Dancing and other forms of exercise?

[bigdjiver]

Not sure I agree that dancing is all that good aerobic exercise.

Dancing continuously to fast tracks is, obviously, but who likes to do that?

For cardiovascular fitness, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends people exercise three to five times a week for 20-30 minutes at an intensity level of 50-80 percent of their maximum exercise capacity.

I would think that dancing three times a week might involve the equivalent amount of exercise.

[El Salsero Gringo]

Not sure I agree that dancing is all that good aerobic exercise.

Dancing continuously to fast tracks is, obviously, but who likes to do that?

It's not going to form the core of Nasa's astronaut fitness programme, nor is it much use if you want to run the London Marathon - but it certainly elevates your heart rate for much of the evening. Considering most armchair britons get out of breath with the walk to the cornershop when they run out of fags, regular Ceroc has much to be said for it.

[DavidY]

Not sure I agree that dancing is all that good aerobic exercise.

Dancing continuously to fast tracks is, obviously, but who likes to do that?

Of course, the more you bounce, the more exercise you get.

I think the dancer who dances smoothly, with (if they're a leader) minimal effort put into leading, may not get that much benefit in terms of aerobic exercise (although there are compensations...).

[Sparkles]

I'm liking these suggestions, but I have to confess that I can't really see myself as a pilates kinda gal - I think I'd feel silly doing all that stretching and stuff .

Is there a way to minimise the factor?

[David Bailey]

I think the dancer who dances smoothly, with (if they're a leader) minimal effort put into leading, may not get that much benefit in terms of aerobic exercise (although there are compensations...).

I think there are several factors at work here, which mitigate the initial aerobic benefit of MJ dancing.

From a leader's point-of-view, the more you dance:
- the more you get used to "lazy" dancing (where you put just the right amount of effort in), so you expend less effort physically
- the less mental effort you need to concentrate; so the less resulting physical effort
- the more your muscles become adapted to this sort of exercise, so the less energy you require for it.

Even swapping to salsa does use some different muscles, so as with all exercise, the key is variety.

Having said that, ESG's point is totally valid, and dancers of any kind are generally fitter than non-dancers (and nicer of course )

[Lynn]

Having said that, ESG's point is totally valid, and dancers of any kind are generally fitter than non-dancers (and nicer of course )

On a dance hol to Spain in May - 4* hotel, buffet meals...I was managing to eat a fair bit! But also doing workshops doing the day and dancing every night. I lost weight, even though I was eating a lot more than I would at home and I could see my body shape changing and becoming more toned - just in one week. Course it only took a week to change back again

I felt fitter and healthier by the end of the holiday - despite the many icecreams and lying around by the pool!

[JoC]

nor is it much use if you want to run the London Marathon

I've been thinking of mentioning this for a while, using dancing as part of cross training for other sports (though I know the original question was the reverse). I think there's potential!

I started training for a half marathon earlier this year and as a kind of experiment was substituting regular dancing for what would have been shorter mid-week training runs, but maintaining a 'long' weekend run that got progressively further each week. Have to say I made just as good progress at improving on my weekend run, in terms of both speed and distance (I'm no runner incidentally, only ever try such things to see if I can), as the time before when I followed a strict 'running' training programme.

Unfortunately I tried running one winters day that was just too cold without warm enough gear on and pulled a muscle (fool!) and whilst walking back home was bitten on both legs by two dogs, so that was the end of that, but it was going well!!!

Have certainly found that I can now go for a semi decent run even when I haven't run for weeks which must be down to overall improved fitness from all the dancing.

[ChrisA]

For cardiovascular fitness, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends people exercise three to five times a week for 20-30 minutes at an intensity level of 50-80 percent of their maximum exercise capacity.

I would think that dancing three times a week might involve the equivalent amount of exercise.

I guess it might burn a similar number of calories, given the fact that you're dancing for a lot longer each time.

But I can't see that you get much cardiovascular benefit unless you're doing enough to be breathing hard for most of the exercise period. And mostly I don't any more when I'm dancing, unless, as I say, there are lots of fast tracks in a row, which I don't really enjoy dancing to anyway.

Obviously it's better than nothing, though, and a lot more fun than sport-type exercise.

[David Franklin]

The body adapts itself to the tasks being presented to it. The best exercise to improve your dancing is dancing.

Counterexample: We'd been working on a lift for a while; we got to a stage where it was very nearly working (it actually went up, but it wasn't properly locked out, so I couldn't hold it). Then Bryony was travelling for a week, and I practised the movement with a weight, startling lighter and building up. Over that week, I really noticed an improvement in how comfortable I was with holding the full weight overhead. First practice after she came back, we got it to work - if not flawlessly, a lot better than before. I have very little doubt the weight sessions made the difference.

Of course, there's no way I actually put on a signficant amount of muscle during a week - any improvement was directly down to practicing the movement - gaining confidence, and improving CNS recruitment.

[bigdjiver]

Counterexample: We'd been working on a lift for a while; we got to a stage where it was very nearly working (it actually went up, but it wasn't properly locked out, so I couldn't hold it). Then Bryony was travelling for a week, and I practised the movement with a weight, startling lighter and building up. Over that week, I really noticed an improvement in how comfortable I was with holding the full weight overhead. First practice after she came back, we got it to work - if not flawlessly, a lot better than before. I have very little doubt the weight sessions made the difference...

I have no doubt that the weight training helped, but it is not a proper test. If you have started with an emaciated Bryony and worked on it for a week whilst she stuffed herself up to normal weight you might have achieved the same, or better, results.

(Don't try this at home.)

More seriously, this is the problem with lifts and drops. They may not require much strength when performed expertly, but you cannot start performing them as an expert. A lot of them require commitment, and applying the necessary commitment whils learning is likely to end in injury. Practising the necessary movements with weights seems a rep worthy tip. (Mind wandering into using a dummy areas .... filling the inflatable with water ... )

[Dizzy]

I guess it might burn a similar number of calories, given the fact that you're dancing for a lot longer each time.

But I can't see that you get much cardiovascular benefit unless you're doing enough to be breathing hard for most of the exercise period. And mostly I don't any more when I'm dancing, unless, as I say, there are lots of fast tracks in a row, which I don't really enjoy dancing to anyway.

Obviously it's better than nothing, though, and a lot more fun than sport-type exercise.

Ceroc has been shown to burn 300 calories an hour, which is about the same as walking briskly, it is low impact exercise so therefore causes you heart rate to raise enough to be beneficial. The Government recommends 20-30 minutes of this type of exercise 2-3 x a week so a night of dancing can be just as good as aerobic exercise (or for me at least 4 x a week)

[David Franklin]

I have no doubt that the weight training helped, but it is not a proper test. If you have started with an emaciated Bryony and worked on it for a week whilst she stuffed herself up to normal weight you might have achieved the same, or better, results.

But the point (well, a point) is that you can't do that with a real person. Aside from the obvious fact that it's easier to make a weight set 2 stones lighter than to do the same thing to a person, it's also true that the consequences of dropping a weight are a lot smaller, they are a lot easier to balance etc. This has both good and bad attributes, but the fact they are different means it is a lot easier to improve certain things using them rather than by dancing. This is true for many sports - if you, say, look at sprinters, they spend very little of their training actually sprinting.

More seriously, this is the problem with lifts and drops. They may not require much strength when performed expertly, but you cannot start performing them as an expert.

In point of fact, nearly all the top male exhibition dancers I've seen are very strong, at least by my standards. And most of them "need" that strength - things go wrong, but they are strong enough to correct them. (Or, in the case of Victor da Silva - he is strong enough to hold a 1-hand lift even when he can't get his arm straight). I have to say that neither Gregory Day nor Ernest Iouvilov look terribly strong, it's possibly no coincidence that the routines I've seen them perform were so clean that strength was probably not a huge issue.

For the two extremes, take a look at top cheerleading couples, where the man are 3 x heavier than the girls, and will catch a throw 1-handed at shoulder height and press it up to lockout! While in sports acro, you will see women bases doing bigger lifts than anything you'll see in dancing.

Practising the necessary movements with weights seems a rep worthy tip. (Mind wandering into using a dummy areas .... filling the inflatable with water ... )

Just be aware it is very different with a weight rather than a person. I have a long term neck injury caused by finding this out the hard way...

[El Salsero Gringo]

I'm liking these suggestions, but I have to confess that I can't really see myself as a pilates kinda gal - I think I'd feel silly doing all that stretching and stuff .

Is there a way to minimise the factor?

With all due respect, that's a dumb reason to turn down an exercise regime - because it looks silly. (And where would step-aerobics be if everyone took that attitude?) Find your nearest LA Fitness, or Holmes Place, or whatever and say you want a guest pass for the day and can you try a Pilates class? I bet you enjoy it.

[JoC]

From a leader's point-of-view, the more you dance:
- the more you get used to "lazy" dancing (where you put just the right amount of effort in), so you expend less effort physically

Went dancing tired tonight and discovered "lazy" following. There goes the end of my dancing for cross-training system.