The short answer is YES! It is common knowledge that aerobic exercise and resistance training can both help prevent decline in mental function as we age – but there is something particularly potent about dance exercise.
A recent
study at Colorado State University looked at 174 people in their 60’s and 70’s
and divided them into four groups who met three times a week for six
months.
One group
did brisk walking.
Another
group walked and took a dietary supplement.
A third
group did stretching and balance exercise.
The fourth
group learned new dances in hour long group dance sessions.
Researchers did
scans to examine all participants brain pre and post study. They found that people who did brisk walking
slowed down the breakdown of the white matter in their brains.
But only one
group significantly improved the amount of white matter in the fornix of their
brains – the dancers. White matter is
found in the deeper tissues of the brain and contains nerve fibers coated with
a myelin sheath (like insulation covering wires)
The fornix
of the brain is located in an area of the brain called the limbic system and is
involved in cognition, memory, emotion and sexual responses.
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