fong Yan and colleagues, The effectiveness of dance interventions on psychological and cognitive health outcomes compared with other forms of physical activity, Sports Medicine, 2024
- Rodrigues-Krause and colleagues, Effects of dance interventions on cardiovascular risk with ageing, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2016
Try it
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