Do you love to dance? Are you a whiz at disco? Are your jazz moves legendary? If so, you’re on your way to some healthy senior years.
Everyone knows that physical activity is essential for a healthy life, but it seems that dancing has some added health benefits. Doctors and researchers are finding new reasons every year to get down and boogie. Here are a few specific reasons to tie on your dancin’ shoes.
- It fights dementia. Studies show that if a senior dances (or, in the case of the study, waltzes) at least twice a week, he is much less likely to later develop dementia. Even more interesting – if someone with Alzheimer’s dances to a song from her younger days, she may be able to retrieve some memories that were thought to be lost from that time.
- It’s good for the heart. Even with gentle dance, the heart will be more strongly and a little faster. This will strengthen the muscle and get the blood pumping through arteries well, building up the cardiovascular system.
- It can help manage Parkinson’s. Seniors with tremors can find it frustratingly difficult to control their movements. However, after dancing, Parkinson’s patients report fewer tremors for hours afterwards.
So, find a partner, some music, and a little space, and start a dancing schedule. It’s the healthy thing to do.
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