Is ballroom dancing good exercise?
Asked by Aileen Sometimes! Partner dancing can help improve your balance, coordination and efficiency of motion. But if you want to get into shape, you would be better off with something like running, swimming or weight training that involves continuous aerobic activity or resistance to motion. That’s not to say that you can’t work up a sweat dancing — a solid night of salsa or swing dancing can be good exercise. But ballroom parties typically alternate slow dances with fast dances, and you don’t necessarily dance to every song, so you’re not in continuous motion. Also, if you and your partner dance well, you will not carry your partner’s weight, so there’s not much strength training in partner dancing. (Aerials are an exception.) Professional or serious competitive dancers who need to stay in shape may include lots of non-dance related exercise in their daily schedules. Followers often get more of a workout than leaders, because they tend to move more. (A lazy leader like me can, if
