Life

Science Says The Most Dangerous Type Of Dancing Is Actually Your Fave Workout

by Emma Madden
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Base jumping, parkour, bull running, free climbing, and now... Zumba? Yep, that's right. Apparently, Zumba is actually quite dangerous. But don't worry, you can still enjoy the funky chicken (still zero casualties there), a quick floss, or even a twerk is fair game. Although Cher's a big fan of the Colombia dance craze, so if her personal assistant is reading this, please remove it from her schedule immediately. Cher must be protected at all costs, and Zumba is far too risky for someone so precious. That's because it's now been revealed that Zumba is the most dangerous type of dancing.

Prepare to break a sweat, not at your usual dance class, but by penning a very stern letter to your gym's Zumbra instructor. "Dear Sal, I can't help but feel like you're going against health and safety regulations here. If there's still a Zumba class, there might as well be a freefall sky diving class too." That's because, as the Daily Mail reported on Sept. 17, Zumba is the world's most dangerous type of dance. How? You ask. Well, you're more likely to step on people's toes, apparently. The horror! The literal toe curling findings were uncovered in a recent study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

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The study was conducted by researchers at Coventry University, who polled 450 Salsa dancers between the ages of 18 and 64. They asked these participants about their warm up routines and the injuries they received from different dance styles. And of course, Zumba came out way on top. While the study found that women were more likely to get injured than men (the study estimates that 22 percent of women are injured during a dance class each year, while for men it's only 14 percent), the apparent dangers of Zumba outweighs those of Salsa. The researchers found that there is an average of 3.9 percent (what's the missing 0.1 percent about? A missing toe?) injuries for every 1,000 hours of Zumba, compared to Salsa's 1.1 percent.

In my opinion, it may be more dangerous just because it's more fun. At a Zumba workout, you'll have less audible cues and instructions than you would in most other classes, making it feel more like a dance party than a workout session. And like any good party, a Zumba class is supposed to be highly energetic and exuberant, meaning that you'll naturally be less concerned about stepping on someone's toes than you will be breaking a sweat. In this case, the study's author, Dr. Pablo Domene, says to "avoid wearing open-toed shoes," since one of Zumba's problems is its overcrowding.

However, it's not all bad news. The same scientists from this study previously concluded that even a single salsa class could make you more intelligent. The previous study claimed that a class was likely to boost your understanding, focus and memory. And, as we've also reported, Zumba is excellent for relieving anxiety. In fact, it ranked first on Mindbodygreen's list of top workouts for anxiety. So, maybe Zumba's worth stepping on a few people's toes for.