Ballroom dancing is more than just a fun hobby, it can also benefit your health mentally and physically, strengthen relationships, create a community, establish a sense of rhythm for you and much more. Dance calls for the use of almost all the muscles in your body at once so even less intense styles of dance can make you sweat. The University of Brighton has recently discovered, through a small study, that “certain styles of dance can burn more calories per hour than cycling, running, or swimming.” If you and your significant other are looking for a fun way to spend some quality time together, try taking classes at Fred Astaire dance studio! You will learn a new skill while getting in a workout for the day. “Endorphins are activated when we groove with others and that they may be underpinning social-bonding effects,” says Bronwyn Tarr, a psychologist at the University of Oxford and dancer. Tarr conducted a study where she instructed students to dance in a group, one synchronized and the other not. The group that danced in sync was found to have a stronger relationship. The other students did not have the same close-bonding experience. So participating in dance with your significant other can establish a closer bond between you two.
Individuals of all ages are starting to choose ballroom dancing as their form of cardio. Young or old, dance can still improve your health. Dr. Kathrin Rehfeld conducted a study revealing that dance proved to reduce the signs of aging in the brain. She had one group of elderly volunteers use dance as a form of physical training and the other do endurance training. “In comparison, it was only dancing that lead to noticeable behavioral changes in terms of improved balance,” said Dr. Rehfeld.
Getting yourself up for the gym on those cold Winter days can seem like a chore. Instead of feeling like you have to drag yourself to a gym, head to Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Here you will be able to move your feet and get your heartrate up in a more enjoyable way. It is the perfect and fun alternative for a fitness class at the gym. So ditch the gym membership and join a studio.
Editorial credit: Madeleine O’Connell