Most types of dance provide an excellent, low-impact cardio workout. As an added bonus, because dance uses so many parts of the body, most types of dance can be modified to work around different types of physical limitations. Dance provides an added benefit of constantly varied movements, which is one of the best ways to build core strength, increase coordination, improve balance, expand flexibility, tone muscle, and develop exceptional spatial awareness. And yes, it also strengthens the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Yes, dance provides an excellent, low-impact aerobic workout. But perhaps most importantly, as any dancer can tell you, dancing also happens to be a really fun way to exercise. Dance allows participants to build social, physical, creative, and mental skills. History and science tell us, again and again, that dance is a way for the young and old to stay active, keep fit, stay flexible, and even improve mental alertness. The hours spent dancing were also shown to improve older people’s memory notably and increased their ability to learn and retain new information. Other recent research has determined that spending just 1-2 hours a week dancing combines exercising the mind and the body in ways that improve cognitive skills in older people. These complex and joyful activities appear to combine in ways that create and extend good physical and mental health well into our sunset years.
After all, dance requires participants to focus on balance, movement, grace, posture, controls, agility, coordination, flexibility, syncopation, rhythm, and memorization, all in time to the music. Why is dance such an exceptionally productive activity? Many researchers hypothesize dance combines a wide range of activities in unusual ways, producing different results. Few exercises studied, including walking and yoga, have been found to have such a meaningful impact on our psychological and physical health at every age. And while many types of physical exercise can keep people healthier longer, many studies show that dance has particular benefits that other activities don’t provide, especially mental acuity and increase memory. Modern research also shows time and time again that dance may significantly reduce the risk of disability and dementia in the older dancer. So it may not be surprising to find that some studies report that regular dancing is actually a time-honored way to stay healthier, well into old age. No matter which type of dance you choose, with regular lessons and activity, you can expect to derive some tangible physical and mental health benefits.ĭance seems to be a part of our DNA. Today, dance can be formal and highly technical, or loose and freewheeling, like tap.
And now modern science shows that dancing is not only instinctual, it’s also a way to stay healthier and happier at every stage of life. It seems that some part of the human spirit simply compels us to dance. Scrolls, paintings, and art throughout history mark our desire to dance. Ancient Egyptian tombs show many examples of dancing, as do cave drawings. History records that different types of dancing have been part of celebrations, ceremonies, and rituals in almost every recorded civilization. In fact, dance is one of the oldest human activities and seems to have been around as long as people. Whether it’s the Irish river dance, the Indian Kathak dance, or ballroom dancing, it’s easy to find people of all ages enjoying dances all over the world. In every culture, in every religion, and every country, dance is a part of life. Keep Dancing to Get Physical, Mental, and Social Benefits The Benefits of Learning Dance (on other areas of Your Life)
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