What Happened When We Tried the Trendiest Workout Around
We heard that dance cardio was the new "it" exercise, so we tried classes at three different studios in New York. Did we make complete fools of ourselves, or find our inner dancing machines?
PhotoImage courtesy of AKT
There are some workouts you read about and cannot wait to try. Then there are others that make you think, "I'd be bad at that. Really bad." For me, dance cardio was the second kind. But once you've seen your 12th supermodel posting about it on Instagram, you start to feel like you're missing out. And with classes from Los Angeles and Chicago to New York and Miami filling up, and more studios offering streaming classes for those who want to test it out but don't live in a city where it's offered, clearly there's something to the dance-cardio trend. So I and another Oprah.com editor told our inner voices reminding us that we're rhythmically challenged to quiet down and gave the classes a shot. Here's what we learned.
1. It's a Surprisingly Tough Workout...
As in dripping-a-puddle-of-sweat-onto-the-floor tough. I burned roughly 500 calories in each of the two 1-hour classes I tried, according to my Fitbit (about the same amount I burn in a 45-minute treadmill interval class). Plus, these classes aren't 60 minutes of straight dancing. Most include some challenging strength training and core circuits. Beyond those benefits, research shows that dancing is a mood booster, possibly even more so than vigorous exercise, doing it consistently is linked to a lower risk of dementia, it strengthens your bones, and it may improve your balance.
2. You Might Feel Confused, Even Defeated, While You're There
Depending on the studio, instructors may expect you to pick up the moves without much instruction. "I felt frustrated really quickly in the class I went to because I was trying to do moves that weren't demonstrated," my colleague says. "It's tough to catch on. I was previously pretty confident that I was a quick learner. I never felt like I 'got it.'" The same thing happened during the first class I tried. The instructor moved so quickly and the choreography was so intricate (think Britney Spears music video) that I struggled to keep up. I felt silly and a little embarrassed—no one should have to watch themselves try (and fail) to do a body roll in floor-to-ceiling mirrors. If that happens to you, avoid the impulse to leave early, and remember that as long as you keep moving (jump around, jog in place, whatever you need to do until you find a spot in the routine where you can get back into it), you'll still get a good workout.
3. It Might Take Time to Find a Class You Enjoy
The first two studios we tested were a bust, but things finally clicked at the third, AKT. We didn't break the moves down step by step, but they were simple enough that I caught on quickly (more dance-y aerobics than detailed choreography), and my instructor, Kathryn, reviewed each chunk of the routine that we'd already learned before we moved onto the next one. By the time we strung all of the parts together at the end of class, I hit almost every step. I was jumping and spinning and kicking like a maniac with a huge smile on my face, and I didn't care who saw me. More-experienced dancers might have enjoyed the higher level of difficulty in the other two classes, but the simplicity of the third was perfect for a beginner. In other words, if you're interested in trying dance cardio, you might want to check out a few different instructors and classes.
4. Despite What You've Heard, You'll Be Surrounded by People Just Like You
Considering that supermodels love dance cardio (just look at the Instagram accounts of studios like Body by Simone, Tracy Anderson, and AKT to see what we're talking about), I pictured a room full of thin, tall women wearing designer workout capris and bras that looked too nice to actually sweat in, acing every move like they were born to dance. For the most part, though, our classes were full of women who looked like us: in reasonably good shape, but not intimidatingly so. (Granted, people were generally wearing cute clothes, and I did see Karolina Kurkova walking out of a class that ended right before mine started.) Most importantly, in all three classes, nobody hit every step. At one point, a move straight out of Beyoncé's Single Ladies video had every student so tripped up that the instructor was forced to slow down lest the entire class be left in the dust. Each of us has to start somewhere, even if that somewhere is in the back of the class, three steps behind everyone else.
1. It's a Surprisingly Tough Workout...
As in dripping-a-puddle-of-sweat-onto-the-floor tough. I burned roughly 500 calories in each of the two 1-hour classes I tried, according to my Fitbit (about the same amount I burn in a 45-minute treadmill interval class). Plus, these classes aren't 60 minutes of straight dancing. Most include some challenging strength training and core circuits. Beyond those benefits, research shows that dancing is a mood booster, possibly even more so than vigorous exercise, doing it consistently is linked to a lower risk of dementia, it strengthens your bones, and it may improve your balance.
2. You Might Feel Confused, Even Defeated, While You're There
Depending on the studio, instructors may expect you to pick up the moves without much instruction. "I felt frustrated really quickly in the class I went to because I was trying to do moves that weren't demonstrated," my colleague says. "It's tough to catch on. I was previously pretty confident that I was a quick learner. I never felt like I 'got it.'" The same thing happened during the first class I tried. The instructor moved so quickly and the choreography was so intricate (think Britney Spears music video) that I struggled to keep up. I felt silly and a little embarrassed—no one should have to watch themselves try (and fail) to do a body roll in floor-to-ceiling mirrors. If that happens to you, avoid the impulse to leave early, and remember that as long as you keep moving (jump around, jog in place, whatever you need to do until you find a spot in the routine where you can get back into it), you'll still get a good workout.
3. It Might Take Time to Find a Class You Enjoy
The first two studios we tested were a bust, but things finally clicked at the third, AKT. We didn't break the moves down step by step, but they were simple enough that I caught on quickly (more dance-y aerobics than detailed choreography), and my instructor, Kathryn, reviewed each chunk of the routine that we'd already learned before we moved onto the next one. By the time we strung all of the parts together at the end of class, I hit almost every step. I was jumping and spinning and kicking like a maniac with a huge smile on my face, and I didn't care who saw me. More-experienced dancers might have enjoyed the higher level of difficulty in the other two classes, but the simplicity of the third was perfect for a beginner. In other words, if you're interested in trying dance cardio, you might want to check out a few different instructors and classes.
4. Despite What You've Heard, You'll Be Surrounded by People Just Like You
Considering that supermodels love dance cardio (just look at the Instagram accounts of studios like Body by Simone, Tracy Anderson, and AKT to see what we're talking about), I pictured a room full of thin, tall women wearing designer workout capris and bras that looked too nice to actually sweat in, acing every move like they were born to dance. For the most part, though, our classes were full of women who looked like us: in reasonably good shape, but not intimidatingly so. (Granted, people were generally wearing cute clothes, and I did see Karolina Kurkova walking out of a class that ended right before mine started.) Most importantly, in all three classes, nobody hit every step. At one point, a move straight out of Beyoncé's Single Ladies video had every student so tripped up that the instructor was forced to slow down lest the entire class be left in the dust. Each of us has to start somewhere, even if that somewhere is in the back of the class, three steps behind everyone else.
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