Dancing is the simplest form of exercise one can do. But it is also the most overlooked activity that can keep your body in shape. For many who dance, it is not for exercise, but just to fulfill other desires.

Sure, experts maintain that once someone gets to the point where they are getting their heart rate up, they are actually getting a terrific workout.

Dance is a weight-bearing activity, which builds bones. It’s also wonderful for your upper body and strength, online sources say.

It’s like going clubbing and then a Congolese rumba sends you shaking your bones and joints to the last of their flexibility. Minutes later, your shirt will be sticking to your back as sweat takes its effect on you.

No wonder, therefore, that aerobics, a form of exercise that increases the need for oxygen but mainly through dance routines, became a fad in gyms.

Felix Muvonyi, a gym trainer at Befit24hrs gym, says for beginners, physical activity may be quite challenging. 

"In trying to capture the attention and achieve full participation in training, we play music while training so that people follow the rhythm of the beats.”

"The music starts at a slow pace and as training progresses; more people get involved in the dance. At this point we increase the tempo,” Muvonyi adds.

Amelia Ndacyoyinenga said she used to jog regularly but boredom and schedules later saw her stop. Weight came forth and she enrolled for a gym.

"My expectations were far away from choreographic kind of training. But later loved the idea because in one month, I had shed off about four kilogrammes,” Ndacyoinenga said.

Depending on the genre of music, the effect is always an impact on heart beat as well as movements of body joints. 

Dr Leo Ngeruka, a surgery specialist at Rwanda Millitary Hospital, Kanombe, says small exercises improve blood circulation within the entire body system. 

"Much as idea of dancing seems funny, it cannot be ruled out that it is physical activity and not very different from taking a walk after work,” he says.

"From the cardiovascular point of view, physical activity improve the heart rate as well as the flow of oxygenated blood throughout the entire body system.”

Everyone can at least perform something simple such as dance move, an activity that involves the heart and body systems in unison, including the brain, the muscles and all limbs, so fitness is a must, Dr Ngeruka adds.

Besides blood improving blood circulation, taking on dance moves helps increase body activity, which allows the release of toxins from the body system through sweating. 

Dr Vicent Karuhanga, a physician at Friends Polyclinic, says most people ignore simple activities like dancing yet it keeps their bodies fit with no inconvenience. 

"Programmed exercise bores people, especially the working class, and yet when you exercise while dancing, there are lots of styles and motions you can develop in a single session that draw you more into the exercise,” Dr Karuhanga says.

In dance, aerobic exercise can be achieved by jumping, swaying, winding while anaerobic exercises include holding squat positions, lifting someone else or your own body, and balancing.”

Muvonyi says during training, some people target the aerobics which include, losing weight through burning out fat, while others may target cardiac wellness that improves the functionality of the heart muscles.

"Dance moves cannot be exhausted. It is difficult to get bored when creating new dance moves. You can try formal dance moves and a few steps in your sitting room every morning,” Muvonyi says.

Dr Ngeruka adds: "It’s not a costly venture to exercise at home. You can dance even when enjoying your favourite music programme, without necessarily engaging in a vigorous activity.”

Muscle flexibility

Muscle flexibility is improved through the dancing exercise. While dancing, the body stretches and muscles too get involved. 

Normal jogging, on the other hand, helps burn down fat but does not involve the entire muscular system. With dancing, chances of injury during falls as well as sprains are reduced.

A 2012 report by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 2012 indicates that teaching dance to a small group of older adults twice a week for six months was enough to improve their memory and cognitive function on many tests. 

Also, research shows that ballroom dancing at least twice a week made people less likely to develop dementia.

Scientist also believe that  when people with Alzheimer's disease dance to beats, they can recall part of their forgotten memories since dancing certain steps boost brain power.

Physical activity increases the rate at which antibodies flow through the blood stream, boosting immunity, according to the UK National Institutes of Health. 

The increased body temperature generated during moderate exercise can help prevent bacterial growth.

Regular dancing builds stamina and endurance, the ability of muscles to work hard for increasingly longer periods of time without fatigue. The more vigorous the type of dance, the greater the benefit.