As a musician, I love music and boogying on down, as they said in the 70s. When we time-travel to the ’80s, we can immerse ourselves in the new wave of synths and fierce kick drums booming below buttery smooth lead vocals. Of course, the 90s and 2000s also brought fun, dancy beats that still make us want to get our muscles moving, as music is truly timeless.
Is dancing really a form of exercise with health benefits? The research certainly concludes that dancing is good for our bodies and minds. Previous studies have revealed that dancing raises your heart rate and provides benefits similar to those of other types of exercise, such as running. Dancing expends enough energy to reach moderate or vigorous physical activity levels and intensities that are beneficial for your wellness. A large study of 48,000 people found that moderate-intensity dancing is linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
Let’s check out some of the latest research on dancing.
The study
In a large systematic review published in the journal Sports Medicine, researchers examined existing research and looked at psychological and cognitive health outcomes of dancing. Participants ranged in age from 7 to 85, and some were healthy while others had chronic disease.
Most studies on older adults focused on social dancing with a partner, whereas research on those aged 54 and under primarily examined individual or group aerobic dancing or more traditional types of dancing. The researchers compared dancing to workouts like weight training, walking, and team sports.
The results
The researchers revealed that:
- In six weeks, the structured dance program significantly improved the psychological and cognitive health of participants.
- These positive psychological and cognitive health benefits were observed in older adults, younger adults, children under 16, and individuals with chronic conditions.
- Dancing can be more beneficial than other types of exercise when it comes to enhancing mood, motivation, memory, and social cognition.
The researchers noted that dance is a superior exercise in lessening the impact of somatization, which refers to physical symptoms spurred by psychological distress.
Concluding thoughts
Just hearing about this study made me want to dance, and if you’re like me, you might find you can dance for a longer time period than you can perform some other types of exercise because dancing is fun and engaging. If it’s your favorite song or type of music, that’s even better. This study shows that dancing can be even more effective than other workouts when it comes to certain health benefits.
Learning dancing sequences can also challenge your thinking skills and cognition, and social dancing with a partner provides the benefits of social interaction. If your mood needs a little pick-me-up, maybe it’s time to shake a leg and get your groove on.
