Tend to sweat on the dance floor. It’s for good reasons. Shimmies, shakes, flips and backflips burn lots of calories and do lots of other amazing things for your body.
Dancing is one of the greatest pleasures. It is accompanied by music, rhythms and synchronized movements to express the unsaid emotions. Whether it’s a party or just spending time with yourself, there’s always an undeniably compelling reason to step up to a good pace.
Although dancing is simply fun and moving, there are good reasons to do it every day.
Increases calorie burning
• Walking burn: 100 to 200 calories in 30 minutes
• Dance burn: 200 to 400 calories in 30 minutes
• Running burn: 200 to 400 calories in 30 minutes
• Burn while swimming: 200 to 250 calories in 30 minutes
• Burn on a bike: 200 to 300 calories in 30 minutes
You can expect to burn 100-200 calories walking vigorously for 30 minutes. If you choose to run or swim, the amount may be larger. However, when you choose to dance continuously, you can burn up to 400 calories in the same amount of time.
Even gentle or simply coordinated movement for 30 minutes can burn the same number of calories as swimming or cycling.
On the internet there is a popular saying that if running is like driving on a highway, dancing is more like driving in a busy city.
Dancing works so well because it involves voluntary movement in all directions. When running, walking or swimming, there is always a force of acceleration; yet in dance there is always a synchronized deceleration and acceleration.
Positive impact on flexibility, endurance and strength
Burning calories isn’t the only benefit of dancing; it impacts your body’s flexibility, endurance and strength. Unlike straight-line running, which facilitates up-and-down and side-to-side movement, dancing even activates the joints, muscles and tendons in your lower body. Omnidirectional movements train and activate many tendons and small muscles.
A comparative study of balance and flexibility between dancers and non-dancers shows that dancing has a positive impact on balance and flexibility fitness variables.
There is another conclusive report that indicates that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is less common in dancers than in other athletes.
Benefits for mood and mind
Dancing, like any other physical activity, seems to improve your mood and mental well-being. According to a UCLA health research study published in 2021, fluid dance moves had good mental health effects for people who chose to dance. A total of 1,000 patients with anxiety, depression and trauma participated in the study. Nearly 98% of dancers’ mental health improved after practicing and letting their bodies move with the flow. Dancing helps to improve energy, improve mood and reduce stress.
Influence on the white matter of the brain
A study published in the journal “Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience” compared the effects of walking, stretching and dancing on white matter in aging brains. The study linked dancing to increased integrity of “white matter” in the brains of older adults.
The white matter in your brain is made up of connective tissues that can deteriorate over time. The deterioration leads to problems with processing speed, reasoning and memory.
Unlike walking and stretching, dance’s synchronized movements – choreography – must be memorized through your body and mind. The white matter of seniors who participated in the dance improved after 6 weeks of challenging choreography.
Psychological benefits of dancing
A dance can do great things for your psychology. For many years and decades, therapists have recommended dancing as an excellent treatment for social anxiety and fear of public speaking.
The reason for doing the dance is to relax before performing a backflip in front of strangers. If you can perform a backflip in front of an audience, you’ll be less embarrassed when it comes to public speaking.
Dancing promotes socialization and building relationships with others. The synchronized moves you make with others in a dance class blur the lines and allow you to connect with your fellow dancers.
Boost physical connectivity
Last but not least, dancing improves physical connectedness. When it comes to dancing with a partner, there is always a touch factor that brings distinct benefits. Holding hands, touching the waist and other dance gestures to help maintain and enhance a physical connection between humans.
The sensual touch of salsa or the romance of ballroom dancing, each part relieves tension and anxiety and helps maintain good relationships. Put it all together, and there’s nothing that can’t persuade you to put on your dancing shoes.
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