Is Dance Good for Anxiety During Perimenopause?
Perimenopause anxiety can feel relentless. Dance is one of the most effective and enjoyable ways to calm your nervous system and reduce anxious feelings. Here is how it helps.
Anxiety and Perimenopause: Why It Happens
Many women who have never struggled with anxiety find it arriving suddenly in perimenopause. Declining and fluctuating estrogen affects the amygdala, the brain's threat-detection centre, making it more reactive. Progesterone, which has a calming, GABA-like effect, also drops during this transition. The result can be a persistent sense of dread, racing thoughts, physical tension, or sudden waves of panic that feel disproportionate to circumstances. Exercise is one of the most evidence-backed non-pharmacological tools for managing anxiety, and dance is among the most accessible forms.
How Dance Calms an Anxious Nervous System
Rhythmic, repetitive movement is a natural regulator of the nervous system. Dance combines this with music, which activates the brain's reward pathways and lowers cortisol. Physical movement burns off the excess adrenaline that anxiety produces, reducing the physical sensations of tension and restlessness. Research shows that regular aerobic exercise reduces anxiety as effectively as medication in mild to moderate cases. Dance adds a further dimension: it demands just enough mental focus, following a rhythm, remembering steps, responding to music, to interrupt the cycle of anxious rumination.
Present-Moment Awareness Through Movement
Anxiety is largely about the future. Dance pulls you into the present. When you are moving to music you cannot simultaneously be rehearsing worst-case scenarios. This is a form of embodied mindfulness, not by sitting still and observing your breath, but by moving your whole body and letting the music guide your attention. Women who struggle to maintain traditional mindfulness practices often find dance a more natural fit. The grounding effect can last well beyond the session itself.
What Styles of Dance Work Best
Almost any dance style will help, so the best one is whichever you will actually do consistently. That said, styles with strong rhythmic structure like salsa, swing, or Zumba tend to be particularly effective because the beat acts as an external regulator for your nervous system. Slower styles like contemporary or lyrical dance allow for emotional expression, which can also be therapeutic for anxiety. If classes feel too exposing, a dance fitness video at home is a perfectly valid starting point.
Building a Sustainable Dance Practice
Start small. Even two ten-minute dance sessions per week will have a measurable effect on anxiety over time. Consistency is more important than duration. Try putting on a playlist when you are already feeling tense and simply moving around your space for as long as feels natural. Over time, your nervous system begins to associate the music and movement with calm, making it easier to access that state. If you enjoy the social aspect, a weekly class adds accountability and connection.
Combining Dance with Other Anxiety Strategies
Dance works well alongside other anxiety management approaches. It pairs naturally with reduced caffeine intake, good sleep habits, and stress reduction practices. If your anxiety is severe, please speak to your GP, as perimenopause-related anxiety often responds well to hormone therapy or talking therapies like CBT. Dance is best used as a complementary tool, one that makes other strategies more effective by regulating your baseline nervous system state. Tracking your symptoms over time can help you notice whether your anxiety is improving.
Related reading
Get your personalized daily plan
Track symptoms, match workouts to your day type, and build a routine that adapts with you through every phase of perimenopause.