Just like other sports, ballroom dancing is physically and mentally challenging. The longer you stick with this sport, the more you are investing in your quality of life. Don’t believe us? Read on. If you still aren’t convinced, try it for 90 days to realize the health benefits of dancing, and see how much better you feel.
Studies have shown that ballroom dancing can reduce aging by improving cardiovascular health, pulmonary function, memory strength, flexibility, stronger bones, balance and reduce risks from falls. In addition, it is a great calorie burner, mood elevator, and has tremendous social benefits. Please read on.
Ballroom dancing classes attract people from all backgrounds and walks of life. You will meet new people and make new ‘dance friends’. You will enjoy lots of joyful social interactions during the class as students rotate and dance with each other. Social interactions can help lower stress levels and promote a positive outlook on life. Group classes have a built-in social aspect as you will meet other students when you rotate partners. Every student introduces themselves to the person they are dancing with. Friday night Ballroom parties for students, guests, and colleagues to enjoy ballroom dancing will bring opportunities to meet more people and build your friendships.
No other sport is as mood-lifting as dancing. Listening and moving to music and being surrounded by fun, laughter, and community is a natural mood elevator. If stress is part of your life, the time you spend learning dancing makes it impossible to think about anything but the dancing itself. Learning dance is not stressful, since the instruction is positive, patient, and light-hearted. The music is uplifting and motivating. Dancing to music is the fastest mood lifter that exists–it is literally instantaneous for most people. Plus, the social activity itself lifts your spirits. And as you improve and learn new material, your confidence grows.
Ballroom dance has been known to decrease blood pressure and cholesterol, improve cardiovascular health, and increase lung capacity. It improves endurance. The more often you dance, the better conditioning you are giving your heart. Starting, stopping, and starting dancing several times in a 55-minute class is a real cardio workout. We will get your heart rate up and down which is the exercise your heart needs to stay young. Your heart learns how to slow down and start pumping faster again. Over time, you will notice that you do not get winded as fast and your movements will become more athletic. This is a REAL SPORT.
A famous study done by The New England Journal of Medicine found that ballroom dancing improves memory function and helps to prevent dementia. Taking the time to remember steps, choreography, dance backward, change directions, learn to respond to a partner’s cues, and plan and organize a series of steps, increases cognitive skills and reduces the fat loss in the part of the brain where memory is stored. Like a muscle that is lifting a weight regularly, your memory is getting a workout!
Flexibility is a huge benefit of ballroom dancing. Ballroom dancing incorporates stretching, bending, and weight resistance. The more you dance, the more flexible you will become which is how to ensure long-term health in your joints. Since dancing is a weight-resisting workout as you connect in partnership with the weight of your dancing partner, it can help protect bone density which prevents osteoporosis over time. It is a low-impact exercise which makes it safe for knee and hip surgery recovery. If you are re-introducing your body to exercise, dancing may be an ideal choice.
Ballroom dancing involves changing direction, rising and falling, spinning, and moving forward and backward with a partner. This requires using muscles that have to keep you from falling from many different angles and positions. Imagine how it feels to keep in connection with another person while keeping each other from falling. Not falling is not as difficult as it sounds, but it is a constant workout. It also requires maintaining your posture while you are moving, which helps you gain better control of your body. When you dance you are using all of your muscles. Falling becomes less likely as you age if you are dancing regularly. A study in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity showed that dancing can improve balance in older adults.
Dancing is an intense aerobic activity that can help lower obesity and type 2 diabetes risk. Taking a dance class four times per week guarantees four 30-minute workouts. Each 55-minute group class will include at least 25 minutes of good exercise. The goal is to work up a sweat while dancing the patterns over and over again. Not only are you getting your heart rate up as you keep in time with the music, but your muscles are also all engaged in maintaining balance and weight resistance as you dance with a partner. This is because the connection between the two dancers is one of resisting the body strength of the other person. Imagine a low-level arm wrestling contest, but with your whole body! Imagine the effect that will have for 30 minutes. Dancing regularly will improve your muscle tone.