When is the last time you went dancing?  There’s no right or wrong way to shake that booty—and doing it might very well be the health boost you need.   I think that dance can be such a mentally healthy activity for anyone.  Besides the physical health benefits, dance provides a mental health boost as well. Becoming successful at dance takes work, dedication and discipline.  Each little step and move you master gives you a sense of achievement. The experience of success, found in most hobbies including dance, can help us become more confident and take advantage of more opportunities in the future.  So this week, step out of your comfort zone and find a new way to find successes– maybe take a dance class at one of the many studios in the area.  It will help you gain confidence and feel better about yourself, while also providing a great work out.

It’s if this isn’t for you!  Even turning up the tunes and shaking off the day helps you feel happier and healthier.   According to the New England Journal of Medicine, studies have found that dancing increases cognitive activity, and subsequently decreases the risk of developing dementia.  And based on a reading of these results by Stanford University, dancing frequently reduces the risk of dementia by 76% –considerably more than any other activity studied, including reading. The reason for this is that dancing requires you to make “split-second, rapid-fire decisions,” basically with every step you take. These kind of exercises have been shown to increase and maintain brain function in people of all ages. According to Stanford, “In freestyle social dancing, both men and women are spontaneously open to the infinite possibilities of the moment, responding to one’s partner and to the music.”  Pretty awesome!

Now get out there and bust a move!!!