I have really enjoyed my Zumba classes this week, so it made me reflect on why dancing is so good for you and for your brain, in particular. I have always loved dancing! I started dancing at a young age, I studied it, and I made a career out of it for a while. I cannot imagine my life without dancing!
The sad truth is that the opportunities to dance seem to become scanter as you get older. Whereas clubbing or organised dances may have been a regular part of your life when you were younger, they are not a prominent part of your social activities as you mature…if at all. Add in less wedding receptions, and dancing really can feel like a forgotten activity!
This is where a dance exercise class can fill the void. Just because you do not go clubbing anymore, it does not mean you do not like to dance! And aside from doing something you like to do; it is also very good for your brain.
The British Heart Foundation* celebrates the fact that dancing is good for brain health. I totally get this as you have to move different parts of your body and remember multiple steps of a routine (most of the time!) In short, it is cognitively demanding!
Sure, it may feel more demanding for me as I am leading routines for my clients to follow, but essentially, they are learning multiple routines every time they come to class. The more they come, the easier it gets, but then I always have a new routine up my sleeve to get their brains working again!
Dancing lowers risk of dementia
The BHF shines the spotlight on a small study in the New England Journal of Medicine that followed 469 people aged 75 and above, who didn’t have dementia at the start of the study. The researchers measured the association between leisure and physical activities and the likelihood of developing dementia over time. They found that dancing was the only physical activity associated with a lower risk of dementia.* Even compared with people who walk and stretch regularly, only dancers show a slowdown in white matter loss.**
There are plenty of other studies out there that state dancing improves your memory and cognitive flexibility***, i.e. being able to switch between different tasks. They also claim brain connectivity is improved too. Dancers have more neuronal connections than non-dancers, which improves memory, learning and decision-making, as well as co-ordination and spatial navigation.
Dancing reduces stress
The other way dancing keeps us perky is that is makes us feel better through increased levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin and the release of endorphins to reduce stress and anxiety****. Not only does the movement itself and the music make you feel good, so does being with other people.
I think this is such a positive reinforcement of why we should all be dancing more. Most of us want to remain trim and to keep our hearts healthy, but if an activity offers us the chance to keep our brains healthy too, then why aren’t we all doing it? According to Office of National Statistics, the leading cause of death in England and Wales in 2022 was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. That’s all I need to know to keep dancing…and that it makes me happy!
You can do Zumba with me online on Tuesday mornings between 8am and 8.55am or Slapton Village Hall between 11am and 12noon. I am offering a free Zoom class to anyone who would like to give to a go before December 31. Go to my website and fill in the contact form to let me know you are interested.
*https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/activity/6-reasons-to-dance-your-way-to-health
**https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24032090-200-how-busting-some-moves-on-the-dance-floor-is-good-for-your-brain/
***https://londondance.photography/blog/how-dancing-can-benefit-your-brain ****https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/dancing-brain
One Response
My dad died of vascular dementia, which makes me worry what will happen to me as I age. I will definitely keep dancing to keep my brain healthy but also because I love it!