Dancing adds years to your life

January 26th, 2010 | By Joaquin

If you haven’t been getting much exercise lately, dancing is a fun way to increase your activity level. Even if you have to rest frequently, dancing can help improve your health. Start with slower dances, and work your way up to the more vigorous moves.

The more you practice, the longer and more vigorously you’ll be able to dance. Energetic dancing can give you all the benefits of aerobic exercise. It raises your heart rate and increases your oxygen intake as you move the large muscles of your body. Dancing burns calories, helps strengthen your heart and bones, and tones your muscles. It can also help you maintain your balance and increase your strength, endurance and flexibility. And the more time you spend dancing, the greater the effect on your health. Dancing energetically for half an hour is comparable to cycling five miles in the same time period. Unlike traditional exercises where your body expects certain things to happen, couple dancing challenges your muscles and mind by “surprising” them with often times unexpected movement.

Dancing can also be a boon to your social life. Take a dance class or join a dance group. It will give you a chance to interact with new people, build friendships and maybe even renew or start a romance. And above all, dancing can and will add up to 10 years to your life.