Research
What the studies say about dance games
Researchers have studied dance games in labs, schools and homes since the mid-2000s. Here’s what they found, including the results that were mixed, with a link to every study.
At a glance
Real exercise
In lab studies, dance games pushed children’s energy use to moderate intensity, on par with brisk walking.
Kids enjoy it
Elementary students enjoyed interactive dance games more than tag in PE class.
How it’s run matters
Some PE studies found students were motivated but not very active during class. A format that keeps everyone moving matters.
How hard do kids work?
These lab studies measured how much energy children use while playing. Intensity is often given in METs, where 1 MET is the energy you use sitting still.
Every game tested reached moderate or vigorous intensity
Children played six exergames, including Dance Dance Revolution, while researchers measured their energy use. Dance Dance Revolution averaged 5.4 METs, more than walking on a treadmill at 3 mph (4.9 METs). Normal-weight and overweight children got similar results, and enjoyment was highest among children with the highest BMIs.
“All games used in our study elevated energy expenditure to moderate or vigorous intensity.”
Dance games matched brisk walking
Compared with watching TV, beginner-level Dance Dance Revolution about doubled children’s energy use. At the next level up, it was as demanding as Wii boxing or walking at 5.7 km/h (3.5 mph).
“Energy expenditure during active video game play is comparable to moderate-intensity walking.”
A dance game beat seated screen time by a wide margin
Energy use rose 22% above rest while children played a seated video game, and 172% while they played Dance Dance Revolution.
“Energy expenditure more than doubles when sedentary screen time is converted to active screen time.”
In schools and at home
These studies ran dance-game programs for weeks or months and measured what changed.
Fitness and math scores rose at a Utah elementary school
The school had no required PE. Fourth graders did 30 minutes of exercise built around Dance Dance Revolution three times a week, rotating between the dance game and aerobic dance or jump rope. In each of two school years, they improved more on the 1-mile run and in math than students in the comparison grades. Reading scores didn’t differ. A related paper by the same researchers found the program raised children’s physical activity, though body fat didn’t change (Gao and Xiang, 2014).
“The DDR-based exercise intervention improved children’s cardiorespiratory endurance and math scores over time.”
Twelve weeks of Dance Dance Revolution improved fitness and blood-vessel health
Children with a BMI at or above the 85th percentile were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of Dance Dance Revolution exercise or to a group that started later. The DDR group improved in flow-mediated dilation, a measure of how well blood vessels work, and in blood pressure. Their treadmill time rose by 54 seconds, while the other group’s fell by 13. Both groups gained weight, but the DDR group gained less.
“Twelve weeks of DDR-use improved FMD, aerobic fitness, and MAP in overweight children.”
Dance mats in schools: healthier weight and well-being, cause unclear
Five schools installed dance-mat exergaming systems and two similar schools didn’t. After about a year, students at the dance-mat schools did better on weight, BMI, body fat and well-being. But their measured physical activity went down slightly, the activity data were incomplete, and a companion study found the mats weren’t used routinely, so the reason for the gains is unclear.
“The implementation of a dance mat exergaming scheme was associated with improvement in anthropometric measurements and parameters of health-related quality of life.”
At home, Dance Dance Revolution cut screen time
Families got Dance Dance Revolution to play at home. Children in the DDR group cut their sedentary screen time by about an hour a week, while the comparison group’s rose. Their overall physical activity didn’t differ significantly from the comparison group’s.
Do kids like it?
Kids enjoyed dance games more than tag
Children rated how much they enjoyed interactive dance games and traditional tag games in their weekly PE class. They enjoyed the dance games significantly more, and girls enjoyed them more than boys did. The study measured enjoyment, not activity.
“In conclusion, it is practical and meaningful to integrate interactive dance games into PE.”
Mixed results, and what we learned
Some PE studies found that students liked dance games but weren’t very active while playing them. These results shaped how our PE unit works.
Motivated, but not very active
During a two-week Dance Dance Revolution unit, students were motivated, but they spent only about 5% of class time in moderate-to-vigorous activity. Students who felt they had mastered the game were more motivated and more active.
“Although students were motivated for DDR, they were not physically active in DDR.”
More interest, less activity than a fitness unit
Children were more interested in a 4-week exergaming unit than in a 4-week fitness unit, but they were less active in class during the exergaming unit. Interest fell at the same rate in both units.
Heavier kids were less active while playing
In a school Dance Dance Revolution program, 30 minutes a week for 18 weeks, overweight and obese children got significantly less moderate-to-vigorous activity while playing than normal-weight children.
The big picture
Reviews that pool many studies of active video games of all kinds, not only dance games.
Games played with the legs burn more
Across the studies, active video games raised energy use by an average of 222% over rest. Games driven by lower-body movement, like dance games, produced significantly more than games played mainly with the arms. The reviewers concluded that the games provide light to moderate activity, and that there wasn’t yet enough evidence about long-term effects.
A good swap for sitting, and an addition to sports
Pooling 35 studies, the researchers found large benefits from active video games compared with sitting, and about the same benefits as traditional exercise and physical activity.
“[Active video games] can be a good alternative for sedentary behaviour and addition to traditional physical activity and sports in children/adolescents.”
The PE guideline
“Making sure students get moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 50% of class time.”
The summaries on this page are ours, written from each study’s published abstract. Follow the links to read the studies themselves. Last updated October 2026.
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