Why Learn to Ballroom Dance? We’ll Give you 9 Reasons!
Ballroom dance lessons at Arthur Murray offer so many benefits – mind, body and soul. Here are 9 great reasons to contact us today to schedule your first FREE lesson. Choose one of nine Boston area locations.
- Improved Cardiovascular Health
Dancing with the Stars’ Nigel Lythgoeshares, “As a heart attack survivor myself, I know just how important heart health is.” Of the many health benefits dance offers, heart health is at the top of the list.
Dance is exercise, so the physical benefits of dancing will be similar to that of other cardio activities.
Professional ballroom dancer and certified personal trainer Leon Turetsky says that all styles of dance make for great cardio workouts since your heart rate gets challenged from executing the different moves.
2. Improved Balance & Strength (and Flexibility, too) (That’s three in one!)
Professional dancers agree that one of the reasons dancing is such a great form of physical fitness is because it incorporates movements on all planes of motion and from all directions.
“Dance works your body from all planes, including lateral and rotational, which turns on and conditions all muscles, meaning no muscle is left behind,” according to Turetsky. This type of movement not only increases strength, it also improves balance.
3. Boosts Cognitive Performance & Challenges your Brain
If you need a reason to get moving, consider this: Research shows that dancing can maintain and even boost your ability to think as you age. How you ask?
Well, according to some studies, scientists have found that the areas of the brain that control memory and skills, such as planning and organizing, improve with exercise like dance. In addition, unlike other forms of exercise, dance has the additional benefits of improving balance through rhythm and music.
When it comes to brain challenges, forget chess. Tap Dancing requires some serious brain power! There’s nothing quite like dance that requires you to focus on both the constant changing of movement and recalling moves and patterns.
Regardless of your age, dancing is a great form of mental exercise for your mind!
4. It’s not just exercise, it’s a social activity
You often hear about the physical benefits of dance. However, there are additional social and psychological benefits that cannot be overlooked. Dancing creates a social life for us, while allowing us the opportunity to make new friends. Being socially engaged leads to increased happiness, reduced stress and a stronger immune system.
More than an opportunity to meet new people, dancing has no cultural barriers. People from all parts of the world, with different ideologies, meet on the dance floor. Studies prove that cultural interaction improves our health by expanding our mind and engaging with those who are different than we are.
Both recreational and entertaining, dancing creates social interaction. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends. We all know the benefits of friends. They help us grow, make us laugh and support us as we learn.
5. Life Lessons for everyone — especially kids
We hear it over and over again. Kids have no inhibition. That’s why movement and rhythm comes naturally to kids. Remember when you would dance like no one was watching? When did we get so self-conscious and inhibited?
Joseph Corella, choreographer, Broadway dancer, and dance fitness instructor says the artistic side of dance gives kids the opportunity to learn to speak another language: the language of movement. Dance training also teaches kids that diligent work pays off and helps kids learn discipline. Memorizing and executing specific steps and body movements require practice and perseverance. The lessons on the dance floor translate to life lessons off the dance floor.
6. Communication
Yes. It’s about communication. Attention. Being in the moment. Listening. Give and Take. Compromise and compassion. Teamwork, too. So many skills needed in so many different areas in life are learned on the dance floor.
7. Stress Buster/Mood Enhancer
Dance is a great outlet for stress. Dance elevates our mood by raising our endorphin levels. This is what allows us to heal stress and depression, two of our immune system’s biggest enemies. It helps develop self-confidence and self-discipline improving harmony between our mind and body, giving us a sense of well-being.
“Movement and dance are extremely expressive, which can allow you to escape and let loose,” Tylicki said. It’s this “letting loose” that helps improve your mental and emotional health by reducing stress, decreasing the symptoms of anxiety and depression, and boosting your self-esteem.
8. Strong Bones, Lubricated Joints
Medical research proves that dance aids in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis for men and women. Dancing can also help keep joints lubricated in order to prevent arthritis.
9. Burns Calories
Dance increases circulation. It helps us burn calories while improving our stamina. It helps burn calories and speeds up your metabolism, which has a beneficial impact long after you leave the dance floor.
The bottom line is this. All dance styles have physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Find the style you enjoy the most and the benefits will add up. Regardless of the style you choose, the physical, mental, and emotional health benefits of dancing are endless.
Ballroom dance lessons at Arthur Murray offer so many benefits – mind, body and soul. Here are 10 great reasons to contact us today to schedule your first FREE lesson. Choose one of nine Boston area locations.