Sunday, April 19, 2009

Dance Into a Healthy Old Age

NEWSMAX.com

By: Sylvia Booth Hubbard

The answer to staying healthy and happy as you age may be as close as the nearest dance floor, according to a chorus of studies.

Dancing offers mental, physical, and social benefits, while perhaps reducing the risk of illness and even counteracting the ravages of aging, a study at Queen’s University Belfast found.

“It alleviates social isolation and quite literally helps take away the aches and pains associated with older age,” said researcher Dr. Jonathan Skinner.

Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that ballroom dancing helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Another study found that older people who danced had better balance and gait than non-dancers.

In the dementia study......read the whole article

For a great resource for those with dementia, caregivers and healthcare professinals, click here

For information on being the best caregiver you can be, click here

For more interesting dementia articles and activities, click here

1 comment:

PlumberSydney said...

Dementia and its symptoms can be hard to cope with, but massage therapy has been shown to help. Massage therapy for dementia patients has been shown to improve care giving relationships, increase appetite, and maintain mental and physical strength.

Dementia Clinic