One of the most overlooked benefits of dancing, are the ones that helps us get a better state of mind. Dancing is an absolute ball, and if it is done regularly it can help us get in shape and meet a lot of people. Beyond all of this, dancing will make a strong impact on your psyche, and that impact will be highly valuable on day to day life away from the dance floor. Find out how dance keeps the brain in shape!
Keep your brain in shape!
Dance keeps the brain in shape. While dancing, you need to remember and apply a lot of different movement patterns, which is a great exercise for the brain. Think of a “Sudoku” puzzle for a moment…in it, you have to try different patterns and see which one fits on a column, something quite similar happens while dancing, only that it happens a lot faster, without noticing you are comparing all the different moves and turns you know. This comparison will give you the move or turn that fits the dance, then you try them in your head for a moment, and after all of this, you will perform them, all within split seconds of each other.
Needless is to say, this is a complex process that will get your brain running and exercising on a regular basis. Most of the time you are having too much fun or your brain has gotten so strong after dancing, that it does it effortlessly.
Keep depression away & relive stress
A good state of mind needs a brain in good shape, but some endorphins (happiness hormones) can make a lot of difference in keeping depression away, and releasing stress. Guess what – dancing makes the body secrete tons of endorphins! Almost all physical exercises will do this, but studies shows that due to dancing’s low impact on the “pain receptors” of the muscles, the endorphins are more effective and more powerful on the mind. More studies suggest that being able to keep a beat, gives the mind a sense of triumph and winning that would generate more endorphins, too! Next time you see people smiling while dancing, you will know what is going on their bodies and in their brain.
In other studies, the American Council of Exercise found out that people who do ballroom dance at least twice a week are least likely to suffer mental disorders or Alzheimer’s. Dancing helps gain and maintain a healthy memory, and because it is a social activity it helps to alleviate a lot of the conditions that usually generate mental disorders.
Improve self esteem!
Last but not least, is the increased level of an individual’s Self-Esteem. After dancing for a while, your self esteem will be better than before, because you will see yourself as someone who is capable to learning something new, Someone who is capable of having fun and being sociable, and most of all someone who is doing something that you love. Different types of rhythms like salsa or flamenco celebrates different types of bodies and looks, so if you choose one that fits you, it will make you feel a lot more comfortable with yourself.
