Do you believe you can dance? If you’re unsure, why not give it a chance? Dancing is a fun and engaging type of physical exercise. This activity, ranging from ballroom to salsa, not only strengthens the heart, builds strong bones and muscles, but also improves balance.
It has gained popularity as a fitness method for music enthusiasts and professionals, from reducing stress levels to improving cardiovascular health.
Scroll down to explore some health benefits of dancing and how it can help you be healthier.
What is Dance?
Dance is a creative expression that involves moving the body in rhythm to music accompaniment. It allows dancers to communicate emotion or enjoy the physical body experience. However, not all movements are dance. To meet the definition of dance, a movement requires expressiveness rather than just functionality.
Types of Dances
Dance styles are versatile and can fit various moods and preferences. The type of dance or music you choose may depend on your local availability and personal liking. If you have danced before, you can continue where you left off or make a new choice.
Here are some potential types of dance:
- Ballroom
- Tap
- Salsa
- Flamenco
- Swing
- Square dancing
- Contra dancing
- Belly dancing
- Line dancing
- Tango
- Folk
- Clogging
- Jazz dancing
- Ballet
- Modern dance
- Hip-hop
Benefits of Dance
Dance is exercise, so the physical benefits of dancing will be similar to other cardio activities.
Improves cardiovascular health
Dancing is an amazing aerobic workout that helps to improve cardiovascular health. According to population-based survey data of adults 40 and up, people who participated in moderate-intensity dancing had a 46 percent lower risk of developing heart disease or dying from it over a 10-year follow-up than nondancers. In comparison, walkers with moderate exertion were just 25% less likely to get heart-related problems.
The study also mentions the social component of dancing and the associated relaxation it provides (more on this later) as potential contributors to its health advantages.
Finally, this study shows that dancing’s social aspect and relaxation benefits may be partly due to its health benefits.
Mood Boosting
Dancing is a physical activity that releases endorphins, which are the body’s happy hormones. These hormones are crucial in advancing our positivity and transforming our mood. Since this action requires a lot of movement and coordination, it distracts us from our daily issues and anxieties.
Promotes Flexibility
Unlike other types of exercise, dancing expands your body in unique ways. Boosting flexibility is beneficial for maintaining physical health. It shortens the time it takes for your muscles to recuperate after a workout and lowers the chances of sprains or falls. It is also beneficial for managing joint and past injury-related pain.
Kills Calories
Simply moving to the music, whether salsa, ballroom dancing, or doing two-step, dance exercise offers an easy and fun way to burn calories. Private Dance Courses can improve your dance experience by providing customize plans that maximize calorie burn. A half hour of dancing in a day can burn almost 200 and 400 calories easily. And this exercise is more enjoyable than using a treadmill.
Boosts cognitive performance
Research shows that dancing can maintain and improve cognitive function as individuals age.
But how does this miracle happen? Well, according to some studies exercise like dance can increase areas of the brain responsible for memory and skills like planning and organizing.