You should be dancing, yeah!

The Bee Gees were onto something – as well as nearly every culture throughout history. We may not know exactly why, but most humans across time have danced. Besides being enjoyable, historians theorize dance was used to communicate and bond, celebrate important events and was an important component of religious ceremonies. And, it turns out that scientists are finding that dancing is an activity that may help us slow both the physical and mental effects of aging.

A great form of exercise with many health benefits

Dancing is widely acknowledged as a great form of exercise. It may be one of the best forms of exercise for weight loss since people tend to stick with an activity they enjoy. Now, it seems, the benefits of dancing may be far-reaching beyond just physical fitness, weight loss and being an enjoyable activity. (NOTE: Always check with a physician before starting a fitness or weight-loss program.)

Like other forms of exercise, studies show dance offers a variety of health benefits. These include building muscle and bone, reducing fat, increasing aerobic capacity, lowering blood pressure, and improving the ratio of “good” to “bad” cholesterol. But dance may offer several additional protective benefits because it also involves music. (We covered the link between music and mental acuity in another post.) 

A workout for the brain

Dancing (physical movement) and music (mental stimulation) can provide a powerful combination of healthful benefits that may slow the negative effects of aging. It may be more beneficial than exercise alone. Why? Music stimulates the brain’s reward centers, while dance activates its sensory and motor circuits, according to Harvard Medical School. Dancing has improved balance, gait, and quality of life in people with Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders. Some studies have indicated that mastering dance movements and patterns yields greater improvements in memory and problem-solving than walking does.

It turns out, dancing engages our brains in very complex ways by sending and receiving a multitude of stimuli simultaneously such as listening, controlling movement, maintaining balance and understanding and relating to the space surrounding us. Stimulating our brain in this way helps increase the white matter of our brains which is important in sending signals and providing connections across different parts of the brain. Because dance is proving to be beneficial to our brains, it’s now being used as a potential intervention for dementia.

Let’s dance!

There are at least four ways dancing can help us thrive: it’s good for our bodies and minds, it can improve our moods and how we feel, and it can build social connections when we dance with others. 

So, as David Bowie sang, let’s dance!