Dancing Lowers Dementia

[pygmalion]

Did anybody else catch this headline? In October, the findings of a long term study were published, in which it was found that frequent dancing was the only form of physical exercise shown to significantly lower the instances of dementia in the group studied. Any guesses as to why?

http://www.healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=7779

[MadamSamba]

Maybe it just gets everything moving in your body, including your neurons, Jenn?

The fact that you've got to move takes care of the physical, the fact that you MUST follow or (for guys) lead means you've got to think non-stop and the fact that you must keep in time to the music means you must concentrate (or so to speak) on what's going on and keep time...maybe you just start using parts of your brain and body that you didn't before and, like a muscle, it starts getting stronger and wards off dimentia.

That's my extremely scientific explanation... :) Of course it hasn't helped me. My friend would agree that I'm just as crazy as ever, perhaps moreso!

[Sagitta]

Enigmatic guru says:

Well there is the good sort of craziness and the bad!! There is appropriate use of "dementia" and the colloquial use of "demented" :)

And so it goes...

[Vince A]

Dementia in a dancer's mind is insane, pure and simple . . .

[pygmalion]

You folks are incorrigible! :lol: Actually, I'm with MadamSamba on this one. I think dancing requires continued use of your mind for anaytical purposes. and just like any muscle, your brain is strengthened by use.