Dancing can protect you against dementia
Dance is a winner for both your mind and your body. It’s a great way to improve the condition of your heart and lungs, helps with muscle strength, endurance and motor fitness, and creates stronger bones, reducing your risk of osteoporosis. The best thing about dancing is that it’s a great all-over body work-out that’s fun! You won’t even feel like you’re exercising because you’ll be too busy boogying away.
A landmark 21-year study by the US Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing! Whether its regular ballroom or belly dancing classes, dancing scored higher (76 per cent) when compared with reading (35 per cent) and doing crossword puzzles (47 per cent) as the best activity to protect against dementia, when done four days a week
The other great thing about dancing is that it’s social. There are dance classes all around the country that offer lessons designed for those in their 50s and 60s, as well as clubs and associations for people who love to dance in a social and fun atmosphere. To get you up and dancing the night away, try one of these four fun dance exercises:
Feel graceful
If you and your partner are looking to get fit and active together, why not try ballroom dancing? This low-impact cardio exercise involves a number of partner dancing styles, such as the waltz, swing, foxtrot, rumba and tango, and on top of being fun, you look great doing it! It’s elegant and graceful, and unlike other dance styles offers both fast and slow variations. This is perfect for those who want to take it slow at first, before ramping up into a quick foxtrot. According to University of Sydney researchers, twice weekly ballroom dancing classes can bring back the balance and strength needed to prevent falls for over-60s. The study, led by the university’s Dr Dafna Merom, found that formal exercise programs, particularly those that include balance challenging training, can help prevent the incidence of falls by as much as 37 per cent. Grab your partner, join a class and have fun!
Move your midsection
While many dance styles require participants to start at a young age, belly dancing can be done by anyone. It’s a performance art that originated in the Middle East and has proven popular among women over the age of 60; but there’s nothing stopping the blokes from giving it a go either! The soft, gentle undulations involved won’t impact your joints and can help you get in touch with your body as it makes you focus on the movement of a part of your body that’s generally stationary. Like most dance styles, it’s a great cardiovascular work-out and helps ward off osteoporosis. Belly dancing classes can be found in almost all states and territories, with some regional centres and community centres also offering classes specifically for over-60s.
Kick up those heels
Easy, fun and perfect for everyone, we’ve got to be talking about line dancing. Take the "work" out of "workout" with this fun and energising dance activity that people of any fitness level can enjoy. Most of the moves are quite simple once you get the hang of things and is perfect for over-60s who have had hip or knee replacements, or any other type of movement limitation, but who need to keep their bodies in good working order. Line dancing also provides a good workout for your memory as you try to replicate the moves and steps you learnt in the previous class. In saying that, the routines are relatively easy to follow and remember, so you’ll be boot scooting in no time!
Strengthen your calves like Fred Astaire
Who can forget some of the tap dancing routines US actor and dancer Fred Astaire did with a bevy of beauties, including Ginger Rogers and Eleanor Powell? Beautiful, energetic and, most importantly, fun! It’s perfect for your heart health and will help strengthen and tone your ankles, calves, legs, hips and buttocks, not to mention its healthy stimulation of your mind by increasing cognitive ability and muscle memory. One of the best things about tap dancing is that it’s relaxed – remember Fred and Ginger? Not a care in the world when they were midway through a dance routine. There are tap dancing classes around Australia, so check with your local community centre or head online for a class near you.
Image: Getty