ELLE Fit: Who Said A Workout Can’t Feel Like A Dance Party?

Around the third over-enthusiastic “You can do it, don't quit!” of a YouTube HIIT video is when I usually start wondering if movement was always meant to feel like punishment. I’m all for a good sweat session, but somewhere between staged gym selfies and obsessing over form, we've lost the plot. What happened to moving just because it feels good?

Remember when Zumba really took off? That happened because it didn't have the connotation of a torturous workout attached to it. This is your reminder that workouts don’t need to be complicated, expensive, or even structured. Sometimes, it’s as simple as pressing play on a track that lights you up and letting your body freestyle its way to serotonin.

So dance around your room, flail like nobody’s watching (it really isn't that deep even if they are), and call it cardio. Because it is.

No Routine, No Problem

We’ve been conditioned to think movement only counts if it includes words like "targeted", "toning", or "core burn". But let me put it this way, if your heart rate is up, your limbs are loose, and you’re smiling mid-movement then congratulations, you’ve hacked the fitness system.

Whether you’re into ’90s Bollywood bops, Beyoncé’s Renaissance album, or moody indie lo-fis, dance is democratic. No form, no equipment, no pressure to improve. Just all your built up emotions, your body, and a little rhythm.

Science Agrees

Dancing boosts endorphins, improves balance and flexibility, and works muscles you didn’t even know you had. But more importantly, it brings you back to your body. Not as a project to be fixed, but as something worth celebrating. Studies even show that joyful movement lowers cortisol levels and increases body image satisfaction. Fancy words for “it makes you feel good, inside and out.”

Dance Workout YouTubers To Get You Started

Here are some instructors putting out fantastic tutorials, and whether you're a coy beginner or a pro moon-walker, you'll find something to engage you and your heart rate.

Your Hall Pass To Be Silly

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A post shared by MADDIE | Workout Instructor (@madfit.ig)

Not every workout needs to be a serious 'wellness girlie' moment. You don’t have to have the mat, the matching set, or the aesthetic ankle weights. I’ve done full-on cardio sessions in my pyjamas while brushing my teeth. Is it unconventional? Absolutely. But did it count? More than you’d think.

If traditional fitness isn’t speaking to you right now, maybe it’s time to get a little unhinged with your movement. Dance while cooking. Groove through your skincare. Play your 'going out' playlist while folding laundry and break into a full-body shimmy. Nobody needs to know. Except your heart rate monitor, maybe.

Movement can be fun, messy, intuitive, and deeply yours. No timers. No goals. Just quality time with yourself.