Home Care Providers Ask, “Shall we Dance?”
Although dance may just be considered a social activity, according to home care providers, it is so much more. Even if your mother or father have two left feet, they can dance. Dance is a full body aerobic movement – did you know that your mom or dad should be getting about 30 minutes (or more!) of aerobic activity a day? Did you also know that aerobic dance can also take place in a chair or a bed? Ideally, the best aerobic workout is when your parent is standing on their two feet and moving to the beat of the music.
Before your parent gets started in a dance of any kind, especially if they have been living a sedentary lifestyle, home care providers recommend checking with their healthcare officials first. Once your mom or dad have the go ahead, it’s time to two-step. Dance works the heart. Dance whether your mother or father is on their feet or in a chair, so that their limbs are consistently moving. Dance also exercises their brain, as they need to listen to the music to keep their movements in time with the beat.
Dance has many proven benefits. We know that dancing is better than most “leisure activities” (such as golf, puzzles, or knitting) at preventing dementia. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that dancing can reduce dementia risk by as much as 76%. In addition, the full-body motion of dance can lead to reduced pain. A study from Saint Louis University also showed that even a low-impact dancing program led to an average 39% reduction in pain medication among seniors over the course of 12 weeks. Additionally, a study on tangoing found that a 2-week program was able to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in adults. The benefits of dance are everywhere!
Visiting Angels of Auburn, NH provides in home care services to families in Auburn, Candia, Derry, Goffstown, Dunbarton, Londonderry, Raymond, Salem, Manchester, Hooksett, Bedford, Suncook, Weare, Concord, Bow, Atkinson, Deerfield, Sandown, Hampstead, Chester, Fremont, Allenstown, Pembroke, Hopkinton, Danville, and other areas around Auburn, New Hampshire.