Stop What You’re Doing and Dance
Why your body, brain, and mood need you to move
I was at the end of my workout, about to close out my music app, when one of my favorite songs came on.
Oh dang, I can’t press skip on this one.
I thought I would just continue stretching to it, but I couldn’t help but start dancing. I usually don’t dance — I’m pretty awful at it — but I decided to turn up the volume full blast and pretend I was celebrating something. Completely absorbed, I found that the music brought on a mix of nostalgia and delight, as it were one of the last songs I danced to before the pandemic hit.
As I was dancing, I accidentally caught my reflection in the window and thought I would cringe at myself, but instead I was surprised by what I saw: a face that was having so much fun.
Dancing is great for our bodies and brain health
Turns out, dancing is really great for our health: It’s an accessible way to get our heart pumping, support our cardiovascular health, and improve our balance and core strength. The gentle, self-paced nature of dancing means that even those with limited mobility or chronic health issues can participate.
