I’ve recently found myself on a fitness grind where I’ve been trying all kinds of hot girl fitness — reformer Pilates, fasted cardio, hot Pilates. If you name it, I’ve probably tried it. So when I heard about dance fitness, I obviously had to give it a shot — and let me tell you that nothing could prepare me for how hard it actually was. (And I love it).
Over the past week, I’ve been following two YouTube dance cardio videos a day to really get a feel of what it would be like to incorporate it into my daily fitness routine. As a girl who’s pretty set in her Pilates routine, it was definitely an adjustment. (Mostly because I’m not a dancer at all and have zero coordination.) But honestly, that’s what made it so fun and challenging.
Utilizing different kinds of dance moves to exercise your body muscles and get your heart rate pumpin’, dance fitness is a cardio-based exercise meant to boost your cardiovascular health (and trick your mind into feeling like you’re at the club). And although it proved to be more tiring than expected, it’s a great way to build your endurance, burn some extra calories, and get your “dancing around your room while listening to music” time (for your mental health, duh.) So, if you’re in need of an alternative and fun exercise routine, I think this might just be the one for you (and me).
Is Dance Fitness legit?
Throughout the week, I tried a few different 15 to 20-minute YouTube dance classes from MadFit and Eleni Fit (my OG YouTube fitness instructors). I typically would do them before or after my hot Pilates classes — using them as a warmup and/or a cooldown. And let me tell you… I learned a few things.
I found a major difference between when I did them before and after my Pilates classes. When I did them beforehand, I found that the classes were easier to get through because I wasn’t as tired and weak prior as I was when I did them after. And, because I’m not super coordinated, trying to quickly figure out the compound dance movements while moving so quickly through the YouTube video was frustrating — especially when I was already tired. But it did get easier throughout the week.
I ultimately found that I liked doing the dance workout better as a cooldown because I felt I was challenging myself more and getting another really good workout after an already pretty tough Pilates class. But this isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy using the dance workout as a warmup — because honestly, the music just got me so hype and excited for more.
Eleni Fit’s music was more of an electro house genre, or even EDM, if you will. And don’t get me wrong, I loved both MadFit and Eleni Fit’s music, but I just found myself more upbeat and energetic with the pop music I already know and love in MadFit’s videos. (But that’s what’s so great about dance cardio — there are so many music options to choose from on YouTube.)
And, if you’re like me, then you probably like to push yourself to your limits when doing any kind of exercise (you’ll catch me attempting option three in every Pilates class I attend). And because of that, you might find that doing a dance workout alone just won’t do it for you, as it did me — and that’s OK. You can pair it with other exercises you enjoy, whether that’s weight training, cardio, Pilates, you name it. The great thing about it is that it’s flexible and fun — which is why I ended up loving it.
But, if you’re the opposite and love a more chill and upbeat workout at the same time, then this is something that you might want to try. It is an extremely effective workout that can stand alone, pair nicely with other forms of exercise, and that I can honestly say has earned a spot in my daily fitness routine.