When we think about the benefits of dancing, maybe most people aren’t able to figure out how much dancing can benefit their health. The benefits of dancing go beyond the body, since it also plays a therapeutic role, as it improves self-esteem, provides a good mood and pleasure for those who practice it.
Dancing is one of the most democratic sports that exists; there is no age limit or a physical type required to be able to practice it. Now, let’s list some benefits of dancing, both for the body and the mind.
Dancing benefits for the body
- Calories loss: for sure this reason alone would be enough to create many dancing fans. Even though there is a difference in the loss of calories according to the chosen modality of dancing, we can affirm that in all of them there is a high caloric loss, reaching more than 600 calories/hour. So, for those who want to lose weight, but are resistant to traditional exercises, dancing can be a great ally.
- Muscle toning: the muscles of the back, legs and belly are the ones that most feel the benefits of dancing. But, in dance modalities like ballet and jazz you end up strengthening the musculature of your whole body.
- Posture: dancing, in addition to muscle strengthening, as it requires an upright posture, improves your posture and over time also strengthens your cervical, decreasing the pains in your back.
- Motor coordination: motor coordination is essential in any dance modality, but contrary to popular belief, it is not essential to start practicing dancing. In fact, it is just the opposite, the more you practice the movements and the steps, the more your coordination increases.
- Brain and heart stimulation: one of the greatest benefits of dance is the stimulus that happens in the brain during its practice, improving your memory and your cognitive functions, which is something excellent for the elderly. As for the heart, dancing speeds up a person’s heartbeat and their cardiorespiratory rate, which consequently increases someone’s energy and disposition.
- Strengthening of bones: as well as muscles, the greater the movement, the more our brain understands that it should produce more bone mass, what means that, in the long run, it’s an excellent way to prevent osteoporosis.
Benefits for the mind
- Prevent depression: it is well known that depression will become the most common illness in next few years. Therefore, we can say that dancing can be one of the greatest allies against this disease. The feeling of pleasure and well-being that dancing causes makes the body produce more endorphins, which work as a natural antidepressant.
- Increase social interaction: Directly linked to the previous item, one of the greatest benefits of dancing is the interaction it promotes while meeting new people and avoiding isolation, which often increases depression even more.
- Improve your self-esteem: since it doesn’t impose any limits regarding body type or age, dancing promotes greater acceptance of your own body, increasing the self-esteem and confidence of everyone who does it. The way you manage to improve and evolve with each movement brings you a sense of empowerment and well-being.
- Work on your confidence and reduce your level of shyness: as dance increases self-esteem, this factor is directly linked to self-confidence and reduces shyness. People who are extremely shy tend to loosen up more and end up becoming even more confident. It even makes it easier for you to get close to some “crush”, since dancing has always been used as a powerful device to win someone over.
- Reduce your stress levels: with everything that has been said before, it’s obvious how much dancing can help reducing the burden of stress that is linked to our daily lives, which makes for an excellent escape valve for the pressures at work or at home.
As we can see, the list of benefits of dancing is great, what makes it an excellent ally for a better life quality. There are different styles and rhythms, just choose one and start dancing!