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A Dance a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

The many benefits of dancing, beyond calories

by Daiana Feuer
Posted July 16th, 6:00am | Science/Health

Dancing loosens your hips, your stress, and can put a smile on your face from here to your deepest Gloria-Gaynorified fantasy, which in my case is actually Olivia Newton John twirling on rollerskates in Xanadu. Recent studies provide more reason to get out there after a tough week and shake a tailfeather, for health's sake, no matter what your age. In fact, a study presented in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that dancing lowers dementia risk in people over 75 years old, while other leisure physical activities do not achieve the same effect. And in more jiggle it benefit news, dance therapy appears to relieve depression and anxiety, improves quality of life and shoulder rehabilitation in breast cancer patients, and, to top it off with a pivot and a dip, tango seems to have a positive effect on Parkinson's and improves functional mobility in the elderly.

But if going to a nightclub ain't your cup of tea, and if dancing in your living room always turns into dusting and arranging mail, why not dance at the gym? Catch onto the Zumba craze, a fun aerobic samba inspired work-out that will feel as fun as a wedding, without the cake calories, and you get to wear sweatpants instead of heels.  

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