Given the current craze on getting in your steps, with people wearing FitBits and Apple Watches to mark the miles they walk every day, I was curious about how many steps a typical dance lesson or dance class includes. So, I asked several people in our studio to wear an Apple Watch during their dance class, and we were quite pleased with the results.
We always tout ballroom dance as a great physical activity and all-around cardiovascular and muscular exercise. It’s true. But this really proves it.
The average American walks 3,000-4,000 steps a day, according to the Mayo Clinic. That’s roughly 1.5-2 miles. The popular goal is 10,000, to ensure ongoing fitness and overall health.
If you’re at all interested in ballroom dance, it might inspire you to know that you’ll log an average 800-1,000 steps in one 45-minute lesson.
No joke!
And, if you attend one of our weekly dance parties, which are free with a weekly lesson (along with unlimited group lessons), you’ll clock even more steps, since lessons have pauses for instructor explanations and demonstrations.
When I put some of our folks to the test, these were the results: one person started with 2,084 steps and finished their lesson at 3,132. Another student began at 3,643 and ended up at 4,299. A third student began with 2,125 steps and the watch read 2,986 not 40 minutes later.
Variations occur depending on what dance they’re doing, and whether they work on technique, flow or pace. But still! That’s pretty impressive.
If you’re looking for an easy way to up your fitness game, give ballroom dance a try. We’ve got room for you!