Dance is embraced everywhere across the planet. It is the main form of exercise for a lot of people, but dance is more than just exercise! Psychological researchers think you should dance, even if you do not think you are any good. Whether you fancy trying ballet, freestyle, or salsa, check out Dancing for Your Mental Health: 5 Great Benefits You’ll Love!
1. Dancing Builds Your Confidence
Whether you are dancing in front of a crowd of people, on your own or in front of a mirror, the act of dancing will lift your self-esteem. The movements will force you to pay attention to all parts of your body.
Being more aware of your body, and learning to repeat fluid movements will improve the way you look at yourself in no time. If you practice at home and get comfortable with yourself and your body. You will feel better dancing in front of people too – no more dance-floor anxiety!
2. Makes You Feel Better
Dance-based exercise classes have always been popular. You may prefer to do your workouts to a rhythm, and if so, have probably already tried your hand at dance-based exercise forms such as Zumba or Jazzercise!
Dance can be more beneficial for you than some other more gruelling forms of exercise. Since weightlifting or endless, mundane cardio can get stressful, or boring, dance is a nice, flowing alternative.
Dancing will give you a good workout along with releasing powerful endorphins (hormones which make you feel good/happy), with the added bonus of less stress and more fun!
3. Dancing Can Reduce Loneliness
Since dance is so popular, it attracts a lot of different people. Whether it’s a more high-impact dance you fancy, like hip-hop or jazz, or a lower impact style like ballroom, you can find a dance community or class that suits you.
If you find your love for dance, there will be lots of fellow dancers ready to share their love for dance with you. Grab a partner, or you can support each other and dance individually! There is a type of dance for everyone, and there is a community for every type of dance too!
4. Accompanying Dance Music is Good for Your Mind
Research has shown that music has great benefits on your mental health. Depression, trauma and anxiety have been eased with music therapy.
Dancing to music is a brilliant way to get the benefits of music therapy whilst also getting your daily exercise in. Evidence from neuroscience (using brain scans) has shown definitively that listening to certain songs can significantly lower stress levels by up to 60%, due to the emotional highs they can help you reach!
5. Dancing is a Fun Distraction!
This is perhaps the most obvious but often most forgotten advantage of dancing for your mental health. Studies have shown that creativity provides an ideal outlet or path to emotional regulation – the medium of dance can help get your creative spark flowing and glowing!
Letting yourself get lost in dance can sometimes be a much more useful meditative distraction from a stressful week than a hardcore cardio session at the gym. It’s all about perception and finding out what works best for you!
Even if you think dancing is not for you, why not try a new type of dance and you might just find a new passion! There is a genre of dance for everyone, you just have to find it. Have fun checking out the YouTube videos above!
If you already love dance, encourage those around you to join in, try new genres of dance yourself. Know any more advantages of dancing for your mental health? Let us know in the comments below, and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
