Why Technique Matters More Than the Beat

How to be your own teacher in group fitness so the class works for your body

I recently took a dance workout class in New York City. It was fun, the music, the energy, the choreography, but it reminded me why I don’t usually go to those classes. If I had a free moment in the city, I’d rather take a traditional dance class or yoga because those spaces invite me inward. In this one, I found myself distracted, wanting to put on blinders because as I watched everyone move, my teacher’s eye couldn’t help but notice the lack of technique.

Dance workout classes today remind me so much of the old aerobics era, fun and full of energy, but often hard on the joints over time. Not because dancing is bad, but because most people are moving without awareness of how their body is taking on the impact. High impact plus poor mechanics is what creates wear and tear.

In a traditional dance class, the warm up is designed to connect you to your body. It turns on the muscles you’ll need later, builds stability, and prepares your joints for load. That foundation is what protects your body. In many modern follow the beat classes, that piece is missing. The emphasis becomes keeping up rather than tuning in, performing rather than sensing.

But the answer is not to avoid these classes altogether. You can absolutely take them in a way that supports your body instead of depleting it. You just need to treat yourself like your own teacher inside the group setting.

Check out an example of moving with intention versus a beat here:

🎥 Form Check!

How to make a dance cardio class safer for your body

Warm yourself up first

Before class even starts, take a few minutes to connect to your breath, core, and glutes. This can be done at home or in the hallway or corner of the studio. Arriving “on” protects your joints once the choreography ramps up.

Take things slowly at first

You don’t have to match the room immediately. Let your body organize the pattern before you add speed, height, or full range.

Modify for what your body needs

You can always take a jump out, change the angle of a kick, or ground a movement that feels unstable. Modifying is not doing less. It is doing what is correct for your body in that moment.

Release the urge to compete

Group classes can feel unintentionally competitive, but you are not there to keep up. You are there to care for your body. Choreography is just there to make it fun. The quality of the movement always matters more than the shape.

Be your own advocate

The teacher guides the room, but they cannot tailor the class to your history, your joints, or your nervous system. A good teacher wants you to take ownership of what you need in order to feel safe, supported, and strong.

When you approach movement this way, you can enjoy the energy of a group class without sacrificing your body. Movement becomes expressive and mindful. Inspired, but also intelligent.

This is also why dancing in your living room can feel so nourishing. There is no mirror, no one to race, no pressure to perform. You move because it feels good, not because it looks good. That is somatic awareness in its purest form.

Movement should feel like something you return to for life, not something you recover from. When the foundation is there, freedom follows.

✨ Take five minutes today to move just for you. Turn on music you love, close your eyes, and let your body lead. That is where strength becomes effortless and joy becomes medicine.

With love,

Regan