Dancing into Your Senior Years is Good for Your Health

Dance away depression: A group of researchers found that men and women with mood disorders who engaged in a two-week tango instruction program felt less depressed, and experienced significant reductions in their levels of stress, anxiety and insomnia. So why not take up dancing again you might be surprised how well you do and how well it makes you feel.

Salsaing for stamina : A couple weeks of salsa dance courses can seriously increase an elderly adult's strength and balance, according to several studys over decades.  "Salsa was a safe and workable exercise program for older adults," say the authors of several studies.  Noted in one of the studies was the high rate of people who started the lessons completed the eight-week salsa dancing program.  In another study after engaging in a 12-week, low-impact dance program, participants with a average age of 80 years old were able to reduce the amount of pain medication they were taking by 39 percent.  They were able to move around more easily--a key determinant in staying independent.  "Walking a bit more rapidly may make a lot of a difference for a person to get across the street more quickly or get to the bathroom faster, which keeps them functional and independent.

Waltzing with your heart: People with stable chronic heart failure may derive the same aerobic health advantages from learning how to waltz as they would from more traditional types of cardiovascular exercise, such as walking or cycling, says a research study ished 

Guard against dementia with dance: When compared to other leisure activities like playing golf, doing crosswords, reading, cycling, dance appears to offer you the best chance of helping ward off dementia.  Experts theorize that dancing is beneficial for our brains since it combines aerobic exercise with split-second decision making that taxes our neural system, forcing it to create new pathways.  You can do it, in spite of many health problems like Parkinson's disease, dementia, cancer, arthritis, asthma, heart disease: What do all these states have in common?  They don't prohibit you from dance.  Research into using dance as a treatment for each of these ailments has unearthed a host of advantages, with very few risks.  But it is important to always be sure and check with a doctor before embarking on any rigorous dance regime, particularly for those who have pre-existing health conditions.

Independent and senior living options:

There are many senior living options throughout Arizona, from independent living communities to assisted living communities and memory care options. It is difficult to sort through all the options out there no less understand the differences in care options at each community as Arizona licenses each facility in one of 3 levels of care so don't be left confused and make the wrong decision.  Utilize the services of an experienced referral agency that employs only licensed healthcare professionals like A Caring Hand for Mom (and Dad).  Call us today at 800-881-7706 and speak with an experienced healthcare professional you can trust.