Lorraine C. Ladish took her first dance class at age 23 and fell in love with it – jazz salsa, hip-hop, ballroom. She’s tried them all.
By middle age, dance was her “go-to” workout. She credits the classes she took at a local dance studio for helping her navigate difficult times and boost her social life.
It’s also a good way to stay in shape, says Ladish, an author and wellness influencer. She calls it one of the “most fun” activities you can do for your health.
Today, at 62, Ladish continues to dance for fitness and fun. And she’s not alone. Dancing for exercise is hugely popular across the United States. And it works. Whether you wear sneakers, ballet flats, or tap shoes, moving to music can have major health benefits for older adults:
- Builds muscular strength
- Boosts endurance
- Improves balance
- Builds bone density
- Enhances circulation
- Increases flexibility
- Reduces anxiety and depression.
Finding the Rhythm
You don’t need to be a great dancer to benefit from a dance workout. In dance classes, instructors will guide you through choreographed steps, and while the focus might be on footwork, the shimmies, turns, bends, and cha-cha-chas engage the entire body.
“Every time I step back on the dance floor … I realize how the brain-body connection is so important as we get older,” Ladish says.
The intensity of a dance workout depends on the type of dancing you choose. Learning a slow dance like a waltz will burn fewer calories than busting a move in an up-tempo hip-hop class. In general, dancing can burn between 260 and 500 calories per hour.
Don’t worry if you aren’t ready for a high-intensity class, says Alan Rozanski MD, a professor of medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Just try something. The important thing is that “it gets you moving,” he says.
Dance workouts can even be adapted to various fitness levels. While styles like hip-hop or Zumba are more high-impact, there are low-impact options like ballroom dancing or even chair-based dance classes for older adults who need a workout that meets their mobility needs. Check with your doctor if you’re unsure about what kind of exercise is safe for you.
The Steps for Better Health
Dancing blends exercise with socializing, emotional connection, and physical touch and even helps you to engage your brain in important ways. All told this can help improve well-being, especially in older adults.
Research shows that dancing can help adults achieve the recommended weekly dose of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and might even be better than other forms of exercise for weight loss.
“Aerobic exercise can increase the heart rate and provide an excellent full-body workout,” says Bradley Serwer MD, an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company. Dancing uses large muscle groups. That means your body uses more oxygen, “which forces your cardiovascular system to adapt and strengthen,” Serwer says.
Dance workouts can also help improve balance, gait, agility, strength, and endurance, which can reduce the risk of falling – especially important as you age. There is some evidence that dance could help improve risk profiles for certain age-related health conditions such as dementia, stroke, and chronic lung disease.
Before sashaying into a dance class at the community center or signing up for dance lessons, Serwer suggests talking to your health care provider to make sure you’re healthy enough for aerobic exercise. And pay attention to how you feel when you’re dancing. If you notice aches or pains, listen to your body and make adjustments as needed.
Dancing can be a lot of fun, and that can help you stick to your exercise goals, says Serwer.
“The more you enjoy the activity, the more likely you are to consistently perform the exercise,” he says. “Consistency in exercise is key.”
