Dancing can be a great workout for your heart and mind.Dancing is often considered a recreational activity and all too often overlooked for the positive physical, mental and social health qualities.

Whitney Thore The self-proclaimed “fat girl” known for her appearances on the television show “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” describes it, “dance is the most basic and most honest form of communication between my mind and my body and between me and the world.”

And as Emily Sandow, supervisor of dance physical therapy at NYU Langone’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, phrases it, “the integration of the body and the soul” is key to any healthy lifestyle and at the center of dance.

As Thore describes it, “dance is the most basic and most honest form of communication between my mind and my body and between me and the world.”

The few points following would make you understand the importance of dance to your health.

1 . All You Need Is Yourself
Dance provides a great cardiovascular workout that could be done anywhere without the hassle of going to a gym or any equipment. “You don’t need any workout tools; you don’t need any weights or machines or anything like that. Literally, all you need is yourself.”

The workout you get from dancing can vary depending on the type of movements being performed. At the end of an hourlong ballet lesson, participants have undoubtedly stretched various muscle groups and executed moves with precision and balance. A night out on the dance floor at a club or wedding reception, however, often results in an increased heart rate for a longer period.

“Social dancing is more cardiovascular because you’re doing endurance exercise for a long period of time. But if you’re doing technical skilled dancing such as ballet, usually, you’re doing quick bursts,”

2. Helps Body Movement In Adult

Motor skills also stand to benefit, in both little ones and aging adults. “Although it looks like a highly specialized form, we still work on the fundamental principles of movement that every individual need to acquire to be able to go from a baby crawling on the floor to kneeling, walking, running, jumping, kicking.”

And for older adults, “it’s great for your range of motion and allowing the joints to move freely through all planes of motion.”

3. Improves Your Memory

Doctors have been trying for decades to find innovative ways to slow the cognitive decline seen in older adults. Aga Burzynska, assistant professor of human development at Colorado State University, wondered whether keeping them active would slow memory loss.

“As we get older, in general, our cognitive functions start declining,” she said.

So Burzynska focused her research on the issue and looked into ways to combat the deterioration. The resulting study was published this year in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

Researchers looked at adults ranging from their 60s to their 80s who had no signs of memory loss or impairment. Participants were assigned to one of three activities: brisk walking, stretching and balance training, or dance classes.

Three times a week, those in the dance group practiced and learned country dance choreography.

The goal, Burzynska said, was to see “how increasing aerobic exercise, increasing aerobic activities or introducing activities such as dance can help protect our brains from aging

4. Improves Your Mental Health

We’ve all been in need of a “mental break” from time to time. Dancing, Sandow says, can offer the escape your brain needs. “It’s a good counter-activity to being stuck on a screen and being home.”

A 2014 study found positive changes in mood for recreational dancers. Participants had higher energy levels and were less tense compared with competition dancers, who had stress levels similar to those of other competitive athletes.
Not unlike a “runner’s high,” rhythmic movement has been shown to trigger the release of endorphins, which can boost your mood.

5. Balance and coordination

Techniques taught in dance classes increase body awareness and encourage low-impact landings. These techniques, Sandow says, are not only useful for dancers on stage but for athletes who play impact sports, children developing motor skills and older adults concerned about injuries.

“The aging population is at high risk for falls, and we think dance, especially, can be beneficial in reducing the risk of falls, because dance is just a series of balance tests,” Emily Sandow, supervisor of dance physical therapy at NYU Langone’s Harkness Center stressed in an interview.

6. Dancing has no age limit

Unlike with many forms of exercise, there are no rules when it comes to dancing. Participants range from toddlers to retirees; anyone can join in and enjoy the experience.

“We know that movement is good for everyone,” Sandow said. “A healthy lifestyle is integrating the mind, body and soul relationship, and dance has all of those characteristics.”

Source: http://rayoonline.com/read-dancing-good-health/