Statistics of Health relating to Ballroom Dancing

Here are some resources that I pulled together to prove that ballroom is a way to stay physically fit and a way to keep you healthy both as a youth and as an adult.


*Dancing can help:
strengthen bones and muscles without hurting your joints
tone your entire body
improve your posture and balance, which can prevent falls
increase your stamina and flexibility
reduce stress and tension
build confidence
provide opportunities to meet people, and
ward off illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis, and depression.
http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/get_motivated/lets_dance_to_health.html


*Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City studied 469 people over age 75 and found that ballroom dancing was associated with a lowered risk of dementia.
*Moderate ballroom dance burns between 250 - 300 calories per hour, and vigorous dancing can burn as many as 400 calories per hour.
http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Fitness/5-05-27DancingElderly.htm


*Dancing works muscles in different parts of the body and sharpens balance and coordination. Memorizing steps, kicks and twirls also flexes the mind.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13998742/


How does ballroom dancing help the brain?
It:
*Increases blood flow to the brain from the physical exercise
*Depression, and loneliness from dancing's social aspect
*Mental challenges (memorizing steps, working with your partner)


"Dance, in many ways, is a complex activity. It's not just purely physical," says Verghese.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160965,00.html

*Ballroom Dancing specifically helps to:
Conditions the body
Helps keep the heart in shape
Builds and increases stamina
Develops the circulatory system
Strengthens and tones legs and body
Increases flexibility and balance
Helps with weight loss
Relieves stress
Increase energy
Improve strength
Increase muscle tone and coordination
Lower your risk of coronary heart disease
Decrease blood pressure
Help you manage your weight
Strengthen the bones of your legs and hips
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/11/02/the_health_benefits_of_dancing_--_including_specific_benefits_of_different_dances.htm