Dancing is a fantastic and fun way to get an all-body workout, and Time magazine has even gone so far as to claim that it is “the best thing you can do for your body.” The reason for this is that dancing can help burn more calories than any other workout, including running and swimming, and even the not-so-intense routines reportedly burn around the same amount of calories as cycling would.

These findings were included in a report from the University of Brighton in the UK, and principal lecturer Nick Smeeton told Time that the appeal of dancing it's an exercise that requires “movement in all directions.” Dancing is a whole body workout and not only is it good for your heart, but it also makes you stronger, WebMD reports. Of course, it depends on what type of dance routine you do, but some key areas that dance can work on are the arms, the core, legs, glutes, and back.

Many gyms offer dance classes that you can sign up for no extra charge, but another appealing thing about dancing is you do not need any equipment and you can do it from the comfort of your home with the help of online videos. Popular online videos include dance-cardio workouts like The Fitness Marshall, as well as Strong by Zumba which is more intense than regular Zumba (Refinery29 notes) and PopSugar’s calorie-crushing Cardio-Dance modelFIT Workout.

There are also healthy eating plans that involve dancing, as FitDay previously reported on, and you are able to dance your way to being ten pounds lighter. But in order for dancing to really benefit your health and your weight, you need to aim to dance at least 20 minutes a day with an accelerated heart-rate and do this 4 to 5 times a week.

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