| Dancing can get your heart pumping as
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| | who took part in a 12-week therapeutic
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| well as a treadmill but it will do even
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| | dance program at a medical center in
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| more, especially if you get out on a
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| | Meriden improved their quality of life.
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| dance floor rather than going to a
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| | Calories Burn Fast
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| hip-hop, salsa or other dance-style
| |
| | Aerobically speaking, dance matches many
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| aerobics class in a gym. In addition to
| |
| | grunt-and-groan activities. Researchers
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| toning muscles and staying in shape
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| | at the Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester,
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| aerobically, ballroom dancers of all
| |
| | MN, have estimated that dancing can burn
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| skill levels report feeling less
| |
| | 200 to 400 calories in 30 minutes and an
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| stressed, having a more positive outlook
| |
| | evening of square dancing can equate to
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| on life, sleeping better, being more
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| | walking five miles. In addition,
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| flexible, having more energy, being more
| |
| | side-to-side dance movements help to
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| alert mentally, and getting along better
| |
| | prevent osteoporosis by strengthening
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| with other people. And you don't have to
| |
| | weight-bearing bones.
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| dance with the stars, become competitive
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| | Who's Dancing?
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| or go through a dance boot camp to
| |
| | During the past few years, as
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| benefit.
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| | dance-oriented television shows and
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| "People forget how much fun it is to go
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| | movies have gained fans, people have been
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| out and move to music with other people,"
| |
| | discovering ballroom dancing at a younger
|
| says Judy Gantz, founder and director of
| |
| | age. The national chain of Arthur Murray
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| the Center for Movement Education and
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| | dance studios, going strong since 1912,
|
| Research in Los Angeles and a faculty
| |
| | is seeing more people in their twenties
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| member at the University of California
| |
| | who want to prepare for a wedding or
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| Los Angeles; "And dance requires somewhat
| |
| | master Latin moves. Their students, more
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| complex coordination so it enhances your
| |
| | than 10,000 people per week, also include
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| brain."
| |
| | couples of all ages who dance for fun,
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| Researchers Identify Surprising Benefits
| |
| | and high-powered professionals who find
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| At the Albert Einstein College of
| |
| | that a dance floor relieves stress better
|
| Medicine in Bronx, NY, researchers
| |
| | than a gym.
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| examined how exercise influences the risk
| |
| | Competitive dance, known as DanceSport,
|
| of dementia by tracking 469 people over
| |
| | is recognized as a sport by the
|
| the age of 75 for a period of 5 years.
| |
| | International Olympic Committee and
|
| They found that dancing was associated
| |
| | popularity of both the sport and social
|
| with a lower risk of dementia, while
| |
| | dancing is growing dramatically. More
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| swimming, bicycling, participating in
| |
| | than 300 colleges in the United States,
|
| group exercises, playing team games such
| |
| | including Ivy League schools, offer
|
| as bowling, walking for exercise,
| |
| | ballroom dance programs.
|
| climbing stairs or doing housework did
| |
| | Where to Learn
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| not offer the same benefit.
| |
| | Commercial dance schools aren't the only
|
| Other studies have shown some unexpected
| |
| | places where you can hone your moves --
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| ways in which dance benefits people of
| |
| | universities, community colleges and
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| different ages:
| |
| | community groups offer low-cost classes
|
| * At the University of California Irvine,
| |
| | and events around the country.
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| medical students who took art and dance
| |
| | Information about social and competitive
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| classes were better able to observe and
| |
| | dancing is also available from the United
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| empathize with their patients.
| |
| | States Amateur Ballroom Dancers
|
| * In Sweden, elite cross-country skiers
| |
| | Association ( which has grown from 12
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| who did pre-season dance training
| |
| | local chapters in 1986 to more than 150
|
| experienced less back pain from skiing.
| |
| | today.
|
| * In a Korean study, depressed teens
| |
| | "Motivation plays a huge part in staying
|
| experienced relief from dance therapy,
| |
| | active," says Gantz, "And there's a joy,
|
| and had measurably higher levels of
| |
| | when you work with music and other
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| serotonin.
| |
| | people, that is highly involving and
|
| * In Connecticut, breast cancer survivors
| |
| | motivating.
|
