Why Should You Learn How to Dance? Because Dancing Can Positively Effect Your Body and Mind

Have you always wanted to learn to dance but you didn’t know where to start? Have you considered that the first dance for a bride at her wedding only goes off without a hitch if she and her partner have put in some practice? The same necessity applies to yourself. If you want to learn to dance, you must be willing to take some dance classes. If you are wondering what such classes could bring to your life, read below.

Why You Should Learn to Dance: The Physical, Cognitive, and Emotional Benefits.

As any good dance instructor will tell you, dancing has many benefits that can be reaped by beginners just as much as by those who choose to dance competitively. Meaning, the benefits are the same whether you’re performing at a competition or if you’re sweating it out in a beginner’s rumba class. Why is this? It all has to do with the movements themselves.

Physical Benefits: Dancing Requires You to Get In Touch With Your Body.

1. Muscle Strength: Even a dance with milder movements such as the rumba are a good way to strengthen muscle, especially those in your legs and core. Competitive dances that require one partner to lift the other will require a greater show of strength.

2. Cardiovascular Endurance: Because of its continuous nature, dancing does count as cardiovascular exercise. This means that it helps strengthen the heart and lungs. It is recommended that adults get about 30 minutes of exercise at least five days per week. Dancing could help you reach this goal.

3. Flexibility: For most people wanting to learn to dance, the moves of different dances will be ones they have never performed before. Even tame dances can cause the blood to flow into the muscles, warming them and helping them to stretch a little without injury.

4. Bone-Building: Any weight-bearing exercise helps build bone. Weak bones or the fear of losing precious bone mass encourages many seniors to participate in a fun activity such as dancing.

These claims might sound great, and yet firm proof would be preferred before you sign up for a dance class. A good example is the calorie burn of a 150 pound individual during one hour of dancing, which adds up to about 240 calories.

The Surprising Cognitive Benefits Of Learning New Dance Steps.

Dancing requires more than simply moving one’s body. There are steps to memorize. This steps are what help dancers noticeably improve their cognitive functions, especially as seniors. If you learn to dance, you’ll quickly realize that it is a mental sport just as much as a physical one.

In one study mentioned in Psychology Today on ballerinas, scientists found that when the dancers first practiced with a technique called “blocking” that their memory of the dance steps improved. Blocking is not performing the dance at regular speed. It is slowed down with movements that are not as precise as a performance would be. And yet this group of dancers performed better later on then the group that did not practice using the blocking technique. The reason for this, the scientists theorized, was that the dancers were able to remember the movement when practiced in a flow instead of as individual steps.

Did You Know There Are Emotional Benefits Too?

Any sustained exercise causes the body to release endorphins after a certain threshold is reached. When set to music the effect is even more pronounced. Dance can be an excellent way to release stress, feel better, and to have some fun with other people. Many people actually prefer dancing over meditation, an exercise which has its own health benefits. In fact, one study on mindfulness meditation found that 97% of participants would prefer to go dancing over learning to meditate.

Dancing has many benefits, among which are improved memory, stronger muscles, and stronger bones. It can also be extremely fun. If you have always wanted to learn how to dance, what are you waiting for? Look into dance studios in your area, and get started improving your health today.