Dancing for Physical and Mental Health
Did you know that dancing isn’t just good for your body? It’s also great for your brain!
Ballroom Dancing is a popular pastime for many people. But aside from just being a fun activity to participate in Ballroom Dancing has many benefits yo your health.
The Physical Benefits
First and foremost we think of Ballroom Dancing as a physical activity. And it most certainly is. No matter if you are gliding around the floor with a Slow Waltz or tearing up the floor with a ChaCha, all dances have challenges for you body.
The constant movement is a cardio workout as most dance lessons or events last for at least 45 minutes. So even if you are moving slowly, that’s 45 minutes of moving. But if you are putting a bit of effort into getting around the floor then your 45 minute stroll just became a lot more calorie consuming… and you probably didn’t even notice it!
Now aside from that, if you have ever taken a dance lesson you can relate to that, a lot of work in your lessons is on proper posture, carriage, balance and coordination. “Shoulders down” & “Head up” are just some of the common phrases you will hear during any dance lesson.
Different dances will also make you work on different aspects of fitness. Moving our hips and core works on , that’s right, core muscles. So besides a sexy hip action you are also gaining core muscles and looking good doing it! The smooth dances, the ones that move around the floor, make you work on long strides and muscle control, especially if you have a level change in the patterns.
The Mental Benefits
Your brain will be stimulated more than you think on the dance floor.
Dancing requires you to literally “Think on your feet”, no pun intended. If you are on the social floor. Other people moving around the floor, responding to the music that’s playing, leading your partner or responding to their lead. The factors are changing constantly so you are mentally “constantly on your toes”. In a lesson you are learning new pattern, new techniques, different ways to move your body and you are supposed to remember them. That’s a mental workout right there. In a study led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City in 2012, that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it was found that dancing was the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia! The continuous learning, the quick decisions and the integration of several brain functions at once seem to be better for the brain then anyone thought. For more information on the Study read here
Dancing frequently reduces the risk of dementia by 76%- shown in study
So what are we all waiting for, besides fun, this might be one of the best activities you can do for your well-being! Let’s Dance!
