The surprising benefits of dancing

 

 

By: Autumn Hill

 

 

 

           Dancing can be magical and transforming. It can breathe new life into a tired soul, make a spirit soar, unleash locked-away creativity and unite generations and cultures. But, is dancing healthy for you? What could be the benefits of dancing?

For generations, dancing has been a favorite when it comes to exercise and it can be fun for all ages. Dancing allows people of all ages, shapes and sizes to stay fit, in a variety of ways. Dance has a wide range of physical and mental benefits. Dancing can lead to improved flexibility of joints and muscles, increased motor strength, and endurance. Increased motor strength is a result of an increase in muscle mass from the physical demands of dancing. The increase in muscle mass results in an elevation of metabolism, since muscle tissue is more metabolically active than other tissue. Dance therapy is even being used to help treat depression.

           A Stanford University study states that dancing benefits your brain, noting that, “Dancing integrates several brain functions at once — kinesthetic, rational, musical, and emotional — further increasing your neural connectivity.”  Do all kinds of dancing lead to increased mental acuity though?  No, not all forms of dancing will produce the same benefit, especially if they only work on style, or merely retrace the same memorized paths.  Making as many split-second decisions as possible is the key to maintaining our cognitive abilities. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine even found that dancing is linked to a lower rate of dementia.

So, dancing can strengthen the heart, enhance physical confidence, improve your social outlook and strengthen the body muscles. On top of that, dancing is not only healthy for you, but can be a lot of fun. "Dancing is a lot of fun, and I like performing," says Jim Maxwell from the television show Dancing with the Stars.

In addition to the mind-boosting increase in blood flow to the brain that you get during any form of physical activity, researchers suspect that memorizing dance steps and staying in sync with the rhythm of the music promotes the growth of new neurons and activates connections between existing ones. So, when is YOUR next dance lesson?