Article content
Increasingly, you can see older people signing up for dance school. Some attend these courses for pleasure, others try to stay in good physical shape or go there to meet new people.
Benefits of dance
The fact is that it is useful: people who dance have a clearer mind, are spry and recover more easily even after a stroke.
These facts also interested scientists from Masaryk University, who decided to explore the relationship between dancing and youth.
It has long been proven that the duration of youth depends on our brain. After all, you can look amazing, but what good is that if dementia begins to set in, bringing many problems.
Dance as prevention
One theory says that dancing is not just physical activity, but also psychotherapy and a good preventive measure against dementia.
While we dance, important work takes place in our heads. Previously inactive parts of the brain are awakened.
The right and left hemispheres begin to interact with each other. We perceive the world as brighter and happier because the brain simultaneously monitors rhythm, music, and controls the body’s movements.
Research
A group of scientists from Masaryk University in the Czech Republic decided to study the health indicators of people over 60 who attend a municipal dance school.
The results showed that they are indeed much healthier.
They make decisions faster, find logical connections more easily, analyze better, remember information, and overall their bodies are much stronger and younger than those of their peers.
Internal organs receive more oxygen. In addition, the body produces endorphins during dancing, which are also called happiness hormones. You will immediately notice in them that they are full of joy and life. These are the benefits of dancing that the Czech scientists discovered.
Why start dancing
- Dance trains almost all the muscles of the body and has a positive effect on connective tissue.
- Dance classes train the respiratory system.
- Body movement speeds up blood flow in the vessels, therefore the vessels gain better elasticity.
- Dance is also an effective prevention against cardiovascular diseases and the now-common stroke.
- Regular dancing improves brain function and memory, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Dance helps express emotions and releases negative energy.
- Regular dance classes help burn more calories, which also helps reduce excess weight.
- Dance also has a beneficial effect on the human nervous system: it relieves nervous tension and headaches, and stabilizes blood pressure.
- People who dance professionally do not have Parkinson’s disease.
How often to dance
Dance slows the body’s aging process. The most optimal schedule for a healthy person is 3 times a week, 60 – 90 minutes.
For example, you can dance at home to your favorite music or participate in dance events, for example in parks.
Physiotherapists and doctors especially recommend that retirees pay attention to social dancing.
And what about you? Do you like dancing?
