In a previous post, we described a 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that examined the relationship between participation in leisurely activities and the development of dementia.  The study showed that elderly people who did ballroom dancing were, on average, less likely to develop dementia or had a delayed onset of dementia, compared to non-dancing participants.

Now, we’ll further explore the health benefits of dancing by describing a 2010 study that measured sensory, motor, and cognitive performance in people who danced for fun.

The authors of this study previously investigated age-related brain atrophy in rats and showed that housing rats in an enriched environment appeared to decrease brain and behavioral deterioration typically associated with aging.  They then claimed that certain aspects of (human) dancing appeared similar to components of the enriched rat environment, including physical activity, rhythmic motor coordination, balance, memory, emotions, affection, social interaction, acoustic stimulation, and musical experience.  They speculated that people who danced as a leisure activity would likely show similar brain and behavioral benefits as the rats that were housed in the enriched environments.

Dancers Stand Taller and Think More Clearly

To test this prediction, the authors found 24 amateur dancers, elderly people (average age was 72) who danced for leisure approximately once or twice a week. They then recruited control participants, people who didn't dance but matched the amateur dancers on age, gender, and education. The authors then tested all the participants on a wide variety of tasks used to assess sensory, motor, and cognitive performance. The nature of the tasks was quite varied, including assessments of posture, balance, and gait control, while others tested attention and concentration.

The results showed that the amateur dancers were better than the non-dancers in tests that would be typically associated with dancing, such as posture and balance. Interestingly, the dancers out-performed non-dancers in tasks that appear unrelated to dancing, such as tests of cognitive, attention, perception, and sensorimotor abilities. In fact, the dancers had higher scores in each of the assessment categories. The authors argue that dancing may not actually improve each of these skills, but more likely delays the characteristic worsening of these abilities as a function of normal aging.

While the authors acknowledge the health benefits of other forms of exercise such as walking, they concluded that dance also has social and emotional elements that may be especially advantageous for promoting healthy aging. Ensuring specific Medicare plans are in place to manage routine care also helps promote healthy aging.