Midway through her Midnight Sun tour, Zara Larsson has revealed the one form of exercise she’d recommend to almost anyone: dancing.
‘My tip is… dancing. When I do my show, the dancing is such a fun thing to do,’ the Swedish singer-songwriter said on TikTok, highlighting the mental as well as physical benefits.
‘I feel like it should be mandatory, prescribed by doctors, especially if you’re anxious, sad or stressed.’
Her prescription? ‘[For] a minimum of 20 minutes every day that makes you feel sexy, put on your favourite song, look in the mirror, close your blinds, shut the door, and just go “cuckoo bazonky”, go crazy.’
And if you feel slightly ridiculous at first? According to Zara, that’s all part of it.
‘You might just start off with a little two step, [and] be awkward in the beginning [or] a little shy, but as you get into it, there’s something about dancing that is so primal. [It involves] moving your body, coordination, stamina, strength, to a rhythm. I think that’s spiritual. And also a little singing on top of that. My tip is just dance,’ she continued.
The science backs the benefits of dancing
Zara might be onto something. One 2024 systematic review published in Sports Medicine found that structured dance was as effective as – and sometimes more effective than – other forms of physical activity for improving psychological outcomes including emotional wellbeing, depression and motivation.
And dancing isn’t just good for your mood. A 2018 meta-analysis found that dance interventions significantly improved body composition, blood biomarkers and musculoskeletal function, while producing cardiovascular benefits comparable with other forms of structured exercise.
Zara focuses on how exercise makes her feel
For Zara, the benefits of movement extend well beyond aesthetics.
‘What really matters is how you feel in your body. Do you feel strong, capable [and] like you are living your best life?’ she reminded viewers.
That’s particularly important, she says, because our bodies naturally respond differently to diet and exercise.
‘Half of it, if not more, is genetics. You can do something about your genetic makeup [to an extent]. But some people are tall, some people are short, some build muscle really easily, some don’t,’ she explained.
‘Some people hold fat in certain areas of their body, some lose fat really easily. That’s why it’s kind of useless to compare yourself to other people.’
There is evidence that genetics play a significant role in body composition. One study of 624 twins estimated the heritability of traits including body fat percentage, waist circumference and hip circumference, while a more recent 2026 study estimated the heritability of body fat percentage at 54%.
But genes aren’t destiny. Lifestyle and environmental factors still matter. Research involving 1,034 twin pairs found that higher levels of physical activity were associated with lower waist circumference, body fat percentage and BMI, and suggested that physical activity may modify the influence of genetic factors on obesity.
Why she doesn’t feel guilty about skipping the gym
Zara also opened up about just how physically demanding performing night after night can be – and why she has little desire to spend her time off in the gym.
‘Let’s talk about the workout routine. So I just found out that I’ve done 116 shows – 117 tomorrow – over the past year, which means that I’ve averaged about a show every third day for a year,’ she said.
‘I was like, damn, that’s a lot. I feel like a DJ [or] the people who are flying around in their PJs with their USB sticks and they play three shows a day.’
As former professional dancer turned Equinox trainer and BeBody founder Lucy Borrie previously told WH, performing at that level is far more physically demanding than it might appear.
‘What people see on stage with a great performer like Zara is just the tip of the iceberg – it’s a total masterclass in functional conditioning.’
With so many shows providing plenty of physical activity, Zara is happy to prioritise rest and recovery when she’s off stage – without feeling guilty about it.
‘That’s more than enough for me, because if I’m not on stage, I like to lay like this. I’m lazy. I don’t want to go to the gym,’ she said, wrapped in a dressing gown and lying in bed.
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