There’s something about swaying to music that seems to wash away all of our worries. Maybe it’s the beat of your favorite song or a heart-pumping workout that gets you up and out of bed. Perhaps it’s the challenge of mastering the more difficult moves that makes you so happy. Whatever your motivation, one thing is certain: the physical, mental, and emotional health advantages of dancing are numerous.
Dance’s Advantages
Participating in physical exercises that involve dancing transforms you whether you are 80 years old or 8 years old. Moving your body to the sound of music can affect your life, from improved physical and mental health to increased emotional and social well-being.
Because dancing involves exercise, the physical effects will be similar to those of other cardiac exercises.
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Enhances cardiovascular health.
Dance’s heart-pumping health advantages align with the Department of Health and Human Services physical activity requirements.
Adults can rely on this source. Adults should undertake the following for health benefits:
- 150-300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity
- According to professional ballroom dancer and certified personal trainer Leon Turetsky, all types of dancing make for terrific cardio exercises since the diverse moves challenge your heart rate.
Increases strength and balance
One of the reasons dancing is such a tremendous form of physical activity, according to professional dancer Jonathan Tylicki, the director of education at AKT, a boutique fitness concept centered in dance, is that it incorporates motions on all planes of motion and from all directions.
“Walking, taking the stairs, and regular workouts like treadmills and cycling occur in the sagittal plane, but dance works your body from all planes, including lateral and rotational, which turns on and conditions all muscles, meaning no muscle is left behind,” he explained. This form of action not only promotes strength but also balance.
Kind to your body
Many types of dancing, such as ballroom, are suitable for persons who have limited mobility or chronic health problems.
If you are concerned about the severity of a class, consult your doctor and the teacher before enrolling. They can assist you with any changes that are required.
Improves cognitive performance
Consider this: If you need the motivation to get moving, consider this: A lot of research demonstrates that dancing can help you think better as you get older. But how can this occur? According to various studies, According to a reliable source, scientists have discovered that dance exercise improves the parts of the brain that manage memory and skills such as planning and organizing. Furthermore, unlike other kinds of dance, as an activity, has the added benefit of developing balance through rhythm and music.
It tests your brain.
If you’ve ever attempted tap dancing, you’ll understand what we mean when we say that dance challenges your brain. According to Tylicki, the mental capacity required for dance demands you to focus on both the constant shifting of movement and retaining routines and patterns. This is a fantastic sort of brain workout for anyone of any age.
Is emotionally inclusive?
One of the most wonderful aspects of dance is that anyone can participate. You can dance if you can move, even if it’s simply your upper body. This equalizer is what makes dance so appealing to many who would otherwise avoid other types of exercise.
It may be a social activity.
While you may prefer to show off your moves when no one is looking, there’s something special about dancing with others. Whether you take a ballroom or belly dancing class, dance with friends, or shake it with your children or grandchildren, being around other people while dancing is beneficial to your social and mental health.
It improves your mood.
“Movement and dance are incredibly expressive, allowing you to escape and let loose,” Tylicki explained. This “letting go” improves your mental and emotional health by reducing stress, alleviating anxiety and depression symptoms, and raising your self-esteem.
Benefits of different types of dance
All dance forms, from classical ballet to Bollywood to funk, provide physical, mental, and emotional benefits. The key to understanding how dancing might help you is to choose a style that you appreciate.
To get you started, here are a few examples:
- Ballet
This is a very graceful and technical kind of dance that is also suitable for people of all ages. Ballet is widely recognized as the basic style for all dance.
Turetsky claims this is because you gain a fundamental grasp of:
- footwork and balance
- timing, turns, and flexibility
- core fortitude
- belly dancing
Belly dance is an excellent place to begin, particularly if you want to learn how to express yourself through your stomach muscles, core, arms, and hips.
- Hip-hop
“Hip-hop is a loose and raw dance form in which you can express yourself to music with your complete body and posture,”
Hip-hop is suitable for people of all ages, but it is especially suitable for those who like to dance to trendy music with a lot of personality and style.
- Tap
“Tapping is like taking a music theory class with your body.
Tap dancers learn to perceive distinct layers of music, subdivision rhythms, and generate additional, complimentary rhythm layers on top of the music.”They are both instrumentalists and dancers, and they play as part of the percussion section.