Put on your dancing shoes

In last nights BBC documentary ‘The Truth About Getting Fit’, medical journalist Michael Mosley teamed up with leading scientists to investigate how people can workout more smartly. 

 

One of the findings reported that although plenty of evidence already exists that exercise is good for the brain, dance appears to be ‘unusually beneficial’. Learning a dance routine provides physical stimulation along with the mental stimulation that requires the participants to multitask by learning a series of steps, remembering their sequence and keeping in time with the music. 

 

To test the impact this has on the brain, a group of salsa dancers were recruited to complete a series of mental tests which analysed their base level of intelligence and reflexes before their class began. One of the tests monitored decision-making and the ability to avoid distraction, another looked at working memory and recognition of patterns. The final test analysed their ability to anticipate and judge how fast objects were moving through space. 

 

After 30 minutes of fast-paced salsa, the same tests were repeated and it was found that the participants had improved in each and every area. The most significant improvement related to working memory which had increased by an average of 18%, a result not recorded for any other kind of exercise.