Health Benefits of Dancing For Seniors

Dancing isn’t just for the young generation. Older men and women can also join in on the fun of a good tango on the dance floor. Dancing isn’t only a fun activity but also comes with great health benefits for the older generation. 

Physical Wellness

Growing older means that your body is eventually not going to be as spry and as flexible as it was when you were younger. A great way to improve your flexibility and strength is to exercise. Dancing is a great way for seniors to get their daily dose of exercise and have fun while doing it.

Choose your Intensity

The best part about dancing is that you can choose how rigorous your dance choice or routine can be. Feeling a bit spicy? Dance a little bit of Samba. Had a rough day and need to unwind? Take it slow with a little bit of ballroom dancing with a partner. No matter which dance you choose you’re still getting much needed exercise to keep your body in top shape.

Keep Your Muscles and Bones Strong

Your bones and muscles will  grow weaker as you grow older but dancing can keep you active enough to maintain your bones and muscles. It can also keep your joints from stiffening to the point of making you immobile. Think of dance as a great way to grease up your aging gears and keep you in the fast track for much longer than others that don’t dance.

Dance Your Heart Out

It isn’t just your muscles and bones that benefit from a weekly tango session at the dance club. Dancing is a fantastic way for seniors to exercise one of the most important parts of the human body, the heart. When you dance, you literally dance your heart out and give it a great workout to keep it pumping.

Mental Wellness

 If the heart is one of the most important parts of the body, then the brain is THE most important part of the body. Your brain is the one that makes all the decisions and makes you “you”. So it is very important to keep it as sharp as possible for as long as possible. And what better way to do it than to have a great night on the dance floor. Dancing has actually been proven to help your mind stay sharp and keep you mentally healthy throughout the years.

Keep Dementia and Mental Illness Away

Keeping your mind sharp as you age can be a challenge for most seniors. Dementia and many other mental disabilities rear their ugly heads as you grow older and its important to figure out ways to keep them from taking over. There are many ways to prevent dementia and other mental illnesses. You’d be surprised to know that dancing can actually help you prevent the onset of dementia and keep your mind sharp.

Creating New Connections

Your brain is made out of cells called neurons that branch out with each other to make connections with each other and send signals to your body. As you age, these neurons deteriorate and the connections grow weaker so it becomes more difficult to move around. Your mind thinks but your body won’t respond as well. Dancing makes sure that your mind does not stagnate. It helps keep these connections strong as dancing properly requires that your mind go into overtime to keep up with all the steps you’re going to be taking and adapting on the fly.

Dancing is one of the best ways to keep you from ever feeling old, so don’t feel shy and start dancing to the music with us here at Music and Dance Academy, Tucson today! Remember, you’re never too old to start dancing.