6 Surprising Health Benefits of Dancing

Most people see dancing as a mere
social activity that can only give them
momentary pleasure and nothing
more. But this is not true as you will
soon find out that there are numerous
health benefits that can accrue to you
when you dance. Interestingly,
dancing is such a dynamic activity
with various styles existing in
different parts of the world under
diverse names from Jazz, hip-hop,
ballet and salsa to the Brazilian
samba dance. Moreover, the bottom
line is no matter what style of dance
you prefer, lots of benefits await you
as discussed below
1. Reduces Risk of Dementia
It's been shown that dancers tend to
have a lower risk of dementia. The
likely explanation for this effect is that
dancing prevents shrinkage of the
hippocampus, a brain part normally
responsible for memory function.
Hence, by preserving your
hippocampus, dancing can help you
keep your memory intact for longer
and stave off dementia. According to
the New England Journal of Medicine,
dancing boosts your memory and
makes you less likely to suffer from
dementia as you grow older. Similarly,
a study was embarked upon by the
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
over a period of 21 years. They found
that adults who indulged in regular
dance reduced their risk of developing
dementia by 76%.
2. Relieves Joint Pain and Stiffness
Most forms of dancing tend to
strengthen your muscles and joints as
well as enhance your flexibility.
Obviously, this may help to relieve the
pain and stiffness across your joints.
Following a study at the Saint Louis
University, researchers concluded that
older adults suffering from hip and
knee discomfort may safely substitute
dancing shoes for their pain
medications. Furthermore, dancing
helps you to achieve a full range of
motion in all the major joints and
muscle groups which lowers your risk
of musculoskeletal injuries such as
strains and sprains. In the same vein,
it may also lessen your risk of arthritis
by lubricating your joints.
3. For Stronger Bones and Muscles
According to Lamarck's theory of use
and disuse, any body organ that is
subjected to constant use develops and
vice-versa. Dancing is a weight-
bearing activity; hence it subjects the
major bones and muscles to heavy use
thereby enhancing the strength and
density of the bones. For this reason,
dancing helps to reduce the incidence
of osteoporosis among men and
women, especially post-menopausal
women who are more prone to
osteoporosis and fractures.
4. Facilitates Healthy Weight Loss
If you want to burn some calories and
stay fit and healthy, I recommend you
put on your dancing shoes and dance
to your favourite tune. Naturally, the
body converts excess calories into fat
and stores it under the skin and
around vital organs. This ultimately
leads to obesity, insulin resistance and
type 2 diabetes which are inimical to
your health. Why not burn off those
excess calories as you treat yourself to
some nice dance? In addition, dancing
has been shown to enhance lipid and
blood sugar control. It raises the levels
of high-density lipoproteins (HDL)
otherwise known as good cholesterol
in the blood and lowers LDL (bad
cholesterol) levels.
5. Lessens Risk of Depression
Dancers are less likely to suffer from
mood disorders such as depression
and anxiety. While dancing, chemicals
like endorphins are released and this
helps to dissipate stress thereby
making you feel happy and relaxed.
Similarly, dancing boosts your self-
esteem and increases your sense of
well-being. According to the Journal
of Applied Gerontology, partner dance
accompanied by good music tends to
bring about significant relief from
stress.
6. Treatment of Chronic Dizziness
Have you ever wondered how
professional dancers manage to spin
several times and still maintain their
balance? For the uninitiated, they lose
balance after spinning because the
fluid in the vestibular organs of the
inner ear continue to move even when
they are done spinning and the brain
interpretes it as though they had not
stopped. However, consistent training
has suppressed this reflex in dancers
and their perception of spinning is
often short. This phenomenon is still
being explored as it can be applied for
the treatment of individuals suffering
from chronic dizziness.
In view of the aforementioned, I
believe you will not hesitate to put on
your dancing shoes, take to the dance
floor and reap the rewards of
dancing.