Dancing is a great way for people of all ages to get and
stay in shape. Besides being fun, dancing has many positive health benefits.
Following are the top 4 health benefits of dance.
1. Flexibility
Flexibility is an important part of being healthy. Dance
requires a great amount of flexibility. Most dance classes begin with a warm-up
including several stretching exercises. Dancers must strive to achieve full
range of motion for all the major muscle groups. The greater the range of
motion, the more muscles can flex and extend. Most forms of dance require
dancers to perform moves that require bending and stretching, so dancers
naturally become more flexible by simply dancing.
2. Strength
Strength is defined as the ability of a muscle to exert a
force against resistance. Dancing builds strength by forcing the muscles to
resist against a dancer's own body weight. Many styles of dance, including jazz
and ballet, require jumping and leaping high into the air. Jumping and leaping
require tremendous strength of the major leg muscles. Ballroom dancing builds
strength. Consider the muscle mass a male ballroom dancer develops by lifting
his partner above his head!
3. Endurance
Dance is physical exercise. Exercise increases endurance.
Endurance is the ability of muscles to work hard for increasingly longer
periods of time without fatigue. Regular dancing is great for improving
endurance, especially vigorous dancing such as line and ballroom dancing.
Elevating the heart rate can increase stamina. Just as in any form of exercise,
regular dancing will build endurance.
4. Sense of Well-Being
Dancing is a social activity. Studies have shown that strong
social ties and socializing with friends contribute to high self-esteem and a
positive outlook. Dancing provides many opportunities to meet other people.
Joining a dance class can increase self-confidence and build social skills.
Because physical activity reduces stress and tension, regular dancing gives an
overall sense of well-being.
