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Dance Central Fitness Club: Fan Story Round Up

Over the past few weeks we’ve posted the Dance Central fitness success stories of Harmonixers as well as a letter from a committed fan who have reported positive physical results with regular use of the game. We asked the Dance Central community to share their stories across Facebook, Twitter, and the Dance Central forums, which we have compiled below! Check out these stories as told by your fellow community members!


“From April through August I've gone from 370 to 324 lbs. and I owe a lot of the success to Dance Central for inspiring me to get moving when I received it as a gift. While running on a treadmill is boring, I find myself always coming back to DC for my cardio. My end goal is about 160 pounds and I get closer every day!” –Brittany Lewis

"I recently learned that my constant lower back problems turned out to be a severely herniated disc. I went to a back specialist who gave me a bunch of epidural steroid injections with no results. When I asked him about physical therapy he said it wouldn't work for me and that I'll need to get it surgically fixed. I went to another doctor for a second opinion and that doctor said ‘Why go directly to surgery without at least giving every non-surgical option a try?’ I've been doing physical therapy for a little over a month now and on my non-PT days I'm supposed to stretch and walk on a treadmill, but after a while that gets pretty dull. I showed my physical therapist Dance Central on Easy (brought in the Xbox 360, Kinect, and Dance Central – luckily they had a TV!) and he said there was no reason why I couldn't do that on days that I was feeling unmotivated because regular exercises that I'm allowed to do are so boring. He did add that I could do it as long as it didn't hurt badly during or after. Surely enough there has been no pain – just fun! I love how positive the instructors are in the game, too – much better than many a personal trainer I've had in the past! What’s keeping me going in sticking with the PT program is adding Dance Central to the mix! I cannot WAIT for Dance Central 2!!!" – Michelle Hinn

“I've lost 17 lbs. since I got Dance Central. I'm looking forward to losing even more when DC2 comes out!” – @LoganJenkins

“I don't have a fitness goal, but I did lose five pounds and several inches during the first three weeks I started playing (with healthy eating habits, obv.). Dance Central rocks! Can't wait for DC2!” – Melissa Ho

“I used Dance Central as my fitness routine from November through now and I have lost 55 pounds so far. The past three months I haven’t been really good about keeping up with it due to a death in the family, but everyone who knows me is surprised as to how much weight I've lost. Dance Central really does work as a great fitness program! I was overweight and sick of being overweight. I tried many weight loss programs, but none of them kept my interest. I used to take dance classes all the time and it kept my weight under control. I decided then that I'd use Dance Central as my program. It was so much fun to do and so much easier than other weight loss and workout programs out there. I just wanted to lose weight and have fun at the same time. I was surprised as to how quickly the weight started to come off. Numerous friends of mine have now bought Kinect because they saw how much I’ve lost and how fun it was. We'd even have group sessions and play together!" – Orsomething

“I first started Dance Central at the end of 2010. I was 205 lbs. at the start and as of today I am now 155 lbs. Thanks DC!” – Robert Francis Guadalupe Bayani-DeLeon

“I've been hanging around the 99-105 lbs. area for the longest, so no weight loss story here. What Dance Central did for me was increase my overall stamina. Before Dance Central, I could barely run for 30 seconds before losing my breath and doubling over in pain. Same went for Dance Central when I first received it. Then as time went on I found myself playing DC for really long periods at a time; I could dance for a whole half hour without feeling drained! My stamina issues flew right out of the window!" – AceRetriever

“May not seem like much, but my urge to dance with Dare and Oblio every day helped me ace my gym test! We have to run laps. I could hardly do 40, but I got above grade level now. That's a lot for me. Thaaaank yooou =)” – Morgan Pearce

“I went to the doctor a couple of years back to get a check-up. They said I needed to lose some weight — I weigh too much for my height and could end up with diabetes since diabetes runs in the family. I knew there had to be a change. Earlier this year I finally bought a Kinect and Dance Central and fell in love with it instantly. Since I love to dance, I didn't think too much of it as a workout, but as a fun activity. Since then I’ve lost 14 lbs. Thanks Harmonix for helping me fight diabetes.” – Ronald Frizell

“I lost 50 pounds by playing Dance Central on Workout mode for 30 minutes a day combined with diet.” – @Jelizza

“I've been playing Dance Central since November on and off, but I only started playing seriously (every day) and started a proper diet about a month ago, and I've lost over 30 pounds so far. I also lift weights, etc. Dance Central has given a huge boost to my overall stamina and muscle endurance. It's not just the cardio I love though, I get a full body workout, too. My hips and calf muscles feel like iron sometimes and it's a great feeling to have – “Pon De Replay” on Easy is surprisingly good for that." – Shadewhip

“When I first got the game I weighed 279 lbs. I am now down to 232 lbs. (it took me three months). Dance Central – as corny as it may sound – has changed my life. I do five to seven songs across all three difficulty levels (sometimes on Hard twice if it's my jam!). Believe it or not big girls can get down! LOL!” – Monica Farrell

“I do not usually exercise that’s why I’m soo thankful that after having two kids in just two years I got Dance Central for Christmas. I was ready for my bikini by summer!!!! Now while I’m working on getting all five gold stars on every song, my 1-year-old and 2-year-old are on their feet doing the moves with me! Staying active is awesome!” – Katy Drumm

“A few friends and I have come to rely on Dance Central as our fitness routine. We get together a few times a week to dance for an hour or two. I read the other [Dance Central fitness] blogs, and as a fellow PCOS "cyster" I know how hard it is to get weight off, but I've lost 25 lbs. since May with Dance Central! (And dropping the Mountain Dew addiction). It has been fun to watch the changes in my body and see the muscle tone become more evident. It couldn't have come at a better time, either, as I'm getting married in a few weeks and just found out about the "Newlywed Nine." Luckily, Dance Central 2 comes out shortly after, so I'll be able to avoid that altogether with some FUN! I've always loved to dance and I'm so glad there's a game like this! Keep it up and I will, too!” – morganleigh80


To join the Dance Central fitness discussion, leave a comment on the official Dance Central Facebook page, Tweet us @Dance_Central, or join us in the Dance Central forums.