Posted by Alison Brill, MPH, Community Suicide Prevention Coodinator at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The feelings I get from a night of dancing are like no other - freedom, expression, joy. That’s because dance, when combined with music, is just that powerful in promoting a sense of well-being. Whether learning a specific type of dance in a class, freestyle dancing at a club, or boggying down in your kitchen, there are many reasons to dance.
Dance is physical activity and provides lots of health benefits. Dance allows you to use more of your muscle groups for overall toning, improves balance and flexibility, which can help you avoid injuries from falling, and increases endurance, which helps keep your heart healthy.
Beyond these physical health benefits, releasing pent-up emotions through dance can pave the way for feelings of relief. You can literally dance the blues away - and there’s research to prove it. Like other forms of artistic expression, dance helps people process feelings that they might have trouble dealing with in words.
Brain scans show that even watching someone dance activates the same neurons as if you were the one doing the dancing. So when a dancer's movements express joy or sadness, spectators often pick up on these feelings as well. Dance is so effective at improving mental health that dance therapy is often used to help people experiencing anxiety, depression and grief, while boosting self-esteem. Dancing is also a social activity and provides opportunities for making new friends. Plus, it’s fun!
To get started, see what types of dance might appeal to you. You can watch video demonstrations to learn various dance styles. You can also find dance lessons in your area, or if money’s tight, check your local library for instructional dance videos.
Whether it’s Salsa, Swing, Waltz, Hip Hop, African, Tap, Break Dancing, Modern, Jazz, Cha-Cha, Contra, Country Western - or whatever style piques your interest - put on your dancing shoes and give it a try!
Thanks, everyone, for all of your great suggestions, and for reading!
Posted by: Alison Brill | February 04, 2012 at 09:00 AM
Wow--fascinating about the brain scans! It's great that such a fun activity has such positive effects as well. One of my favorite things is seeing people who have let go of their self-consciousness and are just reveling in the joy of dancing!
Posted by: Anne-Marie | February 03, 2012 at 09:55 AM
Check out this article: http://flashfree.me/2012/01/27/want-to-change-the-quality-of-your-life-bust-a-move/
Posted by: Kat Friedrich | February 03, 2012 at 07:55 AM
Great job! I think that schools should encourage kids to dance...don't you? Perhaps you can post videos of some basic dance moves on your blog?
Posted by: Rishi Desai | January 23, 2012 at 04:08 PM
A great and interesting post, Alison. Who new you liked to dance?
Posted by: Lisa Fletcher-Udel | January 23, 2012 at 11:59 AM