Benefits of Ballroom Dancing
Ballroom dancing is a sport that is suitable for all ages! With a variety of dance types to choose from, there is something for everyone ranging from children to seniors. Not only is ballroom dancing an art form, it is also the perfect form of exercise that helps you maintain an active lifestyle, bond with your partner, friends and family while enjoying great music.
Dancing not only helps to improve aerobic fitness, posture and muscular strength, it also improves discipline and self-esteem in children, while boosting memory, cognitive abilities and improves balance for seniors.
A Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute article noted that “music stimulates the brain’s reward centers, while dance activates its sensory and motor circuits”. Studies have shown that regions of the brain that contribute to dance learning and performance are also involved in planning, control, hand-eye coordination and complex motor actions. Much of the research on the benefits of physical activity associated with dance links with those gained from physical exercise, such as memory improvement and strengthened neuronal connections.
During the brain’s early years, neural connections are being made at a rapid rate. Artistic activities such as singing, drawing and dancing engage all the senses and enhances brain areas in children, developing their motor and cognitive skills while enhancing their emotional well-being.
Dance has also become a therapy for Parkinson’s disease and studies of the effects of dance on patients have found significant improvements in their speech and movements. In a 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers investigated 11 different types of physical activities including cycling, golf, swimming and tennis but found that only one of the activities studied – dance – lowered participants’ risk of dementia., due to the combination of mental effort and social interaction from this type of activity.
Discover for yourself the benefits of ballroom dancing by joining us today!
