Fitness
Why Dancing May Be More Effective Than Exercise for Reducing Stress
Dancing, especially with other people, can effectively reduce stress (Miljan Zivkovic/Shutterstock)
In a nutshell
- The unique combination of music, rhythm, social interaction, and physical movement in dance makes it a powerful tool for reducing stress and boosting mental health.
- Dancing with a partner or in a group enhances stress relief by providing social support, physical touch, and a sense of connection, which triggers the release of oxytocin and endorphins.
- Beyond the physical exercise, dance activates the brain’s reward system, potentially improving emotional regulation, promoting flow states, and contributing to long-term resilience.
GUILFORD, England — Feeling stressed? Instead of hitting the gym, maybe you should hit the dance floor. Chronic stress wreaks havoc on our bodies and minds, and for years, experts have been telling us to exercise as a remedy. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours on the treadmill. A new international study shows that dancing can help manage stress, strengthen resilience, and improve overall well-being.
Sports psychologists have been documenting the benefits of physical activity for decades, leading to countless recommendations about getting active to cope with stress. But here’s what’s been missing from the conversation: not all forms of exercise affect us the same way when it comes to taming our stress response.
A new study published in Psychology of Sport & Exercise tackles this knowledge gap by zeroing in on dance, an activity that seems to have special powers when it comes to stress relief. Researchers from several European universities collaborated across disciplines to examine why dancing might deserve special attention in our stress-fighting toolkit.
Previous research has hinted that dance activities might be particularly good at softening the blow of stress, with some researchers informally calling it a “stress vaccine.” But this new review is the first comprehensive look at what makes dance so effective, bringing together insights from psychology, neurobiology, and anthropology.
The Perfect Stress-Fighting Combination
What makes dance stand out? It’s not just another way to move your body. Dancing weaves together music, rhythm, social connection, and physical movement to create what might be the perfect recipe for stress relief.
The researchers organized their investigation around these key components: the music and rhythm that drive the dance, the partnering and social aspects of dancing with others, and the physical movement itself. Each element contributes to stress regulation on its own, but combined in dance, they create something greater than the sum of their parts.
Music itself works wonders on our stress levels. The review found plenty of evidence that just listening to music can lower anxiety and help people relax. When we hear music, our brain’s reward system kicks into gear, releasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine and endorphins while potentially dialing down cortisol, our body’s main stress hormone.
One fascinating study discovered that dancing to “groovy” music produces a state of flow, that wonderful feeling of being completely absorbed in what you’re doing, which didn’t happen when people merely listened to the same music without dancing.
Brain research shows that music lights up the circuits involved in pleasure and reward, while also activating areas that regulate our body’s balance and stress response. Our love of rhythm might even have evolutionary roots, potentially serving as an ancient mechanism that fostered cooperation and social connections among our ancestors.
The Power of Dancing Together
Dancing with someone else adds another layer of stress-busting power. The review notes that dancing with a partner or in a group seems more beneficial than dancing solo. Social support and physical contact can notably reduce our physiological stress response. Touch, especially, helps buffer stress by triggering pathways in the brain that release oxytocin, sometimes called the “love hormone,” along with endorphins.
Looking at dance through an anthropological lens shows how it has historically brought people together, building social bonds and expressing emotions collectively. Across cultures, dance creates shared spaces for healing and developing group coping strategies. When people move in sync while dancing, it fosters a sense of unity and connection that can be comforting during tough times.
Dance’s physical movement works against stress much like other exercises do but with some particular advantages. All physical activity boosts endorphins and dopamine, helps regulate stress hormones, and promotes overall health. But dance movement, with its rhythmical quality, seems to offer something extra.
One study found that dance training improved cortisol regulation in older adults more effectively than regular aerobic exercise, even though only the aerobic exercise group showed improved fitness. This suggests that dance affects our stress-response system through more than just physical conditioning.
Beyond Traditional Exercise
The evidence suggests dance deserves special consideration as a stress-management tool. Its combination of features works on multiple levels simultaneously: reducing isolating feelings, building resources like self-esteem and social support, potentially dampening our immediate stress reactions, and boosting overall well-being.
This doesn’t mean you should ditch your regular workout routine if it’s working for you. But adding some form of dance, whether it’s a structured class, social dancing, or just moving to music at home, might give you stress-fighting benefits that other exercises can’t match.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The researchers initially attempted a systematic literature review on dance and stress but found limited studies directly examining this relationship. They pivoted to a narrative review approach, incorporating research from psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology. Their team organized findings into three main categories: music and rhythm; partnering and social contact; and movement and physical activity. For each section, they presented evidence from psychological studies, neurobiological research, and socio-cultural perspectives.
Results
The review revealed that music activates the brain’s reward system while potentially lowering stress hormones. When combined with movement in dance, it creates unique states like “flow” that aren’t achieved through listening alone. Studies showed dancing with partners produces more positive effects than solo exercise, with synchronization promoting feelings of connection. The physical aspect of dance contributes to stress regulation through multiple pathways, including boosting endorphins and improving overall health. Notably, dance training improved cortisol regulation better than traditional aerobic exercise, suggesting benefits beyond mere fitness improvements.
Limitations
The authors acknowledge several constraints. Few studies directly examine recreational dance and stress, forcing them to broaden their approach. Their narrative review methodology lacks the systematic rigor that would minimize selection bias. They couldn’t address all relevant dance characteristics, omitting factors like communication, body awareness, and emotional expression. “Dance” encompasses many styles from structured routines to spontaneous movement, a complexity they couldn’t fully explore. Finally, it’s difficult to isolate which specific components (music, social contact, or movement) drive particular benefits.
Discussion and Takeaways
The researchers emphasize this review provides a first step toward understanding the complex relationship between dance and stress regulation. They argue dance uniquely integrates mind, body, and cultural elements, making it particularly effective for building coping skills and resilience. For the field of exercise psychology, they recommend moving beyond the traditional focus on exercise intensity to consider social components, touch, and musical elements. Understanding the mechanisms behind different exercise types could lead to more personalized and effective stress management recommendations.
Funding and Disclosures
The paper does not mention any specific funding sources or financial conflicts of interest.
Publication Information
The paper, “Dance and stress regulation: A multidisciplinary narrative review,” was authored by Sandra Klaperski-van der Wal, Jonathan Skinner, Jolanta Opacka-Juffry, and Kristina Pfeffer. It was published in Psychology of Sport & Exercise (volume 78, Article 102823) in 2025. The authors are affiliated with Radboud University (Netherlands), the University of Roehampton, the University of Surrey (UK), and the University of Southern Denmark.
Tough Mudder. CrossFit. Hyrox. Some of this century’s biggest fitness trends have one thing in common: they require feats of both strength and endurance. People used to pick a side: either you used weights and resistance machines to build your muscles or you did cardio for the sake of your heart and lungs. Now everyone wants to be a “hybrid athlete”. So is this the best way to get fit – and where do you start if you’re a complete beginner?
What exactly is hybrid training?
Matt Lee, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Deakin Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition in Australia, says: “Hybrid training – also known as concurrent training – combines cardio and resistance exercises (eg weights) within the same programme, performed either within a single session, or across separate sessions during the week.”
Where does it come from?
Hybrid training is not a new concept – official physical activity guidelines have long recommended a combination of strength and cardio exercises. But among athletes it was believed that endurance training had a negative impact on strength development (known as the “interference effect”); recent research has shown that is not the case.
Phil Price, a senior lecturer in strength and conditioning science at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, is the author of The Science of Hybrid Training. He says the term itself was coined by Alex Viada in his influential 2015 book, The Hybrid Athlete (which was updated last year). “He was a powerlifter and then he started running, so he was actively chasing two goals that don’t necessarily support one another,” Price says. “Hybrid came to mean a very clear focus on two separate goals that come from two separate sports.”
Why it is so popular now?
The hybrid concept has evolved, making it appeal to anyone who wants to get fitter and stronger. “It has been used for anything that requires an endurance component and a strength component,” says Price. “The rise of CrossFit really developed it and it’s definitely been utilised by those who do Hyrox.” CrossFit is a high-intensity workout combining cardio with elements of weightlifting and gymnastics; Hyrox is a fitness competition mixing running with burpees, kettlebell carries, sled pushes and more.
Thomas Jones, an associate professor of sport, exercise and rehabilitation at Northumbria University, says: “Hyrox, which is super-popular at the moment, is almost the definition of hybrid. Those events are aerobic-based, so there’s a running element, and then there’s also a strength element and a power element.” Organisers say more than 1 million people entered a Hyrox race during the 2025/26 season, which culminates with the world championships in Stockholm this month.
A hybrid scene has also developed through social media, says Price. “More and more people have created these hybrid goals of, for example, doing a 500lb [227kg] squat and on the same day running a sub-five-minute mile. People are online competing with each other and through that, the culture has really boomed.”
What are the benefits?
Lee says hybrid training has numerous benefits for overall health and wellbeing, as well as sports performance. “Research has shown hybrid training can improve strength, muscle mass, power, endurance, speed and agility,” he says. “Beyond physical gains, studies of people who do hybrid training such as CrossFit report perceived improvements in quality of life, reduced stress, increased self-esteem and social benefits.” A previous study found this sense of belonging was significantly higher at CrossFit gyms than at traditional ones.
And hybrid training is a boon for busy schedules. “For many people, lack of time is a major barrier to exercise,” says Lee. “Combining cardio and resistance exercises within a single session is a time-efficient way to meet training goals.” I can relate to that – the “warrior” class at my local gym combines treadmill or rowing intervals with free-weight sets, for a full-body workout in just 45 minutes.
Alexios Batrakoulis, an assistant professor of applied and clinical exercise physiology at European University Cyprus, has conducted extensive research into hybrid training. He has seen great results from participants completing a 30-minute circuit-style hybrid programme up to three times a week. After 10 to 12 months, he reports: “Previously inactive middle-aged adults with overweight/obesity have significant body mass and fat reduction, as well as improvements in performance, cardiometabolic and psychological health.” He found that people enjoyed these “moderate to vigorous” circuits more than “traditional moderate-intensity continuous training”.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Absolutely – with the caveat that you check with your GP if you have any existing injuries or health conditions (and pay no attention to social media challenges). Kim Way, a senior lecturer at the Deakin Institute and an exercise physiologist with Exercise and Sports Science Australia, says beginners should do a combination of aerobic and resistance training two or three times a week.
“Start with low- to moderate-intensity exercise to help the body get used to the different exercises and get used to a routine. Use intervals to help break up aerobic activity to get used to moderate intensity with some recovery as well,” she says. “The talk test is a great way to gauge if you are going too hard with aerobic exercise. Moderate-intensity does make you a bit breathless, but you’d still be able to maintain a conversation with someone or be able to sing.” Build a foundation with four to six weeks of consistent training before adding another day or a high-intensity session, she adds.
What sort of aerobic exercise should I do?
This depends on your goals, says Lee. If you want to build up to a Hyrox event, running is essential – each race includes eight 1km runs – as is training on skiing and rowing machines. If you just want to get fitter, running is one option, but you may enjoy others more. “Substituting other cardio options such as swimming or cycling can still improve cardiovascular fitness while reducing the risk of overuse injuries that may occur from high volumes of running,” says Lee.
And what sort of strength training?
Again, if you’re training with Hyrox in mind, it make sense to focus on the strength-based events in the races: sled push and pull, farmer’s carry, sandbag lunges, wall balls … If you’re new to these exercises, says Way, scale back the weights, reps and sets. But if you just want to improve your general strength, she recommends “whole-body, compound movements such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses, which will provide immense benefit”.
“Two of the biggest predictors of quality of life in old age are strength (one-rep max) and aerobic fitness (VO2 max),” says Jones. “Strength is what often gets neglected by those who are new to exercise – they just run.”
Does the order I do them in matter?
“Research, including my own, suggests the order of cardio and resistance exercise has little influence on improving cardio fitness,” says Lee. “However, if a person’s goal is to improve strength, some research suggests completing resistance exercise before cardio might lead to greater strength gains, and that greater recovery time between modes (more than three hours) may benefit explosive strength development (power) – but more research is needed on these.”
Do I need to join a gym?
“For people with limited exercise experience, gyms can be a great place to start, as they provide access to professionals who can help develop suitable training plans and guidance on techniques,” says Lee. If you want to get into CrossFit, for example, there are about 10,000 gyms in 150 countries.
You can do your own hybrid training on the gym floor, using the cardio and resistance machines and/or free weights, but another option is joining a hybrid-style class. “Group classes can provide a sense of community and social support, which may also help with motivation and consistency,” says Lee. Some gyms offer dedicated Hyrox classes; others to look out for include bootcamp, circuits, functional fitness, and strength and conditioning. “When joining a group class, always remember to listen to your body,” says Way. “It is OK to stop and have a break if your body is not used to what is happening.”
Going to the gym doesn’t necessarily mean committing to a year-long membership. Apps such as ClassPass enable you to buy credits to use at a variety of gyms, and there are no-contract, pay-monthly budget chains such as PureGym and the Gym Group (which also offer classes). Community centres often have low-cost hybrid-style workouts – my local one has an hour’s circuit training for £8 – and many parks have free sessions, such as the beginners’ bootcamps and other classes run by Our Parks across the UK.
Can’t I do hybrid training at home?
Absolutely – you can combine cardio with home strength training. For example, you could follow the NHS’s Couch to 5K running programme alongside Our Parks’ Couch to Fitness programme. Jones says: “Remember what Joe Wicks was doing during Covid? That would be hybrid training.” Wicks is still posting free videos on YouTube – a recent 20-minute “strength, cardio and abs” workout fits the hybrid bill.
You don’t need any specialist equipment, at least initially. “For people just getting started, body weight exercises are enough,” says Jones. “If you can’t do 10 good push-ups, that’s a really good place to start.” Way suggests squats, lunges and pull-ups alongside your push-ups. When you’re ready to move on, “Filling up a backpack with cans or water bottles can add load,” she says.
Batrakoulis says you don’t need to invest in heavy weights to progress further, but some “functional training tools” can be useful: resistance bands, kettlebells, exercise balls and medicine balls; even suspension straps and battle ropes, if you have space.
Jones is also a fan of outdoor gyms in parks: “They’re great because it gives you the opportunity to run and then jump in and do some pull-ups and body-weight exercises.”
How much training should I do?
Lee says: “For overall health, the World Health Organization recommends adults aged 18 to 64 engage in at least 150-300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 75-150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (or an equivalent combination of the two), plus muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity on two days a week.” But don’t try to go from zero to hero, says Way: “If you are not currently meeting these guidelines, a slow and gradual buildup in activity is recommended.”
This is especially important in hybrid training, says Price, because of the various demands it puts on the body. “The endurance exercise is going to fatigue things in different ways to the resistance exercise. The high-intensity stuff is going to fatigue your body in different ways to the long-duration, low-intensity stuff. All of a sudden you’ve got a mix of everything.” His advice is to “start off slowly and progress very slowly because you don’t know how well your body will respond to the different stimuli and how close they are together”. The good news? “The body is really adaptable and will start to deal with that type of mixed stress quite well.”
Should I do cardio and strength training in the same session?
If you’re doing hybrid classes, clearly yes. Otherwise, says Jones, it’s down to preference and time. “I cycle some days and I lift weights other days. But some people wouldn’t like that approach. My wife, for instance, loves getting out in the garden and doing a circuit. So whatever works for you will be effective.”
Should I train every day?
No – rest days are essential. “It’s important to allow enough recovery time between sessions, not only for adaptations to occur, but to also minimise the risks of overuse injuries and overtraining,” says Lee. Way says beginners need at least 24-48 hours of recovery between sessions to help the body adjust.
Prioritise sleep. “Sleep for all exercise is really quite important. I think people underestimate that,” says Price. “I see it like a triad. Quite often if people are struggling with their training or they have a niggling recurring injury, they think there must be something that they’re doing wrong in training. But they need to go and make sure that they’re getting enough water, their nutrition’s right and they’re getting enough sleep. Quite a lot of the time, it’s their everyday life that isn’t providing that support to recover for them.”
Do I need to change my diet?
“As long as you’re getting good protein and carbs between sessions and lots of water, you should be good to go,” says Price. Specifically, he says, you need sufficient amounts of the amino acid leucine, which is found in most protein sources (meat, fish, cheese, beans, nuts, seeds, tofu etc). “Whenever the body tries to respond to the training stress from a strength point of view, the intake of protein is one of the signals to spark protein synthesis, which then improves muscle hypertrophy [growth]. So you’re trying to avoid that molecular process getting disrupted.”
Protein is often prioritised these days, but don’t overlook carbohydrates. “Carbohydrates broken down can get stored into muscle glycogen [fuel], and both strength and endurance training can reduce those stores. So if you’ve trained, you want to make sure that anything that was used from the previous session has been replenished,” says Price.
And finally … where do I sign up for the Hyrox world championships?
Sadly, that is invite-only for the top 0.5% of athletes. How about a Hyrox cruise instead?
Our team decided the TRX Home 2 System is the best multipurpose piece of compact home gym equipment you can invest in, thanks to its lightweight and multipurpose functions. I love that it supports both resistance training and cardio workouts while taking up zero surface area of my shoebox apartment.
All you do is hook the TRX Home 2 System onto the back of a door, beam, or pole with the included anchors. The hooks and suspension straps stay in place (which is essential for safety) while executing explosive movements like lunges and squats. In my apartment, I attached it to the back of my door and was able to install it properly on my first attempt. It’s never budged, no matter how much weight I put on it.
After using it a dozen times, I never lost balance or felt at risk of injury. It may look flimsy, but I attest it’s strong and mighty. For further stability, the straps feature grippy handles, which Sheridan recommends.
I know this product is top-notch because it has superior durability to withstand high-resistance, low-impact workouts. With weekly use, the anchors are not worn out and still feel good as new—you get what you pay for! Plus, the TRX Home 2 System was specifically designed by a Navy Seal over 20 years ago and has proven its effectiveness.
As a runner, it’s excellent for cross-training muscles I wouldn’t otherwise use, and stretching out my tired limbs. I plan on also using it on vacation for quick hotel room workouts because I need my daily endorphins.
Read More: Best Portable Home Gyms
In addition to the psychological impact, there are physical risks associated with following online fitness trends.
The experts cautioned that some activities may not be suitable for all individuals, and may even result in over-exertion or injury for some people.
This is often due to their high intensity and specificity in the muscle groups trained.
Ms Nur Amelina Azlan, a physiotherapist at Heal360 Physioclinic, said: “For example, pilates is very postural, very focused on the core muscles, whereas something like your spin class is more cardiovascular.
“But what we need is both elements together, not just one over the other.”
MAKING FITNESS “FIT” YOU
So, if what works for other people may not be the best for different people with different needs, how does one find what works for oneself?
Mr Martin John, clinical director at Orchard Health Clinic, which offers physiotherapy among other services, said that the first step is to be honest about your starting point.
“How is your energy? How is your sleep? How stressed are you? How much do you sit? How well do you move?
“Those are important questions because exercise should match the person, not the trend.”
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