Staying fit and working out is one of the most important things in most people’s lives. It is incredibly important in keeping you healthy as you age and will improve your mood. Regular workouts will also help reduce your chance of encountering a variety of health risks, including dementia, some cancers and others.

Unfortunately, the problem most people have with workouts is finding the time or getting motivated. Workouts can be hard to fit in a daily lifestyle and many simply can’t bring themselves to go to the gym. Also, many people are incredibly bored with things like standard workouts or going for runs. As a result, many people have started trying new things to stay fit and have incorporated various things into their workouts. One of the most popular is dance.

While many people dance as a part of a team and need to buy dance costumes for competitions and whatnot, others will simply dance for the health benefits, of which there are many. Dance is great for your body, health and mind in so many ways including reducing stress, weight management, better cardiovascular health and many more.

So with there being so many good health-related reasons to dance, in addition to how fun it is, many people have been incorporating dance into their workouts. How do they go about doing so? If that’s a question you have, you came to the right place. This blog post is going to look at some great days to work dance into your workout routine.

Attend a Class

One of the easiest ways to get involved with dancing as a workout is to attend a class. No matter what city you’re in, there are likely a variety of different dance-based fitness classes that you can attend. These will vary from introductory level classes that anyone can try, to classes that are a little more difficult.

These classes are great for not only staying in shape, but can also make you more flexible, a better dancer and so much more. This method is also incredibly easy as you don’t have to incorporate dance into your routine, as the instructor will do it for you.

Watch Videos

If working out and dancing in front of others in a class isn’t appealing to you, you can also do it at home. Some people might have knowledge of the dance moves to try themselves, but it is often a better idea to watch some videos. You are bound to find a ton of different YouTube videos of dance-focused workouts that you can do alone.

Who knows, maybe once you become a little more confident in your strength-level or moves, you will want to attend classes to show them off! Also, you don’t need a ton of space to do these workouts, just some open space in a room. There are also DVDs or videos that you can purchase that will take you through workout routines that incorporate dance.

Do It With a Friend

Doing something like completely adding something new to your workouts can be intimidating. However, doing so with a friend can make it significantly easier. Having someone to keep you accountable, as well as work out with, makes the whole process much better.

So if you have a friend also looking to spice up their workout routine, it could be worthwhile to see if they would be interested in trying dance. Having a friend will help you not only create your routine, but also give you the motivation and accountability to stick with it.

Try Incorporating Different Kinds of Dance

Because there are so many different types of dance around the world, there are a wide range of ways that it can be added to your workouts. Some can be more subtle additions to a workout, while others can essentially be your entire workout.

For example, incorporating ballet into your workouts can help your lower body, while using tap dance can be great for cardio. It is up to you to try out a couple different ones and see what works the best for you. Some might be too intense for everyone, but you won’t know until you try and see.

Be Patient

Learning to dance or working out in dance-fitness classes can sometimes be difficult. As a result, it won’t happen overnight. It will take time to learn the moves and be able to execute them effectively. It is important not to get discouraged. You need to be patient with yourself and not give up if it gets a little difficult.

You need to be sure to practice, and ensure you are using the correct form. Also, remember that the ultimate goals here are to stay fit and have fun. Don’t worry if you aren’t the best dancer and cannot hit all the moves completely fluidly. Sooner or later, you will see vast improvement and will be glad that you stuck around.

Get the Right Gear

Whereas normal workouts simply require shoes, shorts and a shirt (or other comfortable clothes) this isn’t always the case with dance-focused workouts. While that will be suitable for some, it won’t be for others. For example, ballet classes might require special shoes or no shoes, and tap dancing classes will obviously require tap shoes.

If you are curious about what to wear to a certain class or for a certain type of dance, don’t be shy to ask someone or call the studio. They will be happy to help you out and give you the information you need. If you can’t find out, wearing comfortable clothing that preferably wick sweat should be fine. Hopefully this blog post has inspired you to work dance into your workouts.