We all have heard that dancing is good for your health, but how many of us really believe there are health benefits to dancing at advanced ages? There has been research done on the benefits of dancing and the results are amazing. They have found that social dancing reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and increases energy along with improving muscle tone and coordination and strengthening your muscles.
Dancing provides the same types of heart-healthy benefits as aerobic exercise. The increased activity of the dancer lowers blood pressure and decreases the risk of coronary heart disease.
In one study, dancing was shown to reduce the effects of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in aging patients. Researchers believe that the music helps to keep the mind active, thus reducing the effects of these diseases.
Dancing has been praised for its triple benefits to the brain: the physical aspect of dance increases blood flow to the brain, the social activity of dancing reduces stress and depression and the memorization of dance steps provides mental challenges to the dancer.
Along with burning calories, different dances provide different results. Square dancing provides cardiovascular conditioning, lower blood pressure and strengthened bones. Salsa dancing builds endurance and stamina, relieves stress and may improve cholesterol levels. Belly dancing improves posture and tones muscles, prevents lower back problems and reduces stress. Ballroom dancing keeps the heart healthy, builds stamina and increases flexibility.
There are always risks involved in any type of physical exercise, especially in older adults. Remember to carefully monitor your condition while dancing, and find out how long and how often (per week or month) you should do a dance; it can be crucial to your overall health. Warm-up and cool-down exercises are also recommended when dancing.
Depending on the type of dancing you do and the amount of time you spend doing it, your results from dancing can be very beneficial for you. You are exercising while doing something you like. Above all, enjoy yourself.