Good for Body and Mind

 

With all its moving, twisting, and turning, square dancing provides more than the daily dose of heart- and bone-healthy physical activity. Remembering all the calls — from “do-si-do” to ‘alemand’ — keeps the mind sharp, potentially staving off age-related memory loss, experts say. And the companionship that regular square dancing offers is an antidote to depression and loneliness, a statement confirmed by square-dancing advocates everywhere.

 

– http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/dont-be-square-dance#1

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Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes and sizes. It has a wide range of physical and mental benefits including:

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• improved condition of your heart and lungs

• increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness

• increased aerobic fitness

• improved muscle tone and strength

• weight management

• stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis

• better coordination, agility and flexibility

• improved balance and spatial awareness

• increased physical confidence

• improved mental functioning

• improved general and psychological wellbeing

• greater self-confidence and self-esteem

• better social skills.

 

– https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/dance-health-benefits

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Square dance training incorporates exercise, social interaction and learning that keeps the brain’s wiring in good shape

 

The CSU research team found that dance training in contra or English country dancing — think square dancing, but in lines — seems to have a positive effect on the fornix, a white-matter tract in the middle of the brain that is basically the brain’s wiring. The fornix connects the hippocampus to other areas of the brain and seems to play an important role in memory, researchers say.

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– http://www.denverpost.com/2017/03/29/square-dancing-aging-health-csu/