Dancing reduces risk of heart disease fatality including common cardiovascular issues.
Author: Emma Fortel
Archeologists estimate that dance has been part of human culture for as many as 9,000 years. Perhaps ancient humans recognized what many of us today know—dancing can enhance life in countless ways. Now, new research suggests dancing may also lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
According to a press release issued by Reuters Health, a new study from the University of Sydney, Australia, found that moderate-intensity dancing is linked to a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Though health professionals know that activities like walking are beneficial to cardiovascular health, previous research has done little to show whether cardiovascular benefits vary by activity type. Unlike previous studies, this study looked specifically at the association between dancing and cardiovascular disease mortality.
“Moderate-intensity dancing was associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease mortality to a greater extent than walking,” the authors in the study said. They added that the reduced risk may come from “high-intensity bouts during dancing, a lifelong adherence, or psychosocial benefits.”
To conduct the study, researchers combined 11 population surveys from the U.K. between 1995 and 2007. The surveys included more than 48,000 adults over the age of 40 who reported no initial heart disease.
The participants answered questions about frequency, duration and intensity of their dancing and walking activities over the previous four weeks. The team then compared their answers to the National Death Registry.
According to the press release, only about 3,100 of the 48,000 adults surveyed reported dancing at any level of intensity, and two-thirds of the group reported walking at any intensity.
Researchers found that people who danced were more likely to have a lower body mass index and were less likely to have long-standing illnesses than non-dancers.
Participants who reported moderate-intensity dancing and walking were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who did not—even after the team accounted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, etc.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults engage in a minimum of 150 of physical activity per day. The team’s analysis did not include a direct measurement of how long people were dancing, but authors suggest that dancing may be an ideal way to meet the CDC’s recommendation.
“I would advise for those who find walking somewhat boring or those that like to challenge themselves to try dancing,” lead author Dr. Dafna Merom said in the press release. Merom is an associate professor of physical activity and health at the University of Western Sydney, Australia.
“First, you can reach higher intensity than in walking while dancing, it may be for short intervals but this all adds up, and you get some of the benefits associated with vigorous-intensity physical activity,” Dr Merom said.
mariabuenosairesargentina@gmail.com
Author: Emma Fortel
Archeologists estimate that dance has been part of human culture for as many as 9,000 years. Perhaps ancient humans recognized what many of us today know—dancing can enhance life in countless ways. Now, new research suggests dancing may also lower the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
According to a press release issued by Reuters Health, a new study from the University of Sydney, Australia, found that moderate-intensity dancing is linked to a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Though health professionals know that activities like walking are beneficial to cardiovascular health, previous research has done little to show whether cardiovascular benefits vary by activity type. Unlike previous studies, this study looked specifically at the association between dancing and cardiovascular disease mortality.
“Moderate-intensity dancing was associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease mortality to a greater extent than walking,” the authors in the study said. They added that the reduced risk may come from “high-intensity bouts during dancing, a lifelong adherence, or psychosocial benefits.”
To conduct the study, researchers combined 11 population surveys from the U.K. between 1995 and 2007. The surveys included more than 48,000 adults over the age of 40 who reported no initial heart disease.
The participants answered questions about frequency, duration and intensity of their dancing and walking activities over the previous four weeks. The team then compared their answers to the National Death Registry.
According to the press release, only about 3,100 of the 48,000 adults surveyed reported dancing at any level of intensity, and two-thirds of the group reported walking at any intensity.
Researchers found that people who danced were more likely to have a lower body mass index and were less likely to have long-standing illnesses than non-dancers.
Participants who reported moderate-intensity dancing and walking were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who did not—even after the team accounted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, etc.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults engage in a minimum of 150 of physical activity per day. The team’s analysis did not include a direct measurement of how long people were dancing, but authors suggest that dancing may be an ideal way to meet the CDC’s recommendation.
“I would advise for those who find walking somewhat boring or those that like to challenge themselves to try dancing,” lead author Dr. Dafna Merom said in the press release. Merom is an associate professor of physical activity and health at the University of Western Sydney, Australia.
“First, you can reach higher intensity than in walking while dancing, it may be for short intervals but this all adds up, and you get some of the benefits associated with vigorous-intensity physical activity,” Dr Merom said.
mariabuenosairesargentina@gmail.com