If you have participated in a ballroom competition, you probably know how physically demanding a competition is. A typical competition runs from very early in the morning and until around midnight. If you are a lady competitor, you need to get up very early to do your hair and makeup and be ready for your first heat of the day. In addition, if you are doing any of the multi-dance events, be it 3 dance or 5 dance, you need stamina. Without stamina, you’ll be huffing and puffing toward the end and you may not be able to show off your true skills for the jive, a killer dance set for the last in a five-dance event.

Endurance and stamina don’t come naturally. You need to build it. As competitive dancing is a sport as well as an art, training tips for athletes are equally helpful for dancers. One of the most effective ways to build endurance is interval training.

Interval Training vs. Tradition Training
The traditional training method to build endurance is to do a moderate exercise for a long period of time, say 60 min., at a constant intensity level. Interval training, however, involves with alternating short bouts of high intensity workout and rest periods. One recent study shows that interval training is a time-efficient way to develop endurance.

Here’s a summary from the study quoted from here.

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada recruited 20 healthy men and women whose average age was 23. All of the study subjects rode stationary bikes. Some exercised five days a week, doing 40 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling. Others did four to six sets of 30-second sprints on the cycle, allowing 4.5 minutes of recovery time between sets; their total exercise time was about 15 to 25 minutes just three days a week.

After six weeks, the researchers found that the intense sprint interval training improved the structure and function of arteries as much as traditional, longer endurance exercise.

Time Efficiency
As are many other competitive ballroom dancers, I work full time, go to a gym regularly, and practice dancing every day. So, I am all for efficiency. I do want to economize my time at the gym but warm-ups (10 min.), main exercise (alternating cardio (30 – 40 min.) and weight training (50 min.)), and after-workout stretching (30 – 40 min.) add up fast. So, if I can do 20 – 25 min. of interval training at least twice a week, it saves me some time.

Structure of Interval Training
The structure of interval training is similar to a multi-dance event in a competition. Yes, the rest between the dances is shorter than typical interval training but it only lasts 10 miin. or so.

The Length of Each Portion of the Interval
If you look around the internet, you will see some set length for each part of the interval. But as a beginner in interval training, I use my heart rate as a guide and run on a treadmill at my gym because it has a nice cushion for running. I splint for at least 1 min. to raise my heart rate above 145 and walk as long as it takes for my heart rate to come down to 110 or so. I just started this regimen about 2 weeks ago, so I haven’t felt any immediate change but I’m hoping I’ll have more stamina in a few months.

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