The Medicine of Moving to the Beat
A troupe of Japanese breakdancing grandmas is the latest dancing sensation...
Ara Style Senior is the first and only breakdancing club in Japan made up of members in their 60s and 70s.
The club came about last year because the seniors were inspired by breakdancing being added as an official Olympic sport.
While they avoid some of the more extreme acrobatic moves employed by professional "breakers," members say it's "fun just to do the easy moves."
Plus, as the club's founder, Reiko Maruyama, puts it, "You can't help but laugh when you see yourself in these funny poses."
Ara Style Senior proves that dancing isn't limited by age or ability.
You see, whether it's breaking, waltzing with a partner, or simply swaying solo in your living room, the simple act of moving your body to music offers more benefits than just entertainment...
In some cultures, dancing is so central to life that it's considered necessary for good health. If you haven't been dancing, you might be considered ill. Angeles Arrien, an American anthropologist and author, once wrote...
In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions. When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?
As for our modern medical world, studies show that the simple act of moving to music unlocks a multitude of health benefits.
Dancing boosts cardiovascular health, muscle strength, balance, flexibility, and mobility. It's a great way to avoid ailments like osteoporosis, age-related muscle loss, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease, and more. Let's take a look at a few of them...
Brain aging: Published last week in Nature Communications, an international study found that folks who engaged in creative activities had younger-looking brains for their ages. And out of four different creative hobbies, tango dancing showed the biggest brain antiaging benefits.
The study, which involved 232 tango dancers, musicians, visual artists, and video gamers, found that the dancers' brains aged the slowest. In fact, researchers estimated that the tango dancers' "brain ages" were seven years younger than their chronological ages.
Pain: A 2022 review published in Pain Medicine looked at dozens of chronic-pain studies and found that people who danced for 30 to 120 minutes, one to five times per week, suffered less from pain-related illnesses like fibromyalgia and generalized chronic pain.
On average, 74% of the studies showed pain improvement. The reviewers found that 60 to 150 minutes of moderate dancing each week helped relieve chronic pain. Folks who danced for 150 minutes each week saw the most benefit. Some dancing styles mentioned included square dancing, belly dancing, and tango.
Heart health: A study from the University of Pennsylvania showed that line dancing for two hours once a week helped participants (whose ages ranged from 2 to 79 years old) achieve their target heart rate. And a study from Spain found that in a group of 65 sedentary women, aged 25 to 50 years old, taking just three Zumba classes per week highly improved their vitality, social functioning, mental health, general health, physical functioning, and bodily pain.
Parkinson's disease: According to experts at the University of California San Francisco, the ideal exercises for Parkinson's are aerobic and learning-based ones. Exercises that challenge participants to change "tempo, activity, or direction" are best. That includes dancing.
A review from Cardiff University in the U.K. looked at several randomized studies on dance. The dance programs improved motor movements, balance, and walking speed in Parkinson's patients.
As for me, I absolutely love to dance...
As a kid, winters in Minnesota often left me with little to do. Holed up indoors, I chose to spend my time learning how to dance. (After all, all the pretty girls my age were dancing, too!)
By the time I became a senior in college, I was teaching ballroom-dance classes. And these days, you'll find me hitting the dance floor at every holiday party and wedding. A weekend doesn't slip by without me dancing at some point in time.
There are so many ways to dance – whether it's in fitness-oriented classes like Zumba or Jazzercise... or maybe you prefer more traditional dances like ballet or belly dancing. Or you could be the type who has a dance party on your own.
Whatever you enjoy, chances are you could benefit from bringing a little more dancing into your life.
So how long has it been since you danced? Share your favorite dance tips with us at feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com.
P.S. Last month, I warned my Retirement Millionaire readers about the tragic consequences of ignoring one "warning shot" fired off by your brain. Because the symptoms are fleeting, folks easily brush them off as "just getting old"... But that temporary confusion might not be a senior moment. Nor is that wave of dizziness due to standing up too fast. If you don't have a subscription, give it a try at a discounted rate for readers like you.
What We're Reading (and Watching)...
- Something different: Who said dancing has to remain on the ground?
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
October 7, 2025