It shouldn't be surprising to anyone who dances regularly that dance can have a positive effect on both your mental and physical health. From strutting your stuff on the club dance floor, grabbing a group of friends and dancing your hearts out at a wedding or getting up a sweat in your regular dance class. When you move, you feel good... It's that simple.
Research has shown that dance improves mood and can lower stress and anxiety. Dance releases a number of mood-enhancing chemicals and according to The Arts in Psychotherapy, when unleashed these chemicals can help improve your mental state and even reduce depression. According to another study by the University of Hertferdshire; the happiness experienced while dancing is measurable even after dancing has ceased, with increased happiness being reported as long as a week after the last dance.
Touch should not be underestimated
When we participate in many forms of dance including Ballroom, Latin, Street Latin and New Vogue we engage the sense of touch - one of the first senses humans experience. Many studies have found that if we establish human to human physical connection, there are notable reductions in the level of stress and anxiety and bringing a sense of connection to our peers.
Feeling connected through dance
Many students that walk through our studio doors for the first time, note that the studio feels like a family. While there is evidence that the act of dancing produces an improvement to your mental state. It has also been shown to help people feel a connectedness to others. Social dance classes like our regular class nights and events also offer the opportunity for people to develop social bonds and friendships with people with a common interest.
Protecting the brain as we age
Adults can reap the benefits of dance and it's ability to protect the brain as we age. Taking a ballroom dancing class typically involves learning complex patterns of movements, in a space, in coordination with both the music and other people. Dance helps build not only physical development in areas such as strength, coordination and balance but also helps improve memory, neuroplasticity, improved cognitive skills and visuospatial processing. Recent studies have even shown benefits in dance based therapies to patients with Parkinsons and Alzheimers diseases.
While we don't suggest that dancing should replace help from a qualified mental health professional, dance can form part of a plan to improve both your mental and physical health. To join a dance class and see how it can help you with your life goals, please contact a studio close to you and organise a free trial.
