Update 2011 – ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND HULA
How hard of a workout is dancing hula? To better understand hula as a physical activity, they conducted research to measure the level of energy expended to perform this cultural practice. The “costume’ worn by the dancers to collect this scientific measurement may look more like “star wars” than “Merrie Monarch.” The testing instrument measured each breath and heartbeat for every second through every movement of the dancer. The purpose was not just to perfectly perform the graceful dance called hula, but also to measure the metabolic equivalent (MET) of the physical activity. When an accomplished dancer moves across the floor, it looks effortless. However, anyone who has tried even a simple set of hula motions can say, without hesitation, that hula is a full body and mind workout. Therefore, those who do not dance often underestimate the degree of exertion.
A metabolic equivalent is a measure used to explain the amount of energy a person is using while participating in an activity. One MET is equal to 3.5 ml/kg/O2 and is the amount of energy a person expends sitting down, at rest. Knowledge of the MET is important to describe specific physical activities and allows doctors, therapists, coaches, and trainers to understand, utilize and prescribe an activity, for example, as part of treatment for heart disease or diabetes.
Elite hula dancers, 10 wahine and 9 kane, who actively participate in hula competitions were asked to be in a test group. For the research, each dancer performed two 15 minute ‘auana and kahiko dance sets. Each set contained a low and high intensity hula. Puamana and Aia Ia o Pele (‘auana version by Mae Lobenstein) composed the ‘auana set and Kawika and No luna I ka hale kai were the kahiko set dances. Each dancer continuously danced for the entire 15 minutes to record accurate measurements, which meant that each song or oli was repeated at least twice (Table 1). By the end of each set, even these highly trained dancers were sweating and puffing.
One dancer, Kulani Ka’ana’ana, described the test as a learning experience. He says the equipment used to measure breathing was a bit like a “Darth Vader” mask and slightly distracting. The backpack was ‘cumbersome’ but only weighed about 2 pounds. After the first hula he says his mind went back into dancer mode and all the science equipment he was wearing was forgotten. A canoe paddling coach and former soccer player, he says of the results, “I have been dancing for three years now. Hula was more of a workout than I expected. Now I understand more abut exercise; I recognize more in the moment and know when I am dancing at the proper level.
What was learned was nothing short of amazing. Hula, seemingly effortless, produced MET between basketball and tennis (Table 2). When all dances, all forms, and intensity of hula were combined, hula was assessed at 6.60 MET, a very notable workout. Low intensity hula had a MET value of 5.66 and a high intensity hula was 7.54 MET. The hula ‘auana, had slightly lower energy expenditure than hula kahiko, but not significantly different.
This newly gained understanding is important for explaining to others that may not have dance or cultural expertise that traditional hula can be rigorous or moderate, and when danced continuously, it is an excellent form of physical activity. The kumu hula also remind us that the mental and spiritual benefits of hula are as important and beneficial. These findings add to our knowledge about hula and will be applied to our efforts in developing a cardiac rehabilitation program based on hula.
The Hula Enabling Lifestyle Adaptation (HELA) Study is a five-year research evaluation of a cardiac rehabilitation intervention-using hula as an exercise modality. It is a joint project of the Queen’s Medical Center and the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine, Department of Native Hawaiian Health. This publication was made possible by Award Number P20MD000173 from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health.
For more information, contact Mele Look, 692-1051. Keawe’amoku Kahalo-kula 692-1047 or Todd Setp 547-4539.
