Dance ... for Your Health and Lower Your Risk of Dementia

The Dance

I was in a store today and over the loudspeaker came the strains of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker.

I saw a young man about 20, with pants dragging and a ring in his nose start humming right along with it.

"You know that song?" I asked.

He paused for a moment, shrugged and said, "It's Christmas!"

Could Tchaikovsky ever have known how famous his ballet would become, especially among those who would never go to a ballet?

But we're here to talk about The Dance.

According to an article "Dance Even if Nobody is Watching:"

A telling 2003 New England Journal of Medicine report showed a lower risk for dementia among people over 75 who regularly danced during leisure time. But what was so surprising about the report is that other types of physical exercise didn’t affect dementia risk — dancing was the only physical activity that made a difference.

Other studies have shown music plays an important role in depression. Dance therapy has been used to relieve anxiety about taking tests, and researchers are studying the tango to help patients with Parkinson’s. Dance therapy has been shown to improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients as well.

For more about music and emotion, see Club Vivo Per Lei.

Anyway, the article mentioned Matt Harding and his dancing. Take a look - and then, whatever your age, DANCE!