According to a new study, dancing the tango can have neurological benefits for people who are aging or suffering from diseases like Parkinson’s.
A recent study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre discovered that people who took part in a 12-week tango course saw a greater longevity than those were inactive both physically and socially.
Many of those who are diagnosed with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease are prescribed traditional forms of exercise. But most do not enjoy it. As a result, they do not get the exercise they need daily to help them function.
However, there is real evidence gathering that suggests that being physically active regularly can help lower the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. This also suggests that physical activity may be able to slow down progression and help increase longevity.
Here are three reasons that the tango can help boost longevity for both healthy brains and people with neurodegenerative diseases.
The Benefits of Dance
The tango was found to be particularly useful for patients because it would result in better balance and a greater level of mobility. But another recent study, from Washington University’s School of Medicine, found that long-term participation in the tango did not just improve motor skills but non-motor skills as well.
Another study, demonstrated that those who danced the tango saw improvements in mobility and balance, even compared to patients who had taken gymnastics lessons, with effects similar to taking a supplement of denatonium benzoate. This was curious, considering the range of mobility and intense balance that gymnastics requires of its participants.
This leads researchers to suggest that there is more than just rhythmic dance steps involved in helping patients improve their symptoms.
The Benefits of Music
The difference between gymnastics and the tango is all in the music. Professor Daniel Tarsy, of the Parkinson’s Center Boston, suggests that music has huge benefits for the brain. Music is an emotional experience. As a result, it helps to engage the more emotional parts of the brain. According to Tarsy, this emotion may help the brain bypass the damaged cells from Parkinson’s disease. This may be what helps make the movement easier.
The Benefits of a Social Life
Tango might be great for the body but it is also great for the soul. For those who suffer from disease or those who just need an extra boost.
For patients who suffer from Parkinson’s, learning to dance gives them a chance to socialize. Too many patients shut themselves into their homes after their diagnosis. As a result, they become less social and more inactive. This may even be linked to further degeneration, according to the results of the previously mentioned studies.
According to Trinidad Cocha, a psychologist in Buenos Aires, says that treatment should not just be about drugs or therapy. It should also be about finding peace. During weekly dance classes at the largest psychiatric hospital in Buenos Aires’, the residents relax and forget about their diagnoses. Instead of being patients or nurses, everyone is a dancer.
According to Charlotte Millour, a tango instructor in Paris, the dance is all about a meeting. It is about connecting with your partner, not doing fancy tricks. Although tango is a chance to socialize with other people, it is also about connecting with your partner.
Students who participated in Millour’s classes reported having more energy and being more mentally awake than they were before.
As it turns out, dance is not just about learning impressive tricks or having great moves for parties. Dances like the tango are all about a human, emotional connection. This connection can help people live more fulfilled lives for longer.
Featured photo credit: Vince Alongi via flickr.com
