People often tend to overlook dancing as a legitimate form of working out and getting fit, however, you’d be surprised how many calories can be burned by hitting the dance floor. While we don’t know of any exact studies on dances such as Lindy Hop, Shag, Balboa, or Charleston, we can compare these to “fast ballroom dances” that studies have been conducted on. Given this, swing dancing can burn between 306 and 374 calories per hour (assuming a body weight of 150lbs). Beginners may see more on the lower side as you usually start out dancing to slower songs when you learn. As you become more experienced and spend more continuous time on the dance floor the calories you burn will continue to rise. In fact, if you spend some quality time on the dance floor, a night out dancing can easily burn off the equivalent of a Big Mac with cheese (704 calories). But dancing is all a lower body workout, right? Wrong! Holding a frame, maintaining connection, posture, and adding style all exercise the upper body as well making dancing a complete workout.

The common misconception is that you have to lift weight to work your body out. After all, a workout has to be strenuous to be a workout, right? Well, actually, no. In reality, the important thing is to just get your body moving and get the muscles in motion. One of the biggest reasons for failure in workout programs is loss of interest or boredom. Dancing is all together different. It’s entertaining, social, and fun. The fact it is a form of exercise is a fringe benefit. Tons of everyday people of all ages and physical backgrounds enjoy dancing without ever even noticing the workout they are getting from it.