Benefits of Dance

We all know (hopefully) that dance of any form is beneficial to our health. But in what ways, exactly? The first, and most widely understood health benefit we can receive from dance is increased flexibility. Studies have shown that individuals with a greater range of flexibility were typically free of lower back pain and had better posture than those who did not. The reason for this is that stretching encourages muscle relaxation, leading to far less tension and tightness in our backs. The second reason that dance is so wonderful for us is that it builds up strength. Dancers must train their muscles to resist the pull of their body weight, especially in jazz and ballet classes,  where leg muscles are heavily relied upon in jumps and leaps. Most dancers have also been found to have greater endurance, meaning that their muscles do not tire extremely easily, and larger lung capacity than the general population. Have high cholesterol or diabetes? Try dancing. It's been proven that even just taking one or two classes a week can cause a significant drop in cholesterol and help balance blood sugar levels in diabetics. Dancing is also good for our social lives and mental well-being. Taking dance classes is an excellent way to make new friends and socialize, but it is also a lesson in social interaction. You must learn to get along with others ad help those in need of assistance, as well as share the dance floor with others. All in all, dancing of any form is beneficial to the health in many ways, and shall hopefully continue in the future to be a notable form of exercise.