Why Dancing Is A Great Way To Enhance Your Fitness & Your Brain

17^th May 2024

Dancing isn't just about having a good time, it is also a powerful tool for connecting with others and boosting your mood. Recent research delves into its profound effects on health and well-being. Beyond its obvious benefits for mental health and memory, dancing can also alleviate pain and outperform traditional exercise in brain and fitness enhancement.

Undoubtedly, dancing enhances fitness levels, supports mental well-being, and aids memory. It's a potent antidote to depression and fosters social bonds. The impact of dance on the brain is remarkable, particularly on the hippocampus, crucial for learning, memory, and spatial navigation.

What makes dancing so potent?

One of its astounding effects lies in its rapid influence on brain chemistry, triggering profound positive emotions. Research from the University of Oxford reveals that dancing synchronously with others significantly amplifies social bonding and even raises the pain threshold, possibly by releasing endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, in just 10 minutes.

Why does dancing surpass other exercises? It combines key elements like music, movement, and social engagement. Surprisingly, a study of nearly 50,000 adults found that dancing was associated with a 46% lower risk of stroke or heart attack over 12 years, exceeding other activities at similar intensities. Even frequent walkers didn't reap the same benefits. Moreover, in a five-year study with older adults, dancing was linked to a remarkable 76% reduced risk of dementia, showcasing its exceptional protective effects.

Dancing increases physical activity significantly, with heart rates exceeding 140 beats per minute and calorie burn reaching around 340 every half-hour. Its blend of low and high-intensity intervals makes it both effective and enjoyable, while learning new routines adds a stimulating cognitive challenge and opportunity to make new friends.

In the last eight years, DRCS has been in partnership with Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust to deliver the NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression service, throughout Derbyshire.

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