9 Health Benefits of Dance
Studies show that dance can help you
lose weight, stay flexible, reduce stress, make friends, and more. Here, read
more about the feel-good boosts from getting your groove on. 5-6-7-8!
These days, people love to watch
other people dance. Competitive dance shows like So You Think You Can Dance
and Dancing With the Stars are dominating the world of reality
television. What you may not realize, however, is that if you get off the couch
and dance yourself, it’s a great way to keep your body and mind healthy.
Studies show that dancing can help you lose weight, stay flexible,
reduce stress, make friends, and more.
What are you waiting for? Start
reaping the many health benefits of dance today.
Boost
Memory
Dance not only instills grace, but
it also helps you age gracefully. According to a study in The New England
Journal of Medicine, dancing may boost your memory and prevent you
from developing dementia as you get older. Science reveals that aerobic
exercise can reverse volume loss in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that
controls memory. The hippocampus naturally shrinks during late adulthood, which
often leads to impaired memory and sometimes dementia.
Improve
Flexibility
Those plies and arabesques that
ballet dancers practice aren’t just for aesthetics — they also increase
flexibility and reduce stiffness. You can skip the ballet slippers and still
reap the benefits of ballet by practicing some simple stretches at home.
Increasing your flexibility will help ease joint pain and post-exercise
soreness.
Reduce
Stress
If you’re feeling tense or stressed
out, you might want to grab a partner, turn up the music, and tango! In a
controlled study in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, researchers
found that partner dance and musical accompaniment can help bring about stress
relief.
Diminish
Depression
Dancing really does lift your
spirits, according to a study in that tested the effects of dancing on people
with depression. Patients who participated in an upbeat group dance showed the
fewest depression symptoms and the most vitality. Got the blues? Grab a friend
and go out dancing tonight.
Help
Your Heart
Dance is a great activity for those
at risk for cardiovascular disease. People with heart failure who took
up waltzing improved their heart health, breathing, and quality of life
significantly compared to those who biked or walked on a treadmill for
exercise, noted an Italian study.
Lose
Weight
Bored with your bicycle? A study in
the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that an exercise program
of aerobic dance training is just as helpful for losing weight and
increasing aerobic power as cycling and jogging.
Balance
Better
If you are nervous about falling as
you get older, some dance lessons might help ease your worries, according to a
study in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity that showed tango
dancing can improve balance in aging adults. Dancing requires a lot of fast
movement and good posture, so frequent dancing will help you stabilize and
gain better control of your body.
Increase
Energy
Can’t seem to find your
get-up-and-go? Taking a dance class might help. Research published in The
Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition found that a weekly
dance program could improve physical performance and increase energy levels among adults.
Make
Friends
A dance class is the perfect setting
to make new friends and branch out socially. Maintaining positive relationships
may just rank up there with healthy eating and exercise. Being socially engaged leads to increased happiness,
reduced stress, and a stronger immune system.
