Dancing for a sharper mind?

As we grow older we suffer a decline in mental and physical fitness, which can be made worse by conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study, published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, shows that older people who routinely partake in physical exercise can significantly reverse the age of the brain. However, the most interesting thing that came out of this study was that of all the physical activities examined in the experiment, there was one that towered above all the rest — Dancing.

“Exercise has the beneficial effect of slowing down or even counteracting age-related decline in mental and physical capacity,” says Dr Kathrin Rehfeld, lead author of the study, based at the German centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, “In this study, we show that two different types of physical exercise (dancing and endurance training) both increase the area of the brain that declines with age. In comparison, it was only dancing that led to noticeable behavioural changes in terms of improved balance.”

What this study shows is another link to how keeping the mind active and alert is beneficial to your health.

Dancing brings about many emotions happiness, laughter, Flow, connection and the physical requirements of coordination and muscle stimulation all benefit us, not just in the moment, but also in the long term.

I love dancing! Dancing in any form, ballroom – rock – classical – boot scooting you name it. If keeping my brain sharp and focused brings about long term benefits I know what I’ll be doing more of.

Let’s get our dance shoes on and all Fill Everyday with Joy.

If you’d like support with understanding your unique Mind Body Link you can contact me at [email protected]

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