How Ballroom Dance Improve Brain Health By Andrew Ta

Many studies have shown that exercise and physical activity can help adults keep their minds sharp and their bodies healthy. Ballroom dancing is a great exercise for the muscle, heart, and brain that involves a heavy cognitive demand. Adults who dance regularly must memorize movements and routines and react in the moment, particularly if they dance with partners. Activities such as running, cycling, or swimming are more linear, meaning that participants don’t need to think about the next movement – they just do it.

Ballroom Dance offers many health benefits for everyone. Having regular physical, mental, social and emotional stimulation is needed to reduce the risk of dementia. Because it involves all four benefits, ballroom dancing is an excellent way for adults to protect their brains.

What makes ballroom dancing unique from other forms of exercise is the addition of music. Musical rhythms stimulate certain areas of the brain often known as our “reward center”. These regions are associated with the chemical dopamine, which affects happiness, well-being, movement, and thinking. Ballroom also stimulates the motor and sensory circuits in the brain. All of these benefits combined offer older adults a unique brain activation they might not get from the gym.