There are many, varied benefits of dancing. Dancing is a great way to keep your body and mind healthy. Studies show that dancing can help you lose weight, stay flexible, reduce stress and make friends. Dancing also helps the environment because you are not consuming resources.
Here are some of the benefits of dancing:
Improve Flexibility
Dancing increases flexibility and thus reduces stiffness. Increasing your flexibility will help ease joint pain and post-exercise soreness.
Reduce Stress
Dancing is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety. A controlled study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology reported that dancing with a partner to music can help bring about stress relief.
Cope with Depression
Dancing lifts your spirits, according to a study that tested the effects of dancing on people with depression. In a controlled study, those who took part in a lively group dance showed fewer depression symptoms and more vitality.
Help Your Heart
Dance is a great activity for those at risk of cardiovascular disease. An Italian study showed that people with heart disease who took up waltzing improved their heart health, breathing, and quality of life significantly compared to those who biked or walked on a treadmill for exercise.
Lose Weight
A study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology concluded that a programme of aerobic dance exercise is just as helpful for losing weight and increasing aerobic power as cycling and jogging.
Balance Better
A study in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity showed that tango dancing can improve balance in aging adults. Dancing has a lot of movement and requires good posture, so frequent dancing will help your stability and body control.
Increase Energy
Research published by The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition showed that a weekly dance programme could improve overall physical performance and increase energy levels among adults.
Make Friends
The social aspects are further benefits of dancing. A dance class or dance club is a great way to meet people and make friends. Maintaining positive relationships is important for mental and physical health. Being socially engaged leads to increased happiness, reduced stress, and a stronger immune system.
Boost Memory
According to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, dancing may boost your memory and prevent you from developing dementia as you get older. Science reveals that aerobic exercise can reverse volume loss in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory. The hippocampus naturally shrinks during late adulthood which often leads to impaired memory and sometimes dementia.
Help the Environment!
Anything that you can do to improve your health and spend your time without consuming resources is better for the environment than passive consumption.