Dancing is not only fun, but it also produces multiple benefits for your physical, mental and social health. If you don’t dance yet, nothing stops you from doing so!

There is something about the rhythms and melodies of music that takes away our worries. When the first bars sound our feet move alone and the whole body wants to follow them. Maybe listening to your favorite songs will get you off the couch. Or maybe it’s the challenge of mastering the more complicated movements, steps and choreography that brings you so much joy. Regardless of your reasons, one thing is for sure: the physical, mental and emotional health benefits of dancing are almost endless.
Whether you are 80 years old or 8 years old, participating in physical activities that involve movement will represent a before and after for you. It will improve your physical and mental health and you will notice changes in your emotional well-being and in your social relationships. Moving your body to the sound of music can transform your life.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF DANCING
Dancing is exercise, so its physical benefits will be similar to those of other cardiovascular activities.
1. IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
The health benefits of dancing are in line with physical activity guidelines recommended by national and international health authorities. According to their guidelines, adults should get at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week.
Dance styles with a fast and steady pace are great for cardio workouts, as the heart rate is challenged when executing the different movements.
2. IMPROVES BALANCE AND STRENGTH
Professional dancer Jonathan Tylicki says one of the reasons dances is such an excellent form of fitness is because it incorporates movement in all planes of movement and from all directions.
The movements we normally do in our daily lives, such as walking, climbing stairs, and common workouts like treadmills and cycling, occur in the sagittal plane (forward and backward, left and right), but dancing works on your body from all planes, including lateral and rotational. which serves to really work all the muscles.
3. IT’S GENTLE ON YOUR BODY
Many forms of dance, such as ballroom dancing, are appropriate for people with limited mobility or chronic health problems. If you’re concerned about the intensity of a class, talk to your doctor and instructor before starting practice. They can help you with any modifications, if needed.
4. INCREASES COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE
If you need a reason to move, consider this: A lot of research shows how dancing can maintain and even increase your ability to think as you age.
Scientists have found that the areas of the brain that control memory and skills improve with dancing. Also, unlike other forms of exercise, dance has the added benefits of improving balance through rhythm and music.
5. CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN
If you’ve ever tried tap dancing, then you know exactly what we mean by the challenge to your brain. The brain power you need to dance requires you to focus both on the constant change of movement and on remembering steps and patterns. This is therefore an excellent form of mental exercise regardless of your age.
6. IT’S INCLUSIVE
One of the best things about dancing is that anyone can participate. If you can move, even if it’s just the upper body, you can dance. That’s what makes dancing so popular, even among people who normally avoid other forms of exercise.
7. IT CAN BE A SOCIAL ACTIVITY
While you may prefer to make a certain move when no one is looking, there’s something amazing about dancing with others. Whether it’s signing up for a ballroom or belly dancing class, dancing with friends, or dancing with your kids or grandchildren. Being around other people while dancing is good for your social and emotional health.
8. HELP IMPROVE YOUR MOOD
Movement and dance are extremely expressive, which can allow you to escape and let go. It is this “release” that helps improve your mental and emotional health by reducing stress, decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and boosting your self-esteem.
WHAT DO I DANCE?
All dance styles, from traditional ballet to funk, have physical, mental and emotional benefits. The key to how dance will benefit you is to find the style you enjoy the most.
- Belly dancing is a great style to start with, especially if you want to learn how to express yourself using your stomach muscles, trunk, arms, and hips. It is a very rhythmic and fun dance style, which also has an empowering component, by liberating areas whose expression we often limit due to the rigidity of social conventions.
- Hip hop is a very free form of dance in which you can express your own personality through the body and movement.
- Free dance seeks maximum liberation from conventional movement patterns to allow new spontaneous movements that are associated with the expression of emotions. By moving under an emotional impulse, we experience a deep sense of freedom.
- Ballet or “classical dance” is a very elegant and technical dance form, but it is also perfect for all ages. It helps you become deeply aware of every part of your body and its potential.
- Zumba is a dance and a type of physical training that is inspired by the movements of various Latin American dance styles. It has become a form of intense and fun training, fashionable all over the world, which is taught in gyms.