WHEN your dancing shoes are on and you're busting a move on the dance floor, you're not just enjoying the beat - you are actually getting an effective whole-body workout.

The craze for social dancing, whether it be ballroom, swing, salsa or hip hop, has taken off in recent years.

It's at least partly inspired by television shows such as Dancing with the Stars and So you think you can dance.

Nick O'Meara, manager of Forever Dance in Richmond, has seen an increase in the number of young adults wanting to try out new moves since the popular dance shows have hit our screens.

O'Meara teaches salsa, Latin and ballroom dancing and says classes have become so popular he has recently opened another dance studio in Hawthorn.

"Dancing offers people an escape from real life and it makes people feel free.

"Apart from the liberating nature of dance, it is a great way to increase fitness levels."

O'Meara says dancesport is a fun alternative to hitting the gym or going for a run.

"Dancing can act as the equivalent of a traditional high-intensity cardio workout."

Victorian Institute of Sport physical preparation

co-ordinator Dee Jennings says getting an effective workout from dancing depends on the style of dance.

"It is comparable to some of the higher level sports, yet it does depend on how long you're doing it, your intensity and how many times per week," she says.

"Ballroom requires lower body strength and endurance. It's a very postural exercise and good for your flexibility. Salsa is more aggressive. It gives a more intense workout in terms of the muscle groups worked."

Those who dislike traditional sports but want to keep fit may wish to tap in to the trend - for exercise, socialising and 'all that jazz'.

Salsa dancing is an informal and fun style of dance that has its origins in the Caribbean. It is a sensual and flirtatious style of dance, and the music is influenced by African percussion rhythms.

Ballroom originated in Germany. Dances under the umbrella name of ballroom include the slow waltz, the quickstep, the cha cha and the rumba.

Hip-hop emerged in the 1970s in New York. With its origins in funk, it includes styles such as breakdance, which has an improvisational nature.