Dancing has been shown to support several health outcomes, including helping with weight loss and improving heart function.
These effects can be beneficial for you whether youre healthy or if you have a medical condition.
Better Cognition
Cognition involves thinking skills, such as decision-making, memory, and planning.
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Dance intervention can improve cognition among older adults.
Research published in 2024 demonstrated that dance promotes these benefits by changing brain activity.
The experiment included adults over age 55 who participated in dance game therapy sessions twice per week.
Dancing also improves lung function.Better lung function means your body can efficiently take in oxygenwhich helps power your muscles.
Falling can be life-threatening in older adults.
Builds Core Strength
Core strength is the strength of your pelvis, abdomen, and chest muscles.
Exercises such as sit-ups or push-ups commonly target core strength.
Dancing also engages your core and builds strength in core muscles.
Dancing as a social activity often helps maintain connections between people, which leads to relaxation.
Music can also promote feelings that can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Dance movements can help improve mood through various methods.
Additionally, the community environment and relaxation thats associated with dancing often promote a joyful mood.
The process of practicing and learning the challenging dance steps incorporates a skill set that builds confidence.
Medical conditions, such asstrokeorperipheral neuropathy(nerve damage), can impair spatial awareness.
Gentle on the Body
Exercise is often promoted for health.
However, exercising can be challenging.
You might also be worried about getting hurt or overexerting yourself.
Benefits for Kids
Dance is a beneficial exercise and activity for children.
In many schools, dance is incorporated as part of physical education or music education.
Dancing can also improve mood and reduce depression and anxiety while building social skills.
Dancing requires the right setting and situation.
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A systematic review and meta-analysis of dance interventions on body composition.PLoS One.2024;19(1):e0296089.
