Les séances d'entraînement par la danse sont-elles efficaces pour rester en forme ?

La danse est-elle un bon entraînement ?

Strictly Come Dancing is back on our screens and providing the nation with dance inspiration, but dance fitness is nothing new. Aerobic dance workouts became popular in the 1970s and 1980s and since the early 2000s, Zumba has become a pop culture phenomenon.

A dance session isn't just fun, it's good for you too - and it doesn't matter if you have two left feet. "Dance entraînements de danse provide an excellent cardiovascular challenge and can be tailored to your ability and fitness level," says certified personal trainer Rachel MacPherson.

"When it comes to faire de l'exercice, consistency is critical, and to stay consistent, you need motivation," she says. "If you enjoy your workout, you are much more likely to stick with it for the long term. Dancing is a fun and joyful activity that also provides the benefits you'd expect from cardiovascular work, such as improved heart health, reduced risk of diabète de type 2¹, better sommeil, reduced niveaux de stress, and better contrôle du poids."

Different dance workouts have different benefits. For example, barre - a type of exercise that incorporates force and cardio with ballet movements - aims to improve muscular strength, tone and flexibility. Research suggests Zumba classes, a form of Latin-themed aerobic dance, supports both good physical and santé mentale².

It's no secret that faire de l'exercice is good for our psychological well-being. Being active triggers the release of feel good endorphins which help to alleviate niveaux de stress and boost our mood. However, studies suggest dancing supports our brain health and mood in a number of specific ways.

Research indicates dance can increase the number of cells in the brain's hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for long and short-term la mémoire³.

La danse sollicite également plusieurs zones du cerveau et favorise la neuroplasticité, la capacité du cerveau à changer et à s'adapter⁴. Even a single dance session has been shown to decrease la tension and depression, while boosting de l'énergie⁵.

Dance interventions have been found to be effective in improving the quality of life in people with la maladie de Parkinson⁶ et Maladie d'Alzheimer⁷.

As with any faire de l'exercice class, there is always a risk of injury. "The injury risk with dance workouts is trying to do too much too soon," says MacPherson.

"Assurez-vous de rester sur des mouvements de base et de ne pas tordre ou secouer vos articulations. Vous pourriez avoir besoin de vous reposer un jour entre des séances de danse particulièrement intenses,".

There are many different dance workouts to suit all abilities. Often, fitness classes such as Zumba or Barre have separate classes for beginners. Zumba Gold is a lower-intensity version of the typical Zumba class, which may be suitable for older participants.

"If you are in a wheelchair or have une mobilité limitée, vous pouvez bouger votre corps de la manière qui vous convient le mieux," dit MacPherson.

You can also build up your dance fitness routines as you gain force and confidence. "For those who need more challenge, you can incorporate body weight or weighted resistance moves into your dancing workout with squats, fentes, sauts, et plus encore," dit MacPherson.

"Vous pouvez même envisager de tenir de petits poids pour travailler vos bras et vos épaules. Faites simplement très attention à vos mouvements et ne balancez pas ou ne tordez pas votre corps hors de votre posture correcte."

Most gyms and community centres host dance-based fitness classes. Some schools and universities offer pay-as-you-go faire de l'exercice classes for the general public too, which don't require a gym membership.

Vous pouvez également commencer à danser depuis le confort de votre propre maison en recherchant des cours de fitness sur YouTube.

1. Colberg et al : Exercice et diabète de type 2

2. Barranco-Ruiz et al : Les cours de fitness dansants améliorent la qualité de vie liée à la santé chez les femmes sédentaires

3. Rehfeld et al : Danse ou sport de remise en forme ? Les effets de deux programmes d'entraînement sur la plasticité hippocampique et l'équilibre chez les seniors en bonne santé

4. Texiera-Machado et al : La danse pour la neuroplasticité : une revue systématique descriptive

5. Rokka et al : Le rôle de l'intensité de l'exercice sur l'humeur dans la danse aérobic

6. Lewis et al : Changements d'humeur après des séances de danse sociale chez les personnes atteintes de la maladie de Parkinson

7. Ruiz-Muelle et al : La danse pour les personnes atteintes de la maladie d'Alzheimer : une revue systématique