So, is dancing good exercise? Oh yes! Put on your tap shoes – dancing is the key to staying youthful!
Most of us know that exercising keeps us fit and healthy. But it’s little known that exercise, in particular dancing, can have a much bigger impact on our health and mental well being. In fact, dancing is known to improve bone density, our balance and much more!
Is Dancing Good Exercise
Two leading health, fitness and wellness experts have provided their expertise on behalf of City Lit, an adult education college, on how beneficial dancing is for the older generation and how it can have a positive impact on our health. Ready to get those dancing shoes on?
Keep your Bone Density in Check
We all know how important it is to keep our bones in top condition as we get older, and dancing can really help improve our bone density overall. Tim Allardyce, a chartered physiotherapist at Surrey Physio, explains that as we get older, we start to lose our bone density, leading to osteoporosis and other potential bone problems. Low intensity exercise, such as dancing, is fantastic for the older generation as it helps keep bones and joints strong, as well as increase our flexibility by movement of our arms and legs.
Improving our Social Life
It can be difficult when we get older to meet new like-minded people, however you can meet lots of new companions through joining a local dance group. Dr Khan, GP with 30 years’ experience specialising in anti-ageing, and co-founder of the famous Harley Street Skin Clinic, says that regularly meeting up with friends while dancing can not only keep you healthy, but is also great for combating loneliness, reducing low mood and stimulating cognitive skills. It’s a little known fact how dancing can have such an impact on your social life as you get older, but it is just as important as the physical health benefits.
Keeping Active
This may be obvious for some, however keeping active as we get older can really help us live longer and give us a much better quality of life. As explained by Dr Khan, dancing is fantastic for keeping our hearts in tip top condition, as well as cardiovascular, motor and aerobic fitness. Depending on the type of dance, the majority of dance styles are low impact so you can keep active without worrying about joint or muscle aches.
Improve your Balance
As we age, we’re more prone to falling which can really have a negative impact on your health and wellbeing. Tim says that dancing builds up our leg strength therefore improves balance, making it less likely for us to suffer a fall or trip. Regular dancing can also help build up the endurance and strength in our legs, so this can really help our stability.
Keep our Mental Health in Top Condition
As we get older, we’re less likely to be able to socialise on a regular basis, often leading to loneliness or depression. However Dr Khan believes that regular dancing is a fantastic way of reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. The brain work and memory exercises involved in dancing keep the brain active and therefore keeps the brain healthy.
So in answer to the question ‘Is dancing good exercise’? You betcha!
Feeling inspired to take up ballroom dancing now?
