By 
Dancing is a pastime enjoyed every day by young and old alike, all over the world. Whether it’s dancing to music while doing chores or attending a weekly salsa class, the beauty of dancing is that it truly is for everyone and can be enjoyed at any time.
However, we would like to highlight the benefits of dance in particular for older adults.
Promotes physical activity
Older people are less likely to exercise, however those who participate in regular physical activity are more likely to live longer as they maintain balance, gait strength and cardiovascular health. Dancing is great for older adults as it is a low-level exercise that works the entire body from head to toe and encourages movement through a space, gets your heart pumping, and provides an opportunity to move and stretch. gently.
Promotes cognitive function
Older people often experience a progressive decline in cognitive ability, memory, and reaction time as they age. Learning dance steps and sequences can be mentally demanding and is a skill that must be developed, but dancers are known for maximize cognitive and muscle function memory through practice. The dance also challenges reaction time and perception due to the quick thinking required to remember what step is next.
Promotes Social Inclusion
Older people are especially vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation. Dancing is a social activity where people meet weekly and form friendships. The best dance classes are those in which the dancers go to have a coffee and chat afterwards, reducing the feeling of loneliness and isolation.
Improves mental well-being
Older people are more vulnerable to experiencing mental health problems, and depression affects around 22% of men and 28% of women aged 65 and over. Dance can help reduce stress, increases serotonin levels, the feel-good hormone, and helps develop new neural connections, especially in regions involved in executive function, long-term memory, and spatial recognition. Dancing, which is a meaningful activity, can also encourage people to focus on the activity for an extended period of time and help people feel a sense of accomplishment when they have learned the steps of a challenging routine.
Promotes self expression
Older people may not have the opportunity to express their creativity and may no longer be self-aware. Dancing can be a powerful release of energy that can relieve tension and give you the opportunity to explore your own range of motion and feelings. If you choose to dance to music, there are the added benefits of having songs as a stimulus that can also improve your mood and perhaps encourage you to remember as well.
So dust off your dancing shoes and keep dancing.