Well+Good’s Trainer of the Month Club is all about giving you bite-sized workouts that fit into your daily schedule. And while we usually release weekly high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, or yoga workouts, this week, we’re shaking things up. In this episode, dance educator Kiné Camara is taking you through a 20-minute Afro groove dance routine to shake up your workout routine and get those feel-good dance endorphins flowing.
True to its name, Afro dance refers to a style of energetic and fun rhythmic movement that originated in Africa. And even if you’re brand-new to this groove, don’t worry: Camara’s got you. “If you’ve never done Afro dance before, have no fear! We’re going to…[be] covering some fundamentals and techniques for you guys, so you feel like a star today,” she says.
Like all forms of dance, Camara’s Afro groove packs some serious physical and mental benefits. Physically, dance is a full-body workout that allows you to move every muscle in your body,” Sadie Kurzban, the founder and CEO of 305 Fitness, previously told Well+Good. “Through dance, you also get the added benefit of connecting brain with body. You’re learning a ton of coordination, agility, neuromuscular control, and balance—the kinds of skills that help you in any kind of athletic realm, but also definitely help you as you age to preserve your memory and everyday function.”
Plus, learning choreography and moving to the beat could even earn you a “dancer’s high” thanks to all those free-flowing happiness chemicals known as endorphins.
If you’re ready to experience this routine for yourself, go ahead, hit play on the video, and let Camara be your guide to Afro dance.
