5 Reasons You Should Add Dance Cardio to Your Workout Week

Exercise doesn’t always have to feel like exercise.

Sometimes you just need to turn the music up, move your body and have a little fun.

That’s exactly why I’m so excited to introduce Dance Cardio to Good Movement Club.

Dance Cardio is a fun, upbeat way to get your heart rate up while challenging your coordination, concentration and memory — and you can do it all from the comfort of your own home.

Here are five reasons I think you should add it to your workout week:

1. Cardiovascular fitness… dahh 

Let’s start with the obvious one.

Dance Cardio gets your heart pumping.

Cardiovascular fitness is an important part of overall health and longevity, helping your heart and lungs become more efficient at supplying oxygen to your working muscles.

And the best part? You don’t need to spend an hour on a treadmill to get your cardio in.

A fun Dance Cardio session can get you moving, sweating and breathing a little harder — without feeling like you’re stuck doing “cardio”.

Because let’s be honest… if you’re having fun, you’re far more likely to come back and do it again.

2. Your brain gets a workout too

This is one of my favourite things about dance! And I'm not going to lie, it's been minute since I used my brain like this. Being a professional dancer requires you to learn and retain choreography quickly, but since becoming a Mum I haven't gigged, so I'm excited to re-engage this part of my brain. 

Dance isn’t just about moving your body — your brain has to keep up too.

You’re listening to music, remembering patterns, learning sequences, anticipating what’s coming next and coordinating your body to match.

It’s a beautiful combination of physical and cognitive exercise.

Research supports this too. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 studies involving more than 1,400 older adults found that dance interventions probably improve global cognitive function and may benefit executive function. Another systematic review describes dance as a multidomain activity combining aerobic exercise, coordination and cognitive stimulation. (PubMed)

So while you’re busy having fun and trying to remember whether we step left or right… your brain is working too.

3. It challenges your mind-body connection

Dance asks your brain and body to communicate constantly. You’re developing coordination, rhythm, balance, spatial awareness and body awareness all at once.

And that mind-body connection is something I think we can all benefit from — not just when we’re exercising, but throughout everyday life.

Research into rhythmic movement also suggests benefits for physical function and global cognitive function, particularly in older adults. (PubMed)

4. Because exercise should actually be FUN

This might be my favourite reason of all! You don’t have to earn your workout by suffering through it.

Movement can be joyful. It can be something you look forward to.

It can make you smile, lift your mood and give you that little burst of energy you didn’t know you needed. Music alone can do that, and then add some dance and you're on your way to having a great day! 

Dance has another advantage here: research suggests that the music, emotion and enjoyment associated with dance can help make it an engaging form of physical activity and support adherence. (PubMed)

So put your favourite song on, forget about looking “perfect” and just move.

5. You don’t even have to leave the house

This one is especially important for my fellow busy women and mums.

Maybe you LOVE dancing but the thought of walking into a dance class makes you feel a little intimidated. I used to be a professional dancer and I even feel like this. 

Maybe you don’t have the time to drive somewhere, find a park, get changed, do the class and drive home.

Or maybe your toddler is currently refusing to let you go anywhere without them...I get it!

That’s why I wanted Dance Cardio inside Good Movement Club. You can press play from your living room, bedroom, garage or wherever you have a little bit of space.

• No commute.
• No intimidating studio.
• No worrying about whether you’re “good at dancing”.

Just you, some music and a little bit of movement to make you feel good.

And in a time when so many of us are looking for ways to make our money stretch further, working out at home can make a lot of sense too. Australian cost-of-living advice has highlighted home workouts as a way to reduce the cost of gym memberships and fitness classes. (The New Daily)

This is really what Good Movement is all about! Movement for real life, without the studio price tag - Pilates, Stretch, Yoga, Meditation and now Dance Cardio all included... and for just $29 per month. That’s less than $1 a day for a whole library of movement and wellbeing sessions you can do from home.

And your first month is FREE.

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign to move a little more, have a little more fun and maybe dance around your living room…

This is it.

Come join me inside Good Movement Club.

Your first month is free — I’ll see you inside.
♡ Tiff