Certain people prefer dancing by themselves to the music they love on Spotify or in the radio. Others would like to learn to dance in a ballroom or hip-hop. Take a tango class at the local community center. If you're a solo dancer or joining an organized and structured program, dancing can provide positive physical fitness. It's not just about moving your body with a rhythm and expressing emotions. It's burning off calories, and exercising absolutely. This fun, creative physical exercise can be beneficial for your brain's functioning. You're getting away from family, work and the everyday stresses. You've turned off the endless worrying and negative self-talk. Finally you don't have time to sit and think while dancing. The advantages to your mental health from dancing may not be as obvious but they are numerous and significant.

Free-Flowing Dance

According to an UCLA Health study published in the August 2021 issue of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice A free-flowing, conscious dance and songs brought positively positive effects on mental wellbeing for the participants. ¹ It was based on a study of 1,000 dancers from all over the globe with depression or anxiety or had a previous history of trauma.

The majority of dancers (98%) reported that the practice helped improve their mood. Many reported that mindful dancing helped them feel more confident and empathy.

Prabha Siddarth PhD, researcher statistician at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and senior author of the study noted that participants felt relaxed or relaxed when they danced themselves.

Choreographed Dance

In a separate study that was published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, ² researchers evaluated the effects of stretching, walking or dancing brain's wiring and gray matter of the aged brain. Dancing was the most noticeable positive impact.

After finding people aged between 60 and 70 with healthy brains , who didn't exhibit symptoms of cognitive impairment researchers randomly put them into three groups. A group of them walked. the other exercised and performed balance exercises, and the third group was taught dances in the country. The choreography was becoming more difficult over time.

The participants all completed the exercise for a period of one hour each daily, 3 times a week. After six months, the participants brains were examined again and compared to the day they began their exercise regimen.

Agnieszka Burzynska, study's principal author who is currently an Neuroscientist director of the BRAiN Lab at Colorado State University and was previously an instructor at the University of Illinois in Urbana and found that only one group that showed improvement: the country dancers.

The people who took part in the country dance now had more dense white matter within the area of the brain that processes memories. White matter is typically destroyed as one ages which can lead the decline of cognitive function. Dancing therefore protected the brain from neurodegeneration caused by aging. Thus, dancing isn't only an aerobic exercise that is good for your well-being. It also helps the brain!

Ballroom dancing, country dancing, salsa, tango and waltz can all be performed with other people. If you take part at these events, you're engaging in a fun and social exercise as well. Also, you're stimulating your brain when you master the steps of the dances. Dancing is therefore one of the most beneficial exercises you can do to improve brain health.

Synchronized Dance

In a different study that was recently completed located in Brazil the synchronization of dancing with other people helped people feel more connected to one another and helped to foster the bonds of friendship. ³ It also improved the tolerance to pain.

When you join in with other people during the course of a Zumba class or flash mob, it's an act of dancing together to music. This can be a great way to feel a sense of being close to other people.

In the study, participants performed dance moves the endorphins, a happy chemical were released. Endorphins play a crucial role in human bonding process. This is why they feel more connected to the people we dance with.

Researchers in this study sought to study the effects that endorphins have on the pain. Pain was assessed by the constant inflating of an ointment for blood pressure on the participants arms that were not dominant. Participants were asked to identify when pressure was uncomfortable when they danced.

The findings of the study found that those who moved the most efficiently and in sync were able to bond with other people as well as having an increased threshold for pain.

Fitness doesn't need to be a burden as that it is often thought to be. Instead, as many people across the globe find out every day that dancing is among the most effective fitness exercises that you can do. Dancing can be a fun and exciting fitness that can help you live an active and healthy life style. It is a positive, energetic, and social activity dancing offers a range of health benefits including joint flexibility, to increasing physical wellbeing.

Here are the top 10 reasons for why dancing is a fantastic exercise.

Building Muscular Endurance

Are you tired of feeling... exhausted? Are you still exhausted when you get up in the early morning? Perhaps dancing is an answer. Regular dancing improves the endurance of the body's muscles which allows them to be more active for longer durations of time without fatigue. Dancing can also increase your heart rate of the body, which increases endurance. You'll be jumping up and down from the bed every day in no time.

Benefits of Dancing

There are numerous advantages of dancing. 

Health benefits from dance for the mind

• Keep your mind alert
• Enhances self-esteem
• Involves social skills
• Enhance endorphins
• Improves your mood
• Lessens loneliness
• Eases depression
• Reduces anxiety
• Diminishes illumination
• Aids in memory
• May prevent dementia
• Increases pain threshold
• Reduces pain perception

Many people like to dance at their own pace to their favourite songs on Spotify or the radio. Others would like to learn to dance in a ballroom or hip-hop. Take a tango class at the local community center. If you're a solo dancer or participating in an organized and formal program, dancing can provide clear benefits to your physical fitness. It's not just about moving your body in a rhythmic manner and expressing emotions.  This fun, creative exercise is also an excellent boost for your brain's functioning. You're having a break from family, work and the everyday stresses. You've turned off the constant anxiety and self-talk. In addition you don't have the time to sit and think as you dance. The advantages to your mental health from dancing may not be immediately apparent however, they are numerous and significant.