I just ordered DDR for the wii with dance pads. I can’t wait to try this out for variety in my cardio.

rhythm game such as DDR may not be as available anymore as it used to be but StepmaniaX is popping up all over the world slowly and I'm here for it!

I recently picked up DDR back up again after ~12 years (I'm 31 now), and it's wild how much of a difference time makes. I have the muscle memory, but not the muscles nor the cardiac capabilities to do it. My balance and core strength has become garbage. Having to work my way back up from fast-paced Light (finally pulling into Standard now) when I used to be a regular Heavy/Challenge player is humbling. Having no bar is killing me, but I used to be able to do all of these difficult songs no bar! Anyway, it's very interesting to have a physical goal that I can strive for that I can truly envision, because I used to be there. Hope to get back to my old strength and dexterity. Love this game!!

I still have my Dancing Stage Max on Playstation 2. I've had it since 2008. I still use it to exercise. It keeps me fit whilst having fun. It's way better than going to the gym.

started playing around two months ago and bought a pad. the satisfaction i feel when beating a song i'd normally be too winded to finish is unreal!!

Something else of note from a brain health standpoint rather than physical is that the mental skills I use playing ddr help with other tasks as well. Many songs are a mental workout as well as physical, where you have to figure out how to execute each step without getting tangled up or double stepping. While playing instruments I find myself applying the concepts I learned playing ddr to figure out how to position and move my hands. Its kinda like a puzzle, and once you figure out the solution a song goes from an awkward mess to a satisfying flow. Great video!

I played DDR back in the early 2000's as a kid via DDR Ultramix on the OG Xbox and a soft pad. I then fell out of it for a while, and got back into it in high school thanks to some friends. I did take a break for a few years again, and recently have started to hop back in I currently play primarily using Stepmania on an L-Tek pad, and am currently working on a project to build a DIY arcade pad. Based on arcade levels, I can play comfortably at 8-9, and can play up to 13 by really pushing my body. In just a month of mostly daily play between 30-60 minutes, I've noticed improved balance (with training for nobar), overall stamina, and also being able to play harder/faster songs. This was primarily at home using the L-Tek pad with Stepmania. L-Tek pad goes for roughly $450 after shipping to US, but was a worthwhile long-term investment to save time and money on gas to drive 20 minutes to the local arcade along with the money that goes into the DDR machine. In general rhythm games are one of my favorite ways to get some exercise in, both in DDR and in Beat Saber.

I just completed Smooooch on 12 difficulty with B+ rank, my heart beat so fast it almost felt like its gonna run out. As an overweight person, I think I just got lucky to finish this.

I ended up getting compression sleeves for my knees since there's so much stomping/impact force. Hopefully this adds to my longevity so I can keep playing it well into my 30s and 40s!

that was a nice video. I liked how you brought attention to the HIIT aspect as well as the demand on triceps. Also glad you touched on chart variance.

I played a lot in high school in the mid 00's, and a couple of months ago I picked it back up with Stepmania on my home setup. It's still as fun as I remember, and I work up a sweat pretty quickly.

Are you the type of person who is more likely to break a sweat during a DDR session, or break a leg? Let us know in the comments below!

I've been a DDR fan since 2002 and I had Dancing Stage Euromix for PS1 (as I live in the UK) and thats how I started getting to the expert levels, then about 2008 it dropped off and not played it for years, until this year went to an arcade club where they have tonnes of arcade machines and DDR being one of them. I put on so much weight and tried to do the expet level I failed within 30 seconds, hopefully I can get a PC hook to my TV get dance mats at home and do it all again

did my man just call a 19 a sprint? more like falling off a roof and breaking your ankles lol.

I’ve played this game for at least 18 years now. Boy time goes by fast. I may not be as expert as majority of players but it’s always fun to play at the arcade. I did run into cabs outside the USA too. My very first cab was DDR EXTREME at an arcade portion of a former skating rink. My very first home game was DDR MARIO MIX after being invited to a party. I still play it but not as often bc I’m exploring other Konami rhythm games. All videos of me playing DDR will now be posted on my X (formerly Twitter).

Since 2002 and still playing stepmania... This my fav training cardio. 700 cal. Average 4 days for week.

I have been playing DDR since year 2000 until now 2023.

Thank you for bringing light to the dance game community! The physical aspect breakdown was also beneficial, and i appreciate the mention of the variety of charts! If i were to nitpick, it would've been nice to see some differentiation between the 3 dance games you mentioned in the description (and also since you used footage of PIU and ITG). Otherwise, I hope to see more people joining the dance game community and getting some physical gains along the way 🔥

Thank you for mentioning ITG, people often speak like it never existed

Just started playing this game again after maybe a decade of not playing. The skill is still there. The endurance....not so much.....

This video was so great! Thanks for the information!

Cool video! I'm curious to hear your thoughts on ITG stamina, since the intensity of the exercise is pretty consistent, but still includes breaks.

I feel like throwing my weight around using the bar helps my arms and my legs and glutes used to get sore when I wouldn't play as much as I do now it's a passion for me

you should've mentioned the stamina community! doing long (15 minutes - 1.5 hours) uncomplicated but fast songs that are like a marathon!

You know, back in September 2023, there was a twitter thread of a Japanese guy playing DDR who saw a man die of a heart attack while also playing DDR in an arcade. He felt guilty as the rescuers took around 10 minutes to arrive at the scene as it was too late by then to save the guy. The witness already reported him to the arcade staff but since the staff didn't know how to do CPR (and in Japan, only those with license are allowed to help), the staff had to call for a rescue which in my previous sentence took 10 minutes. In the final tweet of the thread, he said not to overwork on playing DDR to avoid meeting the same fate as the guy he saw.

my bowling alley arcade just got a stepmaniax machine and i played my whole card off on that thing

Yeah, give this back to me, I need to get back in shape lol.

I remember seeing two ppl playing and in the middle of the song, they would switch places. not like simple walk to each other pad. one person jumped on the machine, do a turn while the other person walked to the other pad and then the guy jumped down

this is great, would love to see one on guitar hero/rock band/clone hero drums

Just wanted to note the 1 minute break mentioned at 2:50 can be skipped and it isn't forced.

I can't play on the soft pads for the life of me. I have to go to the arcade.

When I get a new place , I’m gonna to set up my own pad but idk about the machine yet lol

hey it's me! cool vid!

Hey Digital Doc I have always been curious as to the exact muscles used in DDR, so much I was wondering if sensors were attached to a top player while doing a song of intense difficulty if it would show the exact muscles engaged and which ones where used the heaviest? Is there anyone who would be willing to test this ? I'm really curious to know.

How many people here own cabs? Mine is running Stepmania with a DDR Ace theme. Been putting alot kpop in it lol

Is it just me, or is PIU (Korean counterpart to DDR, but 5 steps instead of 4, but same gameplay) more accommodating towards the international audience compared to DDR?

9:47 - Nice joke! Two words: Dalton Runberg

the thumbnail for this video is unappealing

ITG mentioned👍 (please talk about itg stamina lmao)

Sadly DDR is not really popular and hard to find in our country and only PIU available, i just wanted to try DDR so bad🥲