Twirl. Jump. Twist. Dive. Bop. Weave.
It is hard to keep the corners of your mouth from creeping up into that joyous smile when you let loose and “cut a rug”. Dancing brings joy into us like a straight IV shot, and we feel its effects without fail. If we can Laugh Like We Are Nine Again, then we can Dance Like We Are Ten! And visa versa! One can almost always begat the other. Laughter and dancing are gateway drugs to feeling joy and euphoria. The act of letting your stress and worries fall away and just being in your body, in movement is enriching and empowering.
Music and dancing increases dopamine levels in our bodies. The memories, anticipation, and actual experiences of dancing all cause our bodies to release this chemical. Dopamine is the unique chemical in our bodies that help us feel pleasure and joy.
- When we bond with other people, both in physical contact and social contact, the chemical oxytocin is released. This chemical is sometimes called the “love drug” or the “cuddle drug”. It has a calming affect on our bodies, and makes us feel both tranquil and loving at the same time.
- Serotonin is our bodies way of feeling contentment, both emotionally and physically. When we dance and move, serotonin is released. It has been proven that adequate serotonin levels decrease and prevent anxiety and depression, slow the aging process of our brains, and also improve sleep.
- The pain-relief hormones called endorphins are the chemicals that are produced by the nervous system to help us better deal with pain, stress, and physical discomfort. They are also a root cause of our feelings of pleasure. Dancing, as well as other activities that are pleasurable, cause a release of these chemicals. Ever heard of the “runner’s high”? That’s endorphins at work. They trigger a euphoric feeling in our bodies.
Dancing is a tremendous mood-lifter, which can create happiness and joy, which then leads to a huge contribution to our overall health and well-being. Without good emotional health, we find links to weak immune systems, more chronic conditions, more pain, increased fatigue, and high blood pressure.
What if we delve a litter deeper into the social aspects of dancing? I am not necessarily talking about taking a class or joining a club, although that is highly regarded as a healthy thing to do, I am merely talking about getting together with your besties, your kids, your partner, during the BBQ, etc.. These social moments offer a chance to throw an impromptu “dance party”, which leads not only to improved health of your body, as we already discussed, but;
- Dancing improves your social life. Interacting with people on a movement-based level with music creates a cause for group joy and smiles. These interactions are favorable and create a sense of longing to do it again and again. Joining a dance club or dance class provides not only the basic, joyful social interactions, but also gives us an opportunity, on a weekly basis, to interact with new people. We find ourselves looking forward to our time together with our dance buddies!
- Dancing helps you improve your social skills. Face it. We are in front of our screens for what seems like the majority of our lives now. We sometimes forget, or never really learned, the ways to interact with people. Dancing with others , whether it be a throw-together dance party with just your friends, a dance class that you recently signed up for, or even a night out on the town at a dance club, will give you opportunities to unplug from the screens and communicate on a physical and verbal level with other people. These interactions, as with anything, are a practice-makes-perfect situation. With more interactions comes more confidence.
- When you are dancing with other people, the very proximity of other bodies provides an extra opportunity for you to react in a quickened pace. This will sharpen your mind and help keep it active. Dancing with other people, especially new people, as in a class situation, expands your horizons and increases your awareness of the world around you. This also has been proven to ward off Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia.
- It has also been proven that when we dance with other people, we release even more of the chemicals that can help us reduce stress. And remember, smiles are contagious! As we move with other people, the feelings of joy will practically jump to and from us! It is a palpable feeling!
- Because you are improving your mind and expanding your horizons, dancing provides a way to get a better outlook on life in general. The slow down of cognitive decline creates a better sense of contentment and satisfaction in our lives.
So, we know that a direct and measurable outcome of dancing is joy. Case studies time and time again have shown this to be true. We also know that dancing can produce better health, mentally and emotionally, and that this can directly effect our physiological well-being, but let’s go deeper into the health benefits of dancing, and just how much it can improve our bodies.
- The calories burned for a 150 pound person is about 240 per hour. That’s just an average, and there can be many variances to that statistic. Slow dancing obviously burns less calories, and high intensity dancing can burn far more. Optimal health can be achieved in moderate dance routine 30 minutes a day. To actually achieve weight loss, we can increase our intensity and/or duration.
- Dancing is especially good for the muscles in your legs and glutes. It can work your hips, lower back, and even your abdomen. Given the range of effects dance can have on your body, regular dancing will help tone and strengthen your muscles.
- Moderately intense dancing is reported to lower the risk of fatalities from cardiovascular disease. Adults have an average resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute. When you dance, you quicken your heart rate. A faster heart rate means that more blood is pumped to the lungs which gather the oxygen needed for transport to the various tissues inside your body. Dancing often will condition your heart and reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, thereby also reducing your risk of a heart attack.
- According to the National Kidney Foundation, “Exercise benefits those with kidney disease by improving muscle function, lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, keeping a healthy body weight, and improving sleep.” Just as in all aspects of our health, the kidneys are better maintained through regular dancing. While there is no cure for kidney disease, it is possible to stop its progress. The correct lifestyle changes and healthy exercise (dancing) can help your kidneys live longer.
- The National Osteoporosis Foundation has made it clear that dancing causes the formation of new bone tissues, whereby making your bones stronger and more rigid. The weight-bearing activity strengthens the bones, fighting the effects of Osteoporosis.
- The increased body temperate while you are dancing can help prevent “bad” bacteria growth, and help maintain the flora and fauna of “good” bacteria in our bodies. A good ecosystem for our beneficial bacteria means staving off infection, fighting allergies, and lessening inflammation.
- The more you dance, the more you will notice your strength increasing. Your stamina levels rising. Your heart rate will be much more steady for longer periods of time, causing you to not have that out of breath feeling. As your heart and lungs improve, so does their stamina, making a healthy, happy, dancing body!
It is clear to us that dancing is not only a means to an end, but a means to a continuous lifestyle of Joy and Health. Dancing is a fun way to exercise, while maintaining our goals of improvements on our bodies and in our lives. So let go. Let yourself move to the music. Let your body enjoy its own space. Feel your heart rate increase and your smile broaden. Dance Your Way To Joy and Health!
Joy & Health 