Dance Fitness offers both physical and mental benefits
Do you ever notice how your adrenaline kicks in when you hear that favorite song in your playlist? Or when the Chicago Cubs pull out a win and you stand up and dance while singing “Go Cubbies Go”? Some songs can make your heads bob and your toes to tap. These subconscious movements benefit both your mental and physical health.
Over the past 10 years, research into the health benefits of dancing has exploded. Reported benefits include not only physical outcomes (building strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance), but emotional (impacting mood, happiness, and resilience) and cognitive (enhancing memory, orientation, and concentration) as well. These benefits span human life and appear across populations and generations. Young children might play “Ring Around the Rosie” to get their music and movements started. From there, they could be off to tap, ballet or jazz, or perhaps it is piano or guitar lessons that will start their toes tapping. Basically, everyone can benefit. For healthy college students it could be a way to destress and socialize. Dancing is also known to be very beneficial for patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
If the promise of a stronger, healthier, and more coordinated body isn't enough to get you dancing, perhaps the pure joy of moving and grooving to music will. Whether you like to move fast or slow and prefer country or classical music, there's a dance style for you. And each one offers benefits for your body and mind. And with so many styles, why choose just one? Explore the options to discover what fits you best. But remember to talk to your healthcare provider before you crank up the tunes and get moving.
Join Michelle as she leads the way in our Dance Fitness Class on Monday's at 6:45pm. Enjoy a throw down, foot stompin' good time with choreographed line dances that combine body movement and footwork from country, hip-hop, ballet and Latin dance moves. A breakdown of each dance will be demonstrated so everyone can follow along.
Sources:
Kimerer L. LaMothe, Ph.D., Dancer, Philosopher, and Author: Why We Dance, Nietzsche's Dancers, and What a Body Knows.
Fong Yan A, Cobley S, Chan C, Pappas E, Nicholson LL, Ward RE, Murdoch RE, Gu Y, Trevor BL, Vassallo AJ, Wewege MA, Hiller CE (2018), The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on Physical Health Outcomes Compared to Other Forms of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Vankova, Hana; Iva Holmerova; Katerina Machacova; Ladislav Volicer; Petr Veleta; Alexander Martin Celko (2014), The Effect of Dance on Depressive Symptoms in Nursing Home Residents, Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, Volume 15, Issue 8, 2014, Pages 582-587
Verghese, Joe M.D., Richard B. Lipton, M.D., et al. (2003), Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly.
Hwang PW, Braun KL. (2015), The Effectiveness of Dance Interventions to Improve Older Adults' Health: A Systematic Literature Review.