Dr. Trisha Pasricha, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School (USA), believes that dancing is one of the easiest activities to do but brings long-term benefits to the brain.
Ms. Pasricha emphasized that protecting brain health does not necessarily have to be associated with serious or static activities such as solving crossword puzzles or meditation. Sometimes, a fun hobby brings unexpected effects.
According to Dr. Pasricha, the benefits of dancing for the brain have been recognized by scientists for decades.
Since the 1980s, researchers have followed hundreds of elderly people living in the Bronx (USA), recording the frequency of their participation in various physical and intellectual activities.
The results showed that people who maintain brain-stimulating hobbies such as playing chess or musical instruments have a lower risk of dementia. However, among physical activities, dancing is the most prominent.
Studies show that dancers who dance at least once a week have a 76% lower risk of dementia than those who rarely or never dance.
This is a number that surprises many experts, because dancing is often seen as a pure entertainment activity, not with a clear brain training nature.
Explaining the mechanism of action, Dr. Pasricha said that dancing is a rare activity that challenges the brain and body at many levels at the same time.
The dancer must maintain the rhythm, memorize the movement sequence, coordinate hands and feet, orient the space and sometimes even create new movements. If dancing with others, the brain also has to process social signals and flexibly respond to the dancer.
The combination of physical exercise, balance, memory stimulation, creativity and social communication makes dancing a comprehensive exercise for the brain.
Not only does this activity help maintain body flexibility, it also contributes to protecting cognitive function as age increases.
(The article is for reference only, not for professional advice. Always consult a doctor or medical expert if you have questions).
