Robert Katzman proposed that these persons are more resistant to the effects of dementia as a result of having greater cognitive reserve and increased complexity of neuronal synapses. What could cause these significant cognitive benefits? That was the greatest risk reduction of any activity studied, cognitive or physical. There was one important exception: the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing.ĭoing crossword puzzles at least four days a week - 47%ĭancing frequently - 76%. ![]() There can be cardiovascular benefits of course, but the focus of this study was the mind. One of the surprises of the study was that almost none of the physical activities appeared to offer any protection against dementia. And they studied physical activities like playing tennis or golf, swimming, bicycling, dancing, walking for exercise and doing housework. They studied cognitive activities such as reading books, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards and playing musical instruments. They discovered that some activities had a significant beneficial effect. The study wanted to see if any physical or cognitive recreational activities influenced mental acuity. Their method for objectively measuring mental acuity in aging was to monitor rates of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The 21-year study of senior citizens, 75 and older, was led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, funded by the National Institute on Aging, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. You may have heard about the New England Journal of Medicine report on the effects of recreational activities on mental acuity in aging. Dancing also increases cognitive acuity at all ages. Most recently we've heard of another benefit: Frequent dancing apparently makes us smarter.Ī major study added to the growing evidence that stimulating one's mind by dancing can ward off Alzheimer's disease and other dementia, much as physical exercise can keep the body fit. More recently we've seen research on further health benefits of dancing, such as stress reduction and increased serotonin level, with its sense of well-being. Use It or Lose It: Dancing Makes You Smarter, Longer.įor centuries, dance manuals and other writings have lauded the health benefits of dancing, usually as physical exercise.
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