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WHY YOU SHOULD BE DANCING (& CHRISTMAS NUTS)

December 15, 2017 12 Comments

nuts

What you doin’ on your back, aah/ You should be dancing yeah… Anyone remember those lyrics from the Bee Gees?

Well, it turns out the Bee Gees were right. And as we’re in full party swing, I’m delighted to bring you the facts and figures showing why we really should be dancing (yeah).

I’m not talking about a bit of kitchen boogie when no one’s looking – although that’s not a bad start. I’m talking about dancing that engages the brain. Dancing that involves learning steps or routines.

I tried step dancing three years ago when I was researching my first novel about a dancer. I had a few lessons in a freeform modern dance technique called Margaret Morris Movement, then I taught myself the Charleston from YouTube. Later, I tried a regency dancing class. Then I tried Zumba. And this week I tried a disco dancing class in the hope I might be more of a John Travolta than an Isadora Duncan or an Elizabeth Bennett.

I struggled with all of them. But it’s the struggle – the mental effort – that makes dance such an effective tool for ageing well. Ballroom dancing, Scottish dancing, line-dancing, any dance method that requires learning and memorising new steps can help stave off degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia, according to several studies…. Like these:

Three months’ ago a report from the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases looked at the effects of endurance training versus dancing on the ageing brain and found that while both endurance trainers and dancers showed an increase in the hippocampus region (the part of the brain responsible for memory, learning and balance), it was the dancers who showed the most improvement. In this case, the dancers were exposed to constantly changing dance routines in different genres, including jazz, Latin-American and line dance.

An earlier study from the University of Cumbria found that Scottish dancing helped prevent age-related decline in women over the age of 70.

In 2003 the Albert Einstein College of Medicine published a 21-year study showing the effects of 11 different types of activity, including cycling, golf, swimming, and tennis, on the brain. They found that only one of the activities – dance – significantly lowered participants’ risk of dementia (by a whopping 76%). The participants of this study were doing freestyle dance (including foxtrots and waltzes), which meant they were making constant split-second decisions, forcing the brain to regularly rewire its neural pathways. Practicing choreographed dance sequences had no benefit at all, and nor did cycling, golf or swimming. According to this study, dancing had the same brain benefits as learning a musical instrument, but with the added aerobic benefits.

In a small study undertaken in 2012, researchers at North Dakota’s Minot State University found that Zumba improved mood and certain cognitive skills, including visual recognition and decision-making.

A small NHS study in 2011 found that dementia patients who danced had improved concentration, communication and mood.

A 2010 review found dancing helped sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease with balance and movement, while a Canadian study found that Tango dancing improved the cognitive functioning and mobility of people with Parkinson’s Disease.

Dancing has also been linked to improved mood and mental health – I covered this in more detail in the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/annabel-abbs/dancing-is-good-for-our-mental-health_b_9524056.html ) although not in the context of ageing. But studies suggest that dancing increases the production of Serotonin in the brain, making us feel happier.

In summary: dance that involves learning new routines or steps combines mental effort, physical exercise and social interaction – all three of which play a vital role in healthy ageing. Not only is dance a highly efficient tool for ageing well, it’s also great fun and I have a sneaking suspicion that amateur dancers are particularly fun-to-be-with, judging by the people I’ve met on the dancefloor!

If all you can manage is a kitchen boogie, worry not. Just be sure to introduce some new steps. Look on YouTube and find something you can copy. If your brain aches as much as your body, you’re doing it right. And do investigate dance classes if you’re looking for a new hobby for 2018.

Christmas is nearly here, and we’ll be taking a break until January. Don’t forget to have a glass of restorative bubbly, some polyphenol-rich red wine and a walk in the woods.  And we’ve lots of festive recipes on the blog like this one for my favourite sugar-free Christmas cake. The recipe below is from Nigella and makes the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas drink. Alternatively put them in a jar and give as a gift. Yes, they do have a little sugar, salt and butter in them. But it’s the combination of sweet, savoury, salty and crunchy that makes them so very delicious. And, hey, it’s Christmas!

NIGELLA’S UNION SQUARE CAFÉ BAR NUTS

  • 500G assorted unsalted nuts (use whatever you have/like – I often include pumpkin seeds too)
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsps dark brown sugar
  • 2 tsps sea salt
  • 1 tbsp melted butter

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Spread the nuts out in a roasting tin and toast for 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butted mixture.

Nigella advises eating these warm. But they’re just as good cold. Who needs crisps?

I’ll sign off with a wonderful quote from a friend whose 90th birthday party I recently attended: “Every morning I wake up thrilled merely to have woken up, to have been granted another glorious day.”

Wishing you all a very, very happy Christmas and a joyful, inspiring new year.

Annabel and Susan

 

 

  • Meal Types: Family, On The Go, Treats and Snacks
  • Conditions: Ageing, Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Brain and Dementia, Depression, Mood, Parkinson's
  • Ingredients: Nuts, Rosemary
« CHRISTMAS STRESS – AND HOW TO BEAT IT
MAKE YOUR 2018 RESOLUTION TO CUT CANCER RISK »

Comments

  1. Janet says

    December 15, 2017 at 7:20 am

    Thanks for your last post. Having supported my mother through her Dementia I’m always on the lookout for good advice as it seems in short supply. Your posts are always well researched and practical as well as delicious. Enjoy the Festivities

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      December 15, 2017 at 10:49 am

      Thanks, Janet. Yes, it’s very hard supporting a loved one through dementia. The latest research all suggests that dementia may be (for many but perhaps not all of us) entirely avoidable. Keep dancing!

      Reply
  2. Kate says

    December 15, 2017 at 11:21 am

    Thank you for all your articles and recipes. My husband and I enjoy ballroom and Latin dancing, but we do struggle trying to remember the steps, and it can be a little frustrating sometimes. However, reading the results of research on this has greatly heartened us, as both our mothers developed dementia in old age. All your easily read information is much appreciated. WIith best wishes for Christmas and the new year.

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      December 17, 2017 at 12:25 pm

      Thanks so much, Kate. Yes, every time you struggle and forget steps you’re actually working your brain at its hardest. Quite reassuring to know this! Keep on dancing…

      Reply
  3. carrie says

    December 16, 2017 at 8:23 pm

    Many thanks for all your hard work in keeping us posted with the latest research – and lovely recipes.
    Happy Christmas to you both and your families.

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      December 17, 2017 at 12:26 pm

      Thank you, Carrie. Much appreciated. To you, too!

      Reply
  4. Jan says

    December 18, 2017 at 6:42 am

    I love dancing/moving to music and my husband and i often have a ‘happy’ dance in the kitchen. When i was 40 – now many moons ago – i joined a ‘Dirty Dancing’ class and i think it was the best fun i’ve ever had with my clothes on! For someone who’s always been shy and self-conscious i used to drive home feeling i could take on the world:)

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      January 2, 2018 at 9:51 am

      Gosh – that sounds fun! I’ve never heard of a DD class. I often dance in the kitchen though – to the embarrassment of my children… Thanks for the comment and a happy new year to you, Jan!

      Reply
  5. Robyn Tonkin says

    December 31, 2017 at 9:58 pm

    I hear your passion for dance and agree with your comments. Before I had children I use to do jazz ballet and loved it. I’m now in the healthy ageing bracket and want to learn how to do salsa dance. As I live in a rural area I’m unable to find someone that teaches this.☹
    Maybe a search on you tube could help?❤

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      January 2, 2018 at 9:53 am

      Yes, do try YouTube. It’s not quite the same but perhaps you could set up a dance class in your nearest village or town? Thanks for the comment and a happy new year to you, Robyn!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. BRAINS, HEARTS AND CHOCOLATE - THIS SUMMER'S AGE-WELL RESEARCH - The Age-Well Project says:
    September 3, 2022 at 11:06 am

    […] Finding ways to exercise is certainly do-able. The UK Biobank study found that regular, vigorous physical activity – like going to the gym or playing a sport – reduced the risk of dementia by 35%. A motivating figure. Another report, from China this time, linked leisure activities to reduced cognitive decline, finding that those which involved physical activity, sociability and mental stimulation came out on top. Which puts dancing at the top of the list – as Annabel has written about previously here. […]

    Reply
  2. Brains, Hearts and Chocolate - Age Well Project | lorrie graham says:
    September 6, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    […] Finding ways to exercise is certainly do-able. The UK Biobank study found that regular, vigorous physical activity – like going to the gym or playing a sport – reduced the risk of dementia by 35%. A motivating figure. Another report, from China this time, linked leisure activities to reduced cognitive decline, finding that those which involved physical activity, sociability and mental stimulation came out on top. Which puts dancing at the top of the list – as Annabel has written about previously here. […]

    Reply

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