Whether you prefer tango or line dancing, you’d best get to the dance floor if you have early onset of Parkinson’s. New research suggests that dancing can halt the progression of the physical and psychological symptoms displayed by the disease.
The study followed sixteen people for three years whose average age was 69 with mild cases of Parkinson’s. They participated in weekly dance classes, including tap, ballet, modern, folk, and social dances. The control group didn’t have as much fun since they were not involved in any dance classes.
People with Parkinson’s see the fastest motor deterioration in the first five years of a diagnosis. What the researchers found in the dancing group was that the motor functions remained more or less the same throughout the study.
They believe that the results may be similar to the effects that high-intensity training workouts have on Parkinson’s. HIIT workouts increase levels of a protein in the brain that has protective effects against Parkinson’s neurodegeneration.
Those who danced weekly saw significant improvements in speech, tremors, balance, and rigidity. Even more encouraging is that the symptoms they had did not deteriorate during the three years.
Follow this LINK to read an article that offers the details of the study. Grab your cowboy boots for line-dancing or your stilettos for tango, then crank up the music!