Dance Yourself Fit—an Interview with Mike Peele

Physical inactivity is a global health challenge. It's associated with adverse health effects related to aging, weight control, physical function, longevity, and overall quality of life.

Dancing is a form of physical activity I've covered in the past (like in this article about BodyGroove) because dance is associated with health benefits across our lifespans. And no, you don’t have to be a professional dancer (or even be on TikTok) to get the benefits.

In a recent meta-study, researchers systematically reviewed the literature on the effectiveness of structured dance interventions, in comparison to other structured exercise programs, on physical health outcome measures.

After reviewing 11,434 studies, a variety of dance genres and structured exercise interventions were compared. This meta-analysis showed that dance interventions significantly improved body composition, blood biomarkers, and musculoskeletal function. The effect of either intervention on cardiovascular function and self-perceived mobility was equivalent.

Dance interventions significantly improved body composition, blood biomarkers, and musculoskeletal function.

The study concluded that “undertaking structured dance of any genre is equally and occasionally more effective than other types of structured exercise for improving a range of health outcome measures. Health practitioners can recommend structured dance as a safe and effective exercise alternative.”

Special guest Mike Peele on dance and fitness

None of this will come as any surprise to my special guest, Mike Peele. He's no stranger to the benefits of dance. In fact, Mike was recently asked by Verv.com to add his Hip-Hop Fit videos to their workout library.

Brock:

Mike, you have a degree in film and television, you've worked with artists like Beyonce, Rihanna, and Madonna. You've been featured in a ton of national commercials, feature films, and you are a two-time Fitness Universe and a two-time Fitness American champion plus an accomplished dancer and choreographer. Every good superhero has a creation story. So what's your creation story?

Mike:

Oh, gosh. My creation story is that I come from a single-parent household. My mother raised me by herself. She did an amazing job. She instilled in me hard work, dedication, not giving up on myself, and believing in all of my talents.

I am the type of person that's just like 'There's nothing that I can't do.' And if I can't do it right now, you...

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