Sophie Ellis-Bextor was proper…kitchen discos actually ARE good for you, say scientists
When Sophie Ellis-Bextor put out her online Kitchen Disco shows during Covid, she may have been on to something more than a spot of lockdown lambada.
The singer got the nation on its feet and lifted our spirits at a time when the pandemic meant people couldn’t mix.
But Ms Ellis-Bextor, 45, who has continued the concept on her own Radio 2 show, also seems to have ushered in a fun fitness trend that can be as effective as going to the gym or out for a run.
Researchers have found that you can achieve the recommended amount of weekly exercise simply by dancing in your kitchen for 20 minutes each day.
Adults are advised to exercise at a moderate to vigorous intensity for 150 minutes every week.
Scientists have long known that dancing can boost heart health, improve balance and flexibility and even reduce the risk of death – and now research has shown that breaking out some moves at home works just as well as the commonest ways to improve fitness, which include jogging, swimming or aerobics.
In the study, experts worked out just how much bathroom boogying or staircase samba was needed to qualify as ‘moderate’ exercise.
They recruited 48 participants aged 18 to 83, some of whom had no dance experience and others with up to 56 years of training.
When Sophie Ellis-Bextor (pictured) put out her online Kitchen Disco shows during Covid, she may have been on to something more than a spot of lockdown lambada
The singer got the nation on its feet and lifted our spirits at a time when the pandemic meant people couldn’t mix
The volunteers were asked to take part in five-minute, free-form bouts of dance, both with and without music.
During the sessions their oxygen intake and their heart rate were measured to determine the intensity of the exercise.
Analysis revealed that all participants reached at least a moderate physical activity level across all dance bouts, but they were more likely to achieve a higher heart and respiratory rate when dancing to music.
The research was led by Dr Aston McCullough, from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Boston, which was held over the weekend, he said: ‘The main idea was to understand whether the intensity that people would receive from dancing freely on their own would be enough to be a health-enhancing physical activity. And the answer was yes.
Researchers have found that you can achieve the recommended amount of weekly exercise simply by dancing in your kitchen for 20 minutes each day (pictured: Sophie Ellis Bextor kitchen disco one year anniversary)
In the study, experts worked out just how much bathroom boogying or staircase samba was needed to qualify as ‘moderate’ exercise (file image)
‘All adults were able to reach a health-enhancing level of activity without being told what intensity to dance at.
‘They just put on their own music and danced around – and even when they didn’t have music on they were still reaching that level. The main idea for us is that dance is a really accessible form of physical activity that people can do, even in their homes.
‘Most people think of dance as something light and easy, but, really, if you just tell someone to “have a dance” they’re going to get to that level of intensity that you would ask them to do if you were a personal trainer.’
Dr McCullough, whose study was published in the journal Plos One, said dancing was good for our health because it was of aerobic activity that could also include some resistance or body-weight training.
