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Movement and Exercise

8 Reasons Dancing Is Good for Your Body and Mind

Dancing plays a major role in culture, social events, and hobbies — as well as your health.

Lauren Smith, MAAlexandra Schwarz, MD
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Alexandra Schwarz, MD
Updated on October 31, 2024
Reviewed by Alexandra Schwarz, MD | October 31, 2024

Learn more here about how dance's aerobic benefits can help you reach various fitness goals, like better balance and an improved mood.

References

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Gallo, L. H., et al. (2019). Effects of virtual dance exercise on skeletal muscle architecture and function of community dwelling older women. Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions. 

Hwang, P. W., et al. (2015). The effectiveness of dance interventions to improve older adults' health: A systematic literature review. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Karkou, V., et al. (2019). Effectiveness of dance movement therapy in the treatment of adults with depression: A systematic review with meta-analyses. Frontiers in Psychology. 

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Lakes, K. D., et al. (2016). Dancer perceptions of the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits of modern styles of partnered dancing. Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

Maraz, A., et al. (2015). Why do you dance? Development of the dance motivation inventory (DMI). PLoS One. 

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NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center. (2023). Exercise for your bone health. 

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Predovan, D., et al. (2018). Effects of dancing on cognition in healthy older adults: A systematic review. Journal of Cognitive Enhancement. 

Rodrigues-Krause, J., et al. (2016). Effects of dance interventions on cardiovascular risk with ageing: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 

Ruiz-Muelle, A. (2019). Dance for people with Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review. Current Alzheimer Research.

Staiano, A. E., et al. (2017). Twelve weeks of dance exergaming in overweight and obese adolescent girls: Transfer effects on physical activity, screen time, and self-efficacy. Journal of Sport and Health Science.  

Sun, J., et al. (2022). The beneficial effects of square dance on musculoskeletal system in early postmenopausal Chinese women: A cross-sectional study. BMC Women's Health. 

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Lauren Smith, MA
Written by:
Lauren Smith, MA
Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Alexandra Schwarz, MD, is a board-eligible sleep medicine physician and a board-certified family medicine physician. She is a member of both the AASM and the ABFM.

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