As a health professional, I am often asked, “What exercise do you recommend for ____?” You can fill this blank in yourself as the goals run the gamut. Both health aficionados and more static types may need help finding a daily physical activity that meets their personal criteria.
Busy schedules, limited space, financial constraints, and sluggish activity levels may hinder people with excellent intentions of healthier living from meeting their personal goals or ever even getting started working toward them, for that matter. Among the options I recommend, dancing is perhaps the most universally accessible for all levels of physical condition, work out space limitations, and financial fluidity.
An Exercise for Every Physical Condition
Human beings come in all shapes and sizes. Those who maintain a healthy level of daily activity are less likely to suffer from:
-
Heart ailments
-
High blood pressure
-
Dangerous stress levels
-
Depression
-
Obesity
-
Diabetes
-
Sleep problems
-
Arthritis
-
Muscle cramps
Those facing or hoping to stave off problems like those listed above may want to find a lifelong activity to improve their health. They may also worry that any physical activity will be too challenging for them. Whenever general mobility is present, some level of dance may be just what the doctor ordered to help people of all ages ease on down the road to healthier lifestyles.
The Remarkable Benefits of Dance
The benefits of dance are remarkable and impact all age groups.
For Children:
Studies show a correlation between healthy development, better mind-body coordination, and developmental success—physically, emotionally, and mentally—for grade school children engaged in Dance Movement Practice (DMP) or Dance Movement Therapy (DMT). These benefits are evident even in groups involving physically, mentally, and/or emotionally challenged students.
For Adults and Seniors:
In adults, the benefits are just as obvious. Those of advanced age who engage in routine dance activities, especially where repetition and choreographed steps are involved, work both their physical and mental muscles. Some research even demonstrates that ailments like Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Syndrome, and related ailments are mitigated by frequent DMT.
For Everyone:
For those of us in the prime of life, as well as for all pursuants, DMP or even very casual, rhythmic dance motion offers several immediate benefits, including:
-
Regular aerobic exercise
-
Increased muscle flexibility
-
Immersive sensory experiences
-
Endorphins promotion/release
-
Lowered cortisol levels
-
Socialization/friend groups
How to Get Started
Joining a line dancing, ballet, or aerobics class is one way to put more motion into your life. You might also look for clubs and other venues that include dancing in their offerings. When all else fails, just turn on some tunes to get your groove on at home.
It’s true—you should be dancing, yeah