Is Dance Good for Weight Gain During Perimenopause?
Perimenopause weight gain is frustrating and common. Dance can help you burn calories, preserve muscle, and make movement feel enjoyable again. Here is the practical picture.
Why Weight Gain Happens in Perimenopause
Weight gain during perimenopause, particularly around the abdomen, is one of the most common complaints women bring to their GP. It is not simply about eating more or moving less. Declining estrogen causes fat redistribution from the hips and thighs toward the abdomen. Insulin sensitivity decreases, making it easier to store fat and harder to burn it. Muscle mass also declines, which lowers resting metabolic rate. Cortisol tends to be higher, further promoting fat storage around the middle. Understanding this hormonal picture helps explain why old strategies that worked in your 30s may no longer be effective.
How Dance Helps with Weight Management
Dance is a genuinely effective calorie-burning exercise. Depending on the style and intensity, dancing burns between 200 and 400 calories per hour, comparable to cycling or swimming. More importantly, it is enjoyable enough that women actually do it consistently, which is far more valuable than any single workout. Dance also preserves and builds lean muscle through the resistance of bodyweight movement, and muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat. Regular dance sessions contribute to a higher resting metabolic rate, which is exactly what perimenopause tends to suppress.
Cortisol, Stress, and Belly Fat
One of the underappreciated drivers of perimenopause weight gain is elevated cortisol. Chronic stress causes the body to store fat preferentially in the abdomen, a pattern that becomes much more pronounced when estrogen is low. Dance is a particularly good exercise for this issue because it reduces cortisol while simultaneously burning calories. High-intensity exercise that feels like a punishment can actually raise cortisol further. Dance tends to lower it, because enjoyment and music both counteract the stress response. This makes it a smarter choice for abdominal fat than punishing cardio sessions you dread.
Dance Styles That Burn the Most Calories
If calorie burn is a priority, higher-intensity styles like Zumba, dance cardio, hip hop, or swing dancing will deliver more than slower styles. That said, any style is better than none, and consistency always beats intensity. A 30-minute Zumba session three times a week will produce better results over six months than an intense class you attend twice and abandon. If you are new to exercise, start with beginner dance fitness videos at home and build up from there. Your joints will thank you for the low-impact nature of most dance styles compared to running or jumping.
Pairing Dance with Nutrition for Better Results
Dance will support weight management most effectively when paired with a diet that prioritises protein and manages blood sugar. Perimenopause reduces insulin sensitivity, so reducing refined carbohydrates and increasing protein intake helps stabilise blood sugar and preserve muscle mass. Protein also increases satiety, making it easier to eat less without feeling deprived. You do not need to follow a strict diet. Small adjustments, more vegetables, more protein, fewer processed foods, alongside regular dancing, create a sustainable foundation for managing perimenopausal weight changes.
Setting Realistic Expectations
Dance can absolutely help you manage your weight during perimenopause, but it works best when you reframe the goal. Rather than trying to return to a body you had at 35, focus on what your body can do, how you feel in it, and the habits that support long-term health. Perimenopause changes body composition in ways that exercise alone cannot fully reverse. The goal is not perfection; it is staying strong, energised, and well. Dance supports all of those outcomes while being genuinely enjoyable, which is something that most weight management approaches fail to achieve.
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