Stanford Study: The Benefits of Dancing--Brain Elasticity & Improved Memory

"Dancing integrates several brain functions at once — kinesthetic, rational, musical, and emotional —further increasing your neural connectivity."
Dancing is a fun way to get a great cardio workout that tones and sculpts your core and lower body. Dancing also provides other health benefits such as stress reduction and increased serotonin.  Did you know that dancing can also make you smarter?  A major study shows that some forms of dance, such as Ballroom Dance, which requires split-second decision making, can sharpen your mind and ward off Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. According to the study, not every physical activity or dance style leads to increased mental acuity.  Ballroom Dancing takes the lead.  "One of the surprises of the study was that almost none of the physical activities appeared to offer any protection against dementia. There can be cardiovascular benefits of course, but the focus of this study was the mind. There was one important exception: the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing.
  • Reading - 35% reduced risk of dementia
  • Bicycling and swimming - 0%
  • Doing crossword puzzles at least four days a week - 47%
  • Playing golf - 0%
  • Dancing frequently - 76%. That was the greatest risk reduction of any activity studied, cognitive or physical."

Neuroplasticity, Intelligence, & Dancing
What causes these significant cognitive benefits and  why dancing?  Intelligence requires making decisions. According to the Stanford study, when it comes to improving mental acuity, involving yourself in activities that require split-second rapid-fire decision making, as opposed to rote memory is key.  That's why Ballroom Dance and the fast decision making that comes with this particular dance style stands out.   

As a student and instructor of dance, Arianne has witnessed firsthand the many benefits of dancing. She starts each class with gentle warm-up exercises, followed by isolations that tone and strengthen specific muscles and muscle groups.  From there, she moves on to easy-to-follow dance workouts.   Each class ends with a relaxing cool-down and  guided breathing, leaving you centered and invigorated after every session.

All ages and experiences welcome.  
For adult  classes, please click here. 
For children & young adult classes, please click here.
Special occasions, please click here
Private individual and group sessions are also available.  Please contact Arianne for details.

                           As with all dance and exercise programs, please consult with your doctor before starting classes.
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