I Took a Dance Cardio Class—Here’s Why You Should Too

By Emily Betz

WISe Team Member

So here’s the thing: I tried a new workout, and I’m here to say it was a success! As someone who usually sticks to what she knows when it comes to fitness, trying something new always feels like a leap. But wow, am I glad I leapt into dance cardio.

What is Dance Cardio Anyway?

Dance cardio is exactly what it sounds like—a workout class that mixes easy-to-follow dance moves with sculpting and toning exercises. Think cardio, but with a DJ-curated playlist that keeps your energy high and your motivation even higher. And here’s the best part: you can increase your muscle-tone, endurance, and your mood with each class.

Classes often include repetitive, high-energy sequences that get your heart rate up and your body moving. The sculpting circuits in between dance sets give your muscles that extra challenge—and trust me, my calves felt that part the next day.

Dance Cardio Isn’t Exactly New—But It’s Definitely Having a Moment

Many of us remember Zumba, right? It brought Latin-inspired dance fitness into the mainstream with fun moves pulled from salsa, samba, and more.Zumba offers lots of health benefits and can aid in flexibility, building muscle tone, and offering a great aerobic activity with both high and low-intensity intervals.

Since then, dance fitness has evolved into an umbrella of options—dance cardio, Jazzercise, hip-hop cardio, cardio-sculpt, even ballet-based workouts. All of these workouts offer unique benefits that are an excellent and gentle way for your body to get in a high-calorie burning and muscle-building activity.

And what keeps people coming back? It’s not just the calorie burn. It’s the fun.

So many workout classes can feel intimidating or overly serious, but dance cardio? It makes you feel like you’ve walked into a party. You stop thinking so hard about every move and start focusing on the music, the energy, and just how good it feels to be moving your body.

My Experience: Music, Sweat, and Sore Calves

The class I took had an amazing instructor who radiated positivity—and the playlist was very motivating. The kind that makes you want to dance even when you’re exhausted. There were pop hits, throwback jams, and remixes that made the whole hour fly by. Depending on the dance studio, you can sign up for classes that even have different music themes so that you can pick what inspires you the most!

Now let’s be real—I was sore. Specifically, my calves were screaming the next day from all of the jumping on my toes. So here's a little tip from me to you: stretch your calves thoroughly before AND after class. You’ll thank me later. I highly recommend this calve stretching tool from Amazon to help!

And if you’re someone who tends to get caught up in “getting the steps right” (hi, also me), I’ll offer this advice: let it go. Seriously. Let yourself be a little messy, a little off-beat, and just feel the music. It makes the experience not only more enjoyable, but something you’ll actually look forward to doing again.

Thinking of Trying It?

If you're even a little curious, I say go for it! These classes are popping up everywhere—there are so many fun and inclusive studios out there now. If you’re in Cincinnati, Dance Factory Fitness is a vibrant, welcoming place to start. It felt more like a celebration than a workout—and who doesn’t want more of that energy in their life?

So whether you’re looking to shake up your routine, sneak in some cardio, or just dance like nobody’s watching (because truly, no one is), give dance cardio a whirl.

You might be sore the next day, sure—but you’ll also be smiling.