Dance Away the Blues: Movement and Happiness
Have you ever met someone who absolutely hates dancing? You might even be this person, willing to spend an entire wedding in your chair rather than getting up to dance. While it takes all sorts to make the world, there are some traits that might be more damaging to the spirit than most people realize. By not engaging with the act of dancing when given the opportunity, you may very well find your emotional state in a frazzled or downright unpleasant place. Luckily, there are ways to remedy this!
There has been a lot of evidence released over recent decades to suggest that dancing does a lot for the soul. Though it might seem silly to throw your body around to music, here are a handful of reasons to change your attitude and get on the dance floor right away.
Get Physical
Right away, it can be important to focus on how dancing helps you on a physical level. According to some research, the act of dancing may be an important step toward keeping your heart healthy. Dancing often gets the heart beating a bit faster than normal, the same way that it does when you are engaged with a simple run or other exercises. Pumping your heart at this rate might be crucial for maintaining a strong and healthy cardiovascular system.
The beauty of using dance as a form of exercise is that it doesn’t feel like exercise. In fact, most people feel pretty good when they dance. The freedom of being able to move your body to the music in whatever way you wish is known to produce positive feelings. While there is scientific evidence to back this up, it often can be a bit more practical to stand up and start dancing to see the effects of this activity for yourself.
Everyone’s in the Dance
Dance is also an activity that is able to connect people. When you are on a dance floor or in a studio with a variety of people all moving their bodies in various ways, it can create a contagious feeling of excitement. There is something about dancing with others that can bond people together in an unspoken way. You stop thinking so much about what you’re doing and start reacting in an intuitive way, reading how other people’s bodies are moving and responding with your own in kind.
Whether doing it alone or with a group, remember that the act of dancing is a form of expression. This can be important to remind yourself so you do not get stuck on how you appear while grooving. In fact, it is exactly this fear of getting the dance wrong that strikes fear in many and keeps them from engaging. Remember that you can dance however you want, regardless of technique or aim. Just stay safe and mind your hands around strangers, and you’ll be good!
Don’t Slouch!
Finally, there is a bit of evidence out there to suggest that dancing might be able to help you stand straight and tall. Some studies conducted over the years have led researchers to believe that dancing helps a person to better understand how to move his or her own body. Connecting with your body in this manner can, in turn, help you realize when you are slouching or holding your weight in a way that is doing damage. While not a cure for bad posture, the evidence suggests it definitely can help to get out there and move.
The next time you find yourself sitting on the sidelines while everyone else is engaged with getting down and having some fun to their favorite songs, try to get involved. While it may not change your life, dancing can definitely provide some needed joy.