As hard as it is to believe, 2025 is right around the corner and will be here before we know it. While looking ahead to the future will always cause some feelings of uncertainty, there are some things the new year brings every time without fail: That one neighbor who won’t let you sleep because they’re setting off fireworks past 2 a.m, the fact that you WILL see Ryan Seacrest on TV regardless of whether or not you want to, and of course, New Year's resolutions.
Nearly half the country participates in making New Year's resolutions, with the most popular goals being improving fitness and losing weight, shortly followed by improving mental health, which also consistently makes the top five. Unfortunately, research shows that a whopping 81% of Americans will bail on these goals by February, and it’s not too hard to understand why. Making strides in your health, both physical and mental, can be challenging. But what if I told you there was a way to get in better shape, lose weight, and improve your mental health, all while making friends in a supportive community that makes you never want to quit? That’s right, I’m talking about dancing, the ultimate cure to resolution burnout. Let’s break it down (Get it? It’s a dance pun).
Let’s kick things off with two of the most popular resolutions, improving fitness and losing weight. When people set out to get in better shape, they often head straight to the gym, but dancing can be just as beneficial—and sometimes even more effective—than traditional workouts. Research shows that dancing offers a host of physical benefits like building muscle and bone, reducing fat, increasing aerobic capacity, lowering blood pressure, and improving cholesterol levels. These are the same goals people often pursue at the gym, but dancing delivers them as well (and in a much more enjoyable way). What’s more, dancing works your body in ways that repetitive gym exercises can’t. The dynamic movements required in dance target a wider range of muscles, many of which are often ignored in traditional workouts like benching or squatting. And if your goal is weight loss, dancing excels here too. Its highly aerobic nature helps you burn more calories than you would with many gym routines. This creates the energy deficit you need if you want to shed pounds. Plus, research shows an increased muscle mass (which you obtain through the aforementioned dynamic movements that target more muscles) means you continue burning calories even when at rest, which makes weight loss easier to sustain. So while everyone crowds the gyms in January, where the best workout you’ll get is fighting people for open equipment like it’s Black Friday, stay out of that madness. You don’t need a gym to get fit, lose weight, and stay healthy—all you need is a dance floor.
Moving on to another one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions, improving your mental health. Just as dancing strengthens your body, it also works wonders for your mind. Dancing has been proven to release endorphins, a feel good chemical that helps lower anxiety and depression, in your brain. Dancing also lowers the level of cortisol, also known as “the stress hormone”, in your brain, meaning with every step you can literally feel the stress leave your body. But science terms aside, doesn’t it just make sense? Dancing is FUN. You get to move freely, express yourself, and let loose while listening to music, which to me sounds a lot more exciting than listening to people grunt while lifting weights so that everyone in the gym knows how cool they are. Dancing is easily one of the most uplifting forms of exercise out there, and with that comes massive improvements to your mental health.
If you somehow still aren’t convinced that dancing should be your New Year’s resolution for 2025, let’s go over what truly sets dancing apart as the best possible resolution: The fact that you’re more likely to stick with it. Dancing is often done in a community (like our classes at Jordan Mac Adult Dance), and research shows that those who tackle their New Year’s resolutions in a group of some kind are far more likely to stick to them. Being surrounded by other people with the same goal as you makes you feel less alone, more motivated, and keeps you accountable. The dance floor is meant to be shared with friends, unlike the gym, where you have to deal with that one a**hole who somehow has “dibs” on every single piece of equipment. But most importantly, as I’ve already mentioned—and it's worth repeating—dancing is just plain FUN! People are more likely to stick to their goals when they enjoy the process, and dancing can provide that for you. This powerful combination of freedom, joy, and energy makes dancing a form of exercise that feels less like a chore and more like a celebration, which significantly increases your chances of sticking to your resolutions.
So, let’s recap: dancing doesn’t just help you accomplish three of the most popular New Year's resolutions—improving fitness, mental health, and losing weight—it also makes it easier to stay committed because it's genuinely enjoyable. No more dragging yourself to the gym; instead, you’ll look forward to every session. It’s a winning combination of joy, movement, and community support that sets you up for success in the long run. So why wait? Sign up for one of our classes and let’s dance our way to—and through—2025, the year where your wellbeing finally takes center stage.
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