Calories Burned From Dancing

The popularity of the hit television shows,"So, You Think You Can Dance?" and "Dancing with the Stars," is spilling over into gyms and dance studios across America, according to IDEA Fitness Journal.
Dance classes such as urban street, funk and hip-hop are among the top ten programs with the most growth potential, according to a survey of club owners, fitness directors and other fitness professionals, IDEA Fitness Journal says in its July/August 2009 issue. And between 2001 and 2008, dance programming in health clubs increased by 70 percent, the July 10, 2008, New York Times reported.
Bill Howland, the director of research for International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), attributes the growth in dance-based classes to popular trends in music. 'When country line-dancing was big, they were holding country line-dancing classes in the clubs," Howland told The (Boulder) Daily Camera. "Lately, there's a lot of stuff with a Latin feel to it."

  1. Move it to Lose it

    • Dancing can be an effective weight loss tool. "Dance You're A** Off," a popular show on the Oxygen Network, inspired contestant Miles Broadhead and his sister Mimi to lose weight and improve their levels of fitness, as seen on the Aug. 31, 2009, Today Show. Miles lost 26 lbs while competing on the show, and 90 lbs total since incorporating dance as part of an active lifestyle. Inspired by her brother's success, Miles' sister Mimi also began dancing and eating healthier, and has since dropped 8 dress sizes.

    Significance

    • Any form of cardiovascular exercise can help you achieve a higher level of fitness, lose weight or manage your weight, if the intensity level is high enough. Len Kravitz, Ph. D., a contributing editor for IDEA Fitness Journal, cites exercise modality, intensity and the use of the larger, lower-body muscles as primary determinants of optimal calorie burning. Exercises that work the lower-body muscles burn more calories than activities that primarily involve the upper-body. Forms of dance such as Zumba, urban and funk fit this criteria and can provide a cardiovascular workout at an intensity level that promotes weight loss.

    Features and Benefits

    • Dance-based classes appeal to a variety of fitness levels, they are safe, and the high-energy formats of classes such as Zumba and hip-hop add a fun factor that cardio equipment can't provide. Classes that include a cardiovascular component, a stretch segment and some strength training provide a balanced workout. Finally, the multidirectional nature of dance-based classes can improve joint mobility. Most classes require focus and memorization of movement sequences, and that provides more mental stimulation than jogging on a treadmill, IDEA Fitness Journal says.

    Social Dance

    • Though not as rigorous as Zumba and hip-hop, social dancing has benefits to overall health too. Ballroom dancing, for example, challenges coordination, rhythm, agility and balance, according to IDEA Fitness Journal. Calories burned from an hour of ballroom dancing---about 200 to 300 Kcal/hour---put it on par with brisk walking, reports IDEA Health Fitness Source, Volume 2004.

    Calorie-burning classes

    • Zumba, a combination of aerobics and Latin dance, is rapidly becoming one of the more popular dance fitness classes offered in health clubs. Over 4 million people attend Zumba classes each week, IDEA Health & Fitness Association reports. Fans of Zumba dance say the fun factor keeps them coming back. Zumba classes can help you burn around 500 calories in a one-hour class, although there are many variables that factor into the calorie-burning equation, Gold's Gym national group fitness director Lori Lowell told the New York Times.

    Considerations

    • How many calories you burn from any form of dance will depend on factors that include gender, age, cardiovascular fitness, lean muscle mass, current weight and how hard you are working. The calorie counter for www.changingshape.com estimates a 140-pound woman will burn 235 calories in an hour of light dancing, 362 calories in an hour of moderate dancing, and 470 in an hour of heavy dancing. And the number of calories you burn will increase as you master the moves and are able to incorporate more muscle mass while you dance according to "Exercise Physiology" by William D. McArdle.