Apple WatchOS 7 has a new feature that allows you to track dance workouts [1], including dance cardio, hip-hop, Latin (Zumba), or Bollywood. I already use the Workout app on my Apple Watch to track my runs and walks, so I was excited to test it out while following a dance workout video.
As long as you have an Apple Watch Series 3 and later, you can access this new feature. All you need to do is tap the Workout app on your Apple Watch (it's the green circle with the black figure running), then scroll down to Dance. This app allows you to track active calories, total calories, and your average heart rate. I tested it with two dance cardio workouts: a 30-minute PlyoJam Workout [2] and a 20-minute DanceBody workout [3]. Keep reading to see my results.
30-Minute All-Levels Cardio Dance Workout
The first workout I tracked was this 30-minute PlyoJam dance workout with Stacey Beaman [5]. There was a lot of jumping, arm movements, and smiling! This workout was fun but definitely not super intense.
30-Minute Dance Workout Calorie Tracking Results Shown on the Apple Watch
Here's what the Apple Watch screen looked like when I ended the dance workout. It tracks workout time, active calories, and total calories. Active calories [6] are those you burn while actually exercising (in this case, dancing). Total calories include both active calories and resting calories, which are those your body burns when you perform basic functions like breathing and as you go throughout your day.
30-Minute Dance Workout Heart Rate Tracking Results Shown on the Apple Watch
If you continue scrolling down, you'll see the heart-rate results. I like how it shows you the low to high range of your beats per minute (BPM). My range was 63 to 152 BPM, with a 101 BPM average.
30-Minute Dance Workout Tracking Results Shown on the Apple iPhone
You can see your workout results on the Fitness app on your iPhone. It's helpful to see all the data on one screen. I also like the heart-rate graph at the bottom, so you can see what parts of the workout were the most and least active.
Compared to a 30-minute brisk walk that includes hills, which for me burns about 182 active calories, and a 30-minute run, which burns about 217 calories, 128 active calories seems pretty low. My heart rate definitely gets higher walking or running, as high as 172 BPM, compared to 152 during this dance workout, so I assume that's why the calorie count is higher when I do those activities.
A 20-Minute Athletic Dance Cardio Workout
The second workout I tracked was this 20-minute DanceBody workout that combines dance-inspired cardio and strengthening exercises. This workout was definitely more cardio-driven, with tons more jumping, kicking, and moving around the room.
20-Minute Dance Workout Calorie Tracking Results Shown on the Apple Watch
This 20-minute workout burned 96 active calories and 124 total calories.
20-Minute Dance Workout Heart Rate Tracking Results Shown on the Apple Watch
My heart-rate range for this 20-minute dance cardio workout was 78 to 151 BPM, with a 112 BPM average. Like I mentioned earlier, I was definitely moving around more!
20-Minute Dance Workout Tracking Results Shown on the Apple iPhone
Here's the overview shown on the iPhone, so you can see workout time, active and total calories, and heart rate all at once.
If getting more accurate calorie credit for your dance workouts is important to you, you're going to love this new feature on the Apple Watch. I'm more of a runner and into strength training, so mixing it up with these dance cardio workouts was fun! It's a great workout option for cold or rainy days, and having this option to track dance workouts motivates me to do them more.