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The 5-Minute Dance Cardio Workout You Should Do Before Your Next Big Meeting

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Katia Pryce/McKenzie Cordell

If there’s one thing the honorable Elle Woods taught us (besides, of course, the bend and snap) it’s that exercise gives us endorphins and endorphins make us happy. Though not the strongest of legal arguments, the logic is sound, with numerous scientific studies confirming the endorphin-producing effects of aerobic activity, which have been proven to result in pain relief, stress relief and improved mood.

With no shortage of exercise options to choose from, the gym is your oyster, but we’d argue that dancing is by far the most fun. And according to the scientists at Harvard (what, like it’s hard?) multiple studies have shown that dancing can also help “develop new neural connections, especially in regions involved in executive function, long-term memory and spatial recognition,” meaning not only are you working your body, you’re also working the brain.

With that in mind, we turned to an expert–Dancebody founder Katia Pryce–to learn a quick and easy dance cardio workout that can lift your mood and boost your confidence in just five minutes flat. “This five-step series can be done as a whole or broken down throughout the day,” she explains. “Each one-minute burst is meant to boost mood, increase productivity and get the blood flowing.”

Almost too fun to be called a workout, we love mixing in these moves to break up the work day, but they’re especially effective before a big meeting or presentation to help calm our nerves and clear our heads so we can exude poise and confidence (just like Elle). Read on for five dance cardio moves Pryce can’t get enough of.

Meet The Expert

Katia Pryce is the founder and CEO of Dancebody, an in-person and digital workout platform that offers dance cardio and sculpt classes.

A 6-Minute Inner Thigh Workout for the Lazy Girl in All of Us


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Katia Pryce/McKenzie Cordell

 1. Ponies

If you’re looking to feel…happiness.

“Nothing gets me happier than the classic pony move. You can’t be in a bad mood while doing this,” Pryce says. “This back-and-forth flowy motion fires up your calves and the sides of your upper body,” including your shoulders and lats. “Push off with more energy from foot to foot to increase the heart rate,” which will also increase the intensity. “I always try to work this move into our dances when we are choreographing. It brings such a sense of freedom and joy.”

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Katia Pryce/McKenzie Cordell

2. Walk It Out

If you’re looking to feel…relaxed.

Shake off the day by walking it out with your own unique flair. “Step your feet together twice to each side as you flick your wrists,” Pryce explains. “This move will fire up the shoulders and obliques while pushing those blues far away from you. This move brightens my day every time I do it,” she says. As a small business owner, Pryce is no stranger to stress and anxiety, “but when I get to move in this way, it all releases.”

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Katia Pryce/McKenzie Cordell

3. Salsa Twist

If you’re looking to gain…confidence.

“Smile more with this salsa twist,” Pryce urges. “A perfect way to wake up your waistline with a twist around your core while moving your arms in the opposite direction.” To hit the full minute of movement and work both sides of your obliques, do 30 seconds to the right followed by 30 seconds to the left. “When I’m teaching a freestyle part of my class, I always manage to work this move in. Nothing makes me feel sexier.”

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Katia Pryce/McKenzie Cordell

4. Single, Single, Double Runs

If you’re looking to feel…energized.

If you grew up dancing, you know this move. “Get instantly energized with single, single, double runs,” Pryce says. “Adding the arms and the legs together, this move instantly skyrockets your heart rate into endorphin-producing levels.” Targeting the calves, shoulders and hamstrings, “This move seriously pumps me up. Running to the beat of music makes me feel alive.” 

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Katia Pryce/McKenzie Cordell

5. Pump It

If you’re looking to feel…powerful.

And for the grand finale, “This is my secret go-to power move,” Pryce explains. “Before a big meeting, if I need to shake off some jitters, I do this a couple times and it gets me out of my head and into my body.” Working the abs and arms, start by widening your stance and bending down into a high squat. Moving your hands up and down in opposite directions, press your chest forward and hips back, using your core to control the movement. Once 60 seconds are up, you’ll feel like you can take on anything.



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Executive Managing Editor

Catrina oversees content production across all PureWow verticals. When she's not managing editorial schedules, digital issues or newsletter production, you can find her...