Alzheimer’s is rapidly on the rise in the USA and worldwide, the public needs to know what activities might help lessen the risk of developing the disease. In a 21 year study, it was discovered that people who did social dancing on a regular basis, had a 76% reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The next best activity was crossword puzzles with a 47% reduced risk.
The important fact to note is that people need to focus on improving the cognitive acuity starting in the their 40’s and 50’s, while their neural pathways are still fully intact and create new neural pathways. The reason dancing is so effective at creating new neural pathways is that dancing involves the physical, mental and emotional. In dancing, you go forward, backward, sideways, up, down, spin, turn, all kinds of directions. This combination challenges and stimulates your brain.
Not only is dancing fun, it is also great for your physical and mental health.