How Movement is Medicine for the Mind
We all know that dancing is a fun way to get some valuable physical activity in. But it’s also of great benefit to the brain, improving cognitive function, mental health, and more, and is even used as a form of therapy. Today, we’re discussing the multitude of ways in which moving to the rhythm can keep your brain in tip-top shape throughout your life.
What dancing does to the brain
There are so many amazing forms of movement out there: running, resistance work, strength training, yoga, Pilates, the list goes on. How does dance differ?
Well, for a start, it triggers multiple parts of the brain all at once. Dancing activates your sensorimotor skills and therefore strengthens your mental coordination and overall cognitive performance. Sensorimotor skills simply refer to the receiving of sensory input and responding by producing a motor output.
Dancing makes use of that wonderful phenomenon within our brains called neuroplasticity. When you learn a new routine, it encourages the growth of fresh neural connections. Specifically, it works on regions of the brain involved in executive function, including spatial recognition and long-term memory.
What’s more, dancing to music also stimulates the reward centers in our brains, causing them to produce endorphins and increase the levels of that feel-good hormone serotonin. Which takes us nicely onto our next point…
Dance for depression
Sure, getting your groove on might be the last thing you feel like doing if you experience depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues. But studies have revealed encouraging results when it comes to moving to the music and improved mental health outcomes.
Thanks in part to the boost in serotonin levels when we dance, those who engage can see notable improvements in mood. So much so that D/MT, or dance and movement therapy has been used to treat a variety of complex mental health conditions, including PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Additionally, dance often involves a social aspect, a lack of which can contribute to a significant decline in our general brain health.
Dancing and Alzheimer’s
If you needed any further convincing that dance does wonders for the health of your brain, participating in it has been linked to a significantly reduced risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s in a 21-year long study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
So don’t put off trying that Salsa class any longer – your brain will thank you!