Good dancing engages the brain. Great dancing engages the heart.
—Len Goodman
“Dance is a multidimensional physical activity of psychosocial nature.” That mouthful came from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, publishing a study from Western Sydney University which stated that “those who participated in dancing had 46 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular death over a decade compared to those who rarely or never danced.”
These outcomes were for participants aged 40 and over who managed to be “at least slightly out of breath or sweaty while dancing”. In an article published by the University of Sydney, two Associate Professors weighed in on why dancing is so optimal. One said dance was like “exercise in disguise” and equated the “vigorous intensity” in ballroom or folk dancing to similar health benefits achieved through interval training. Another approached it from the emotional end, advising that “We should not underestimate the playful social interaction aspects of dancing which, when coupled with some more intense movement, can be a very powerful stress relief and heart health promoting pastime.”
Dance is good for your heart, both literally and figuratively, physically and emotionally. Psychosocial just means involving both psychological and social aspects, and dance has that in spades, combining human connection and a great workout in one very, very fun activity. So keep right on dancing, you could not be doing yourself more good.
Get sweaty and slightly out of breath at any of the outstanding events featured online at the Dance Calendar.
See you on the dance floor —Sean Donovan