BYOU Dance class
What are the benefits of dancing?
Whether in your living room or in the studio, dancing offers many health benefits according to experts.
Dancing is for everyone. Besides being a form of physical and emotional expression, it also provides health benefits for the body and mind. Traditional dance classes often require you to follow a choreography and memorize the steps, but popular fitness classes that emphasize different movement styles have introduced the art form to an even wider audience. And it doesn't even require an instructor or partner. You can dance (almost) anywhere.
1.Dancing is a good cardio workout.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, dancing is considered an aerobic activity because it "uses large muscle groups, can be sustained continuously and is rhythmic in nature." Research shows a link between cardiovascular health and physical activity - dance provides an excellent opportunity to get more physical exercise.
Some dance forms, such as Irish set dance and Scottish country, are known to be excellent aerobic; but you don't have to do energetic dance forms to reap the benefits.
Slower dancing is great for improving your activity level, especially if you're just starting out. Moving faster is especially good for overall heart health. Just make sure you are working within a heart rate zone that is good for you and for your health status.
In addition to strengthening your heart, dancing can also mitigate other conditions. A 2016 study found that dancing at moderate intensity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
2. Dancing can improve muscle endurance and strength.
Just as different types of dance can vary in intensity and style, they can also emphasize different muscle movement patterns. Classical ballet, for example, requires slow, controlled movements interspersed with jumps, which improves muscle endurance in the core, arms and legs.
This type of strengthening can help develop the long lines and defined muscles often associated with classical ballet.
According to a 2019 study in Anatomy, ballet helps the muscles adapt while the body must get used to the five basic postures that involve twisting and bending the legs. The researchers found that these adaptations lead to postural stability, which in ballet requires all the muscles in the body. And these developments to posture can counteract the effects of sitting at work or for commuting.
According to a 2014 study in the Journal of Sports and Physical Education, dancing builds strength because muscles are forced to resist body weight. In addition, it simultaneously increases endurance, as muscles adapt to working hard for longer periods of time (with ballroom and line dancing found to be specifically beneficial for endurance).
3. Dance promotes coordination, balance and agility.
Different dance styles each have their own set of movements, positions and steps that, when combined, bring a routine to life. Putting these elements together requires coordination, balance and agility.
Dance usually requires stepping in different directions, standing on one leg (if only for a second or two), and moving different parts of your body at the same time.
A 2021 study suggested that dance may improve the motor functions of Parkinson's patients. In the study, researchers found evidence that several weeks of dance training increased balance, improved sit-to-stand and reduced gait blockages in the study participants.
What is especially beneficial about dance is that it requires integrated and multidirectional movements, meaning that different parts of the body must coordinate and work together for complex movement patterns.
4. It can improve bone mineral density.
Research has shown that high-impact exercises help bone tissue grow when force is applied to it during weight-bearing exercises such as dancing. Allegro ballet (fast jumping steps) and tap dance have a greater impact on the lower body, while styles with weight on the arms, such as breakdance and modern dance, have a beneficial impact on upper body bone density.
Want to experience the benefits of the BYOU dance class yourself?
Book your BYOU dance teacher on the BYOU app for Android
Book your BYOU Dance Teacher on the BYOU app for Apple.