Verywell Mind

HAPPINESS

How Dancing Helps Your Mental Health

By

Barbara Field

Published on November 18, 2021

Medically reviewed by

David Susman, PhD

Print

Edwin Tan / Getty Images

Table of Contents
•Free-Flowing Dance
•Choreographed Dance
•Synchronized Dance
•Dance Therapy
•Benefits of Dance
Some people prefer to dance on their own to their favorite songs on Spotify or on the radio. Others
want to learn ballroom dancing or hip-hop. Or take a tango class at their local community center.

Whether you prefer solo dancing or being involved in a more formalized and choreographed
program, dancing offers obvious plusses to your physical health.

You’re not only moving your body in a rhythmic way and expressing feelings. You’re burning
calories and getting a workout for sure.

But this creative, fun physical activity is also a boon to your brain functioning. You’re taking a break
from work, family, and everyday stressors. You’re turning off the incessant worry and negative
self-talk. Lastly, you don’t have time to ruminate while you dance.
The benefits to your mental health that come from dancing might not be so readily apparent, but
they are many and profound.

Free-Flowing Dance
According to a UCLA Health study published in the August 2021 issue of Complementary Therapies in
Clinical Practice, conscious, free-flowing dance produced positive mental health benefits among
participants.1 It was based on a survey of 1,000 dancers across the world who
had depression, anxiety, or a history of trauma.
A huge majority—98%—of all dancers said the practice improved their mood. Many also
reported that conscious dance gave them more confidence and compassion.
Prabha Siddarth, PhD, research statistician at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience
and Human Behavior at UCLA and senior author on the study noted how participants felt in the flow
or in the zone by performing this self-led dance.

Choreographed Dance
In another recent study, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience,2 researchers compared the
effects of walking, stretching, and dancing on the wiring and gray matter of the aging brain.
Dancing had the most notable positive effect.
After recruiting volunteers in their 60s and 70s with healthy brains that didn’t show signs of
cognitive impairment, researchers randomly placed them in three groups. One group walked,
another stretched and did balance training and the last group learned country dancing. The
choreography of the dancing became progressively more challenging over time.

They all did the assigned activity for one hour a day, three times a week. After a period of six
months, the volunteers’ brains were re-scanned and compared to when they had begun their
regimens.

Agnieszka Burzynska, the study’s lead author who is currently a Neuroscientist and Director of the
BRAiN Lab at Colorado State University, but was formerly from the University of Illinois in Urbana,
found only one group showed an improvement—the country dancers.

The participants who learned country dancing now had denser white matter in the part of
the brain that processed memory. White matter usually breaks down as a person ages,
which may contribute to cognitive decline. Dancing, therefore, protected the brain from
aging-induced neurodegeneration. So, dancing is not only an aerobic activity good for your
physical health. It helps your brain!
Country dancing, ballroom dancing, tango, salsa, and waltz are all done with others. When you
participate in these dances, you’re involved in a beneficial social activity as well. You are also
cognitively stimulating your brain as you learn the steps to the dances. Dancing therefore might be
one of the best physical activities you can choose for brain health.
What Is Expressive Arts Therapy?

Synchronized Dance
In another recent study, based in Brazil, synchronized dancing with others enabled people to feel
closer to each other and fostered friendship.3 It also raised pain tolerance.
When you synchronize with the people next to you in a Zumba class or a flash mob, you’re doing a
form of collective dancing to music. This is great for feelings of closeness with others.

In the research study, when participants danced, happy chemicals called endorphins were
released. Endorphins are integral in the human bonding processes. Thus, they—and we—
feel closer to others we are dancing with.
In this particular study, researchers wanted to see the effect of endorphins on pain. Pain was
measured by the steady inflation of a blood pressure cuff on the subjects’ non-dominant arms.
Study participants were asked to indicate when the pressure became uncomfortable while they
danced.
The results of the research showed that those moving most energetically and in synchrony
bonded with others, and also had a higher pain threshold.

Dance Therapy
Some people opt for dance or movement therapy. It’s defined by the American Dance Therapy
Association (ADTA) as the "psychotherapeutic use of movement to promote emotional, social,
cognitive, and physical integration of the individual," for the purpose of improving health and
well-being.
A research study was conducted on the effects of movement and dance on health-related
psychological outcomes.4 Its findings were promising. The benefits of movement and dance
included increased quality of life and interpersonal skills while at the same time lowering
depression and anxiety.
If you hadn’t considered dance yet, think again about incorporating dance into your physical and
mental health programs.

Benefits of Dance
There are so many benefits to dancing. Let's take a look at the mental and physical benefits of
dancing.

Mental Health Benefits of Dance

• Keeps mind sharp
• Improves self-esteem
• Involves social skills
• Increase endorphins
• Easy to bond with others
• Improves your mood
• Lessens loneliness
• Eases depression
• Lowers anxiety
• Decreases rumination
• Helps memory
• May prevent dementia
• Raises pain threshold
• Reduces pain perception

Physical Health Benefits of Dance

• Improves muscle tone
• Increases muscle strength
• Raises heart rate
• Improves lungs
• Increases circulation
• Lowers risk of cardiovascular disease
• Boosts aerobic fitness
 • Improves posture
• Makes stronger bones
• Reduces risk of osteoporosis
• Helps weight management
• Improves flexibility
• Better coordination and agility
• Increased endurance

A Verywell Report: Music Helped Most of Us Get Through the Pandemic

A Word From Verywell

For those who are older and worried about injury, as with most activities, work with a certified
professional. This person will guide you on how to work with any physical limitation and help you
prevent injury. Dance therapists should be fully credentialed and can offer you ways to improve
your well-being with a step-by-step plan.

If you never considered dancing due to self-consciousness, you are far from alone. Many people
fear that once they get up and move, they will look foolish and that all eyes will be upon them. The
fact of the matter is most people are focused on their own dancing and having a good time. Practice
with a friend or take lessons. Once you get on the dance floor, you might even find dancing to be a
fun way to improve both your physical and mental well-being.
Was this page helpful?