Need to change up your exercise routine? Then you’ll be happy to know that there’s an option that could challenge you mentally and motivate you creatively while you exert yourself physically. That workout is none other than dancing.
Celebrating the many benefits of this combined exercise and art form is one of the reasons the American Dance Movement promotes National Dance Day on the third Saturday in September.
This year’s celebration falls on September 21, but there’s no reason you can’t start getting your dance on now. Who knows? With a few extra weeks, you might be able to master your rhythm just in time for the big day, when people of all ages across the country are encouraged to incorporate dance into their daily lives as a way of recognizing its many benefits.
For Body…
More and more people are getting in tune with the physical demands of dance. The American Council on Exercise suggests it might have to do with the popularity of such shows as Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance?, and Dance Your A** Off. That’s great, because as the council explains, dance combines cardiovascular and weight-bearing activity, and it requires both coordination and balance. Vigorous dance styles, like the salsa, can burn about 250 calories in 30 minutes, the same as light jogging.
But it’s not just about burning calories. The Hospital for Special Surgery explains that the multi-directional movements you perform when you’re dancing (as opposed to the straightforward motion of running or walking) improves your joint mobility. Additionally, people who dance have better gait and agility.
…And Mind
Dance has more benefits than simply physical ones. Because people who are dancing have to learn new moves and think about the right steps, they are mentally stimulated, meaning their mind is getting a workout as well as their body.
This was observed firsthand in a July 2018 study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS One, which followed a group of elderly participants as they undertook a challenging dance program over the course of six months. Dance proved to help with things like their spatial orientation and their movement coordination, but more importantly, because mastering the choreography meant they were continually learning, it improved their memory, and attention, both of which tend to decline with age.
Feeling inspired to hit the dance floor for your next workout? You can likely find drop-in classes at a local gym or community center. There are also plenty of videos available online. As with any new workout, however, you should check in with your doctor to make sure you’re ready to begin. Once you have the go-ahead, be sure you wear good shoes and don’t challenge yourself too much right away—you’ll be having a lot of fun and might not even realize that you’re exercising, so you need to be careful not to overexert yourself.
