There are things we ignore that in turn are very beneficial to us. I learn the benefits of dancing years ago and since then I have done my best to dance every day.
Dancing was a popular activity for most older adults due to the positive memories and experiences when they were younger. Dancing improves mental and physical health by helping prevent falls, flexibility and posture, and mood and reduce anxiety.
It’s also an enjoyable exercise that enhances your brain, improves your body’s strength and endurance, strengthens social bonds, and reduces stiffness and pain.
Dancing is a popular pastime for many older adults since the fondest and most memorable memories involve dancing during different phases of life, including proms at high school to their own as well as their children’s weddings.
Physical inactivity within the population is a significant sign of poor health outcomes like diabetes, obesity, and depression. To prevent these health issues, taking part in exercise, whether it is exercising at your gym or walking your dog, or even dancing in the kitchen, is probably the best lifestyle choice to alter your lifestyle.
It is particularly beneficial due to its many health benefits. It’s not just about what an actress does when she dances across the stage in just one step. Whether you’re 2 or 101, dancing is something everybody can enjoy.
In addition to being an art form or a fantastic exercise method, it’s also a sport that brings the mind together with the body.
The gyms and studios offer classes for people of all ages, allowing anyone to learn to dance as a new pastime. In contrast to other activities that may frustrate you when progress isn’t immediately apparent, dance is ideal for people seeking to improve their self-confidence because you’re not competing with anyone other than yourself.
When you start to see changes in your physical and mental well-being, it can become an addiction and the motivation to keep working and become better naturally.
Mental Benefits Of Dancing
Dance has been around for many thousands of years. Moving your body with creativity is a favorite method of expression and exercise. As many as 10 million Americans have been to a dance studio or taken classes. More often than not, dance at home or with your acquaintances.
Beyond music and movements, dancing can bring numerous benefits to brain health and mental well-being.
Have you been on “Strictly Come Dancing,” “Dancing With The Stars,” or any other television dance program and thought you couldn’t dance and preferred to watch? You may miss out on an opportunity to gain excellent mental and physical health benefits.
I decided that in 2020 I would perform more frequently. Why? Because I’ve always felt passionate about it, even when I grow older, my mind is trying to convince me not to continue doing it; my body holds onto the memories it has.
Increase Flexibility
A good ballroom dance class typically begins with a couple of stretching exercises to prepare you to perform steps with comfort and ease, as well as to guard against injuries caused by dancing.
Beginner dancers will find dancing more, and you will notice better flexibility and motion your body gains. The increased flexibility can help improve your dancing abilities, reduce joint discomfort and muscle soreness following training, and help improve core strength and balance.
Ballet stretches and yoga are incredibly beneficial warm-ups before ballroom dancing. However, ensure you speak to the Fred Astaire Studio Studios instructor about the recommended warming-up program.
Choreographed Dance
In a separate study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience2, researchers looked at the effects of stretching, walking, or dancing brain’s wiring and gray matter of the aged brain. Dancing was the most noticeable positive impact.
After finding people aged 60-70 who had healthy brains and did not show any symptoms of cognitive impairment, researchers randomly put them into three groups. The first group exercised, while another exercised and performed balance exercises, and the third group was taught dances in the country. The choreography became more complex over time.
They completed the task for one hour per day, three times per week. After six months, the participant’s brains were again scanned and compared with the time they started their program.
Agnieszka Burzynski, the study’s principal author, is currently a Neuroscientist and Director of the Brain Lab at Colorado State University and was previously an instructor at the University of Illinois in Urbana. The study found only one group that improved their performance: the country dancers.
The people who took part in country dancing had denser white matter within the area of the brain responsible for processing memories.
White matter typically breaks down when a person ages, leading to cognitive loss. Dancing can therefore protect the brain from neurodegeneration caused by aging. Thus, dancing isn’t just an aerobic exercise that benefits your physical well-being. It can help your brain!
Ballroom dancing, country dancing, salsa, tango, and waltz are all performed in conjunction with others. When you join these types of dances, you’re engaging in a fun and social activity too.
Also, you’re stimulating your brain while you master the steps of the dances. Dancing could be one of the most beneficial exercises you can do to boost brain health.
Improves Brain Functioning
Dance therapy is a form of therapy that focuses on expressing emotions and body movements that help reduce depressive symptoms. As we said, dance improves memory, and in the same way, dancing therapy can enhance the functioning that the brain performs. It is believed that mental and physical health are inextricably linked. Therefore, when our body is healthier and healthier, it will also improve the brain’s functioning.
Keep your memories safe
It becomes difficult to recall names, places, and other specifics as we age. Learning new things, such as different styles and movements of dance, can improve your brain’s capacity to recognize these kinds of information. This could help to prevent the development of dementia.
The mental benefits of dancing depend on the kind of dance you are learning. Dance styles like ballroom require a significant amount of the ability to improvise. They help you make better decisions than memorizing complete dance routines and movements. However, contemporary dance styles that are interpretive provide more advantages to the creative mind.
Strengthens and balance
Professional dancer Jonathan Tylicki, the director of education at AKT, a fitness boutique idea rooted in dance, claims that dance is an excellent way to improve your physical fitness because it involves moves on all levels of motion and in all directions.
Dance works your body from all planes, including lateral and rotational, which turns on and conditions all muscles, meaning no muscle is left behind. Movements that we typically perform in our daily lives, like walking, and taking the stairs, and common workouts like treadmills and cycling, occur in the sagittal plane.
Bottom Line
In reality, most people focus on themselves performing and having a great time. Learn with a partner or even take classes. When you are dancing, you may consider dancing an enjoyable and a way to increase your mental and physical well-being.
Dancing every day will greatly improve your health both mentally and physically. There are some things those who do not dance miss but as you have learned the benefits, it’s high time you started dancing.
