Senior Fitness Tip: Dance!

Physical activity can be safe and healthy for older adults—even if you have heart disease, diabetes or arthritis! In fact, many of these conditions get better with mild to moderate physical activity. A good way to get that physical activity? Dance! Dancing has been a go to exercise for health seekers for years, but the benefits of it may not be as well known.

Here are just some of the benefits dancing has for seniors:

It can save your joints: Knee and hip pain is a consistent problem for seniors, but dancing may help seniors lower their suffering. St. Louis University researchers did a study on the effects of dancing in older adults, who suffer from knee and hip pain. The majority of the participants saw a significant decrease in pain when participating in dance exercise.

Ballroom dancing can improve balance: According to Reuters, researchers noted that seniors who participated in this form of dance improved their balance by 50 percent.

Dancing may improve cognitive health: Researchers at the New England Journal of Medicine found that seniors who danced were 76 percent less likely to develop dementia.

Need a good place to dance? With 13 Y's we have a variety days and times available to you so you can start dancing your way into better health!