So France has begun a cautious deconfinement, while UK and USA blunder their way forward into more death and infection. But what I wanna know is WHEN can we DANCE again???? Here is an inspired vision by artist Janet McCrorie of "Pink Mist" (this is the Scottish concept of "Mist" and not the German meaning) where I can envision myself as the man in the kilt .... probably a Scottish waltz on an American dance floor with twirling and swirling. And who would be my partner?

Dance Fit and Healthy?  Just look at these happy and healthy dancers at the Virginian Christmas 2019 Scottish dance - none of them looks over eighty, which proves that dancing is good for you.

THE RESEARCH:

Dr Kathrin Rehfeld of Magdeburg University in Germany has published research results that explain WHY dance is the best activity for keeping us young. Her 18-month study of a cohort of 68-year-olds compared effects of strenuous exercise routines for volunteers with effects of dance routines for others. I tried to find a picture of Kathrin Rehfeld: google turned up pictures of elderly people dancing, and a message: “Teen brains found in elderly dancers” which is not at all my objective. I hated being a teenager!

Both groups of volunteers – runners and dancers - improved their physical endurance and suppleness; and both showed an increase in the hippocamp region of the brain. 

The first research result appears to be: dance improves your balance. Run on roads or run on the treadmill (which was originally invented in 19^th century England as a punishment for convicts and paupers, if I remember correctly) and you will keep fit and reduce your heart-rate ….. but if you dance, you get the same physical benefits PLUS better balance.

Another benefit of the dance routines was mental. Dr Rehfeld observes: “We taught different dance routines every week, in order to keep the volunteers in a state of apprenticeship. The most difficult part for them was to remember the routines, once the instructor stopped calling out instructions.”  Huh!  Scottish dancers remember the formations after a briefing.

The dancers were also kinder and friendlier people, developed stronger toe-nails and their hair started to curl ….  No, here I am joking. But it is apparent that the combination of dance movement and music provides stimulus to the brain and neurosystem, improving “holistic harmony” if that means anything?  Best are Scottish dances, with their familiar formations constantly  repeated in different and challenging combinations. I am also a Bavarian Schuplattl dancer, which requires energy, balance and suppleness (I must tell Kathrin Rehfeld). But Scottish dancing is mentally more stimulating .... and the music is better.

THE CONCLUSION

The Magdeburg research results (which I here summarize in brutally unscientific form) prove what has already been shown in earlier studies, in New Zealand, UK and USA: that dance is beneficial for young and old alike, maintaining physical fitness, improving balance and keeping our brains active. Even if you not want to have the brain of a teenager, dancing will keep your brain spritely and dynamic, with good balance, friendship, music, joy and laughter.

DanceFitandHealthyAt70 is a reality! All my happy dancing friends prove it .... and so do I.

I danced with Paris RSCDS at their 35th anniversary Ball. I had a good time, with some great dancing to music played by Parisians led by The Black Bear duet from Brisbane. What a great evening! Merci à nos amis de Paris. I met Antoine Rousseau for the first time, and he is a wonderful dancer! Even when I was young, I do not believe I danced as elegantly as Antoine. Antoine dancing the poussette with Emma was a dream come true! I must definitely return to Paris - where I used to dance in the 1970s with the parents of Patrick Chamoin, both of whom were rigorous RSCDS dance teachers..

Dancing and Dementia

Dancing reverses signs of an aging brain

Crosswords are fine; Yoga is good for you; but research shows that DANCING is most successful in stimulating the mind and the body, balance, memory and focus.  Dance to stay fit & healthy!

As we grow older we suffer a decline in mental and physical fitness, which can be made worse by conditions like Alzheimer's disease. A new study, published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, shows that older people who routinely partake in physical exercise can reverse the signs of aging in the brain, and dancing has the most profound effect.

"Exercise has the beneficial effect of slowing down or even counteracting age-related decline in mental and physical capacity," says Dr Kathrin Rehfeld, lead author of the study, based at the German center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, Germany. "In this study, we show that two different types of physical exercise (dancing and endurance training) both increase the area of the brain that declines with age. In comparison, it was only dancing that led to noticeable behavioral changes in terms of improved balance."

Elderly volunteers, with an average age of 68, were recruited to the study and assigned either an eighteen-month weekly course of learning dance routines, or endurance and flexibility training. Both groups showed an increase in the hippocampus region of the brain. This is important because this area can be prone to age-related decline and is affected by diseases like Alzheimer's. It also plays a key role in memory and learning, as well as keeping one's balance.
While previous research has shown that physical exercise can combat age-related brain decline, it is not known if one type of exercise can be better than another. To assess this, the exercise routines given to the volunteers differed. The traditional fitness training program conducted mainly repetitive exercises, such as cycling or Nordic walking, but the dance group were challenged with something new each week.

Dr Rehfeld explains, "We tried to provide our seniors in the dance group with constantly changing dance routines of different genres (Jazz, Square, Latin-American and Line Dance). Steps, arm-patterns, formations, speed and rhythms were changed every second week to keep them in a constant learning process. The most challenging aspect for them was to recall the routines under the pressure of time and without any cues from the instructor."
These extra challenges are thought to account for the noticeable difference in balance displayed by those participants in dancing group. Dr Rehfeld and her colleagues are building on this research to trial new fitness programs that have the potential of maximizing anti-aging effects on the brain.

"Right now, we are evaluating a new system called "Jymmin" (jamming and gymnastic). This is a sensor-based system which generates sounds (melodies, rhythm) based on physical activity. We know that dementia patients react strongly when listening to music. We want to combine the promising aspects of physical activity and active music making in a feasibility study with dementia patients."

Dr Rehfeld concludes with advice that could get us up out of our seats and dancing to our favorite beat.
"I believe that everybody would like to live an independent and healthy life, for as long as possible. Physical activity is one of the lifestyle factors that can contribute to this, counteracting several risk factors and slowing down age-related decline. I think dancing is a powerful tool to set new challenges for body and mind, especially in older age."
This study falls into a broader collection of research investigating the cognitive and neural effects of physical and cognitive activity across the lifespan.

Source for this information: Kathrin Rehfeld et al, Dancing or Fitness Sport? The Effects of Two Training Programs on Hippocampal Plasticity and Balance Abilities in Healthy Seniors, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2017). DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00305

Journal information: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience