Can DDR take the place of jogging?

Question

Can Dance Dance Revolution take the place of normal jogging? I am planning on doing cross country next year, do you think DDR is a good training method? When I say DDR i mean doing songs that feel like you are sprinting not jogging, and doing these songs over and over again. (Using the workout mode about 300 calories for maybe 30 minutes of playing). Do you think that can take the place of normal jogging? I would usually jog maybe 30 minutes too. But DDR is a lot funner.

Answer 1

You should give it a try!  I'm not a runner but I played DDR like everyday for an hour or 2 before my freshman year of high school...that was what kept me skinny even though I ate a lot of junk food and wasn't very athletic!  When I stopped playing it the pounds started coming on again.

I didn't do the workout mode...I guess I was just having too much fun playing through regular game mode and didn't realize how much calories I was actually burning. DDR is fun, and you can do it with your friends at parties and stuff!

Answer 2

It is a great aerobic workout.  If you're planning competitive running, you can't use DDR as a full substitute for running workouts, but it can be a valuable cross-training method.  My kids introduced me to it, and it's a great source of fun!

Answer 3

No, it can't.  It'll build your endurance, but that's only half of what you need, you also need muscles.  DDR is very sporatic, you move you body is all different directions, in running, you only move forewards and backwards.  Simpily, the muscles you grow whle playing DDR wont be the right one's, and they'll be more rounded, meaning you'll develope muscles strength in area's you didn't need instead of devoting all of your time to what muscles are imporant, and ultimatly your work playing DDR will not have accounted for much.  Then when you try to run, basically, your legs wont be able to keep up with your lungs, and you'll actually lose some endurance from your lungs having to slow down for the rest of your body.

Not that that should stop you from playing.  If you stretch seriously for an hour a day, you could easily do both.

Answer 4

Dude forget the workout mode. Its doesn't work for me. I just play for a long time. I am not someone who sweats and I was dripping sweat by the 1st hour of DDR. Just play for a really long time and don't bleed on your mat like I did (seriously). If you sweat its healthy. But if you play Uhr (35bpm) thats no workout replacment. Howevr if you play 300 MAX (200bmp average) then you'd be able to gta reasonable workout. But besides that go run a few miles everyday anyways. Thats what I did. Now my coach wants us all to do 8-15 miles everyday now theres a workout! Don't do sissy songs is all I can say and incase DDR doesn't help XC you can have a fall back plan from running alot anyways.

Advice: Don't play DDR a few days befor big meets.