Showing off your sharp moves on the dance floor could help you keep your brain sharp, too.
If anyone should know it’s Dr. Baibing Chen, a neurologist who once worked as a professional backup dancer — and says he still makes sure to bust a move regularly to lower his risk of dementia.
Dr. Chen — who goes by Dr. Bing on Instagram — broke down the things he always does for brain health and to decrease his chances of developing dementia.
“I used to dance pretty much every day to practice for competitions and performances and worked for a time as a professional backup dancer,” he said. “These days, most of the dancing I do is with my daughter and we just freestyle.
“But here’s why dancing is one of the best, if not the best activity that you can do for your brain health. Studies have shown that dancing enhances neuroplasticity and may even reverse brain aging.
“This is because dancing requires coordination, rhythm, creativity, spatial awareness and memory, which stimulate multiple brain regions.
“Dancing also releases endorphins and lowers cortisol levels, which reduces stress and boosts overall mental wellbeing.”
People who think they can’t dance shouldn’t worry: Dr. Bing said it’s actually even better for those with no rhythm because it “challenges your brain and your body even more.”
There’s science to back that up, too. In 2003, researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine studied how different types of leisure activities impacted dementia risk in the elderly.
While reading, playing board games and playing musical instruments all lowered the risk, playing tennis or golf, swimming and bicycling did not. In fact, they wrote, “Dancing was the only physical activity associated with a lower risk of dementia.”
According to Harvard Health, another study in 2012 found that Zumba improved mood cognitive skills like visual recognition and decision-making.
Cutting a rug can also help people already battling dementia. Yet another report published in 2019 determined that dance therapy had a positive effect on “physical and cognitive function, functionality, psychological outcomes, and quality of life in people with Alzheimer’s disease.”
