We’ve expounded on this blog about the many ways ballroom dance helps your health, and one of the important outcomes of regular ballroom dancing is improved heart health.
A decade-long study of almost 50,000 people over the age of 40 deduced that regular dancing can reduce the chance of dying from heart disease by 46 percent. The study revealed that dancing was better for heart health than fast-walking, even!
Why is dancing so impactful on heart health? Simply put, it’s an interval exercise, which raises your heart rate and lowers it in equal measure through the course of the dance. You also engage different muscle groups in the process.
More than that, though, ballroom dance engages both body and mind, and the impact of dance on brain health is profound. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine revealed dancing is the best way to ward off dementia in older adults – moreso than crossword puzzles, reading or Sudoku.
There is another reason why ballroom is so good for heart health, and that’s the inherently social nature of dance.
That human connection relieves stress, which reduces strain on the heart. There are so many benefits to dance!