When we lay down on the bed unmoving for long periods, we feel terrible and sluggish. People with depression know this feeling all too well; what’s worse is that they can’t control this. In addition to that, studies have shown that long bouts of physical inactivity can lead to nurturing mental health problems. People who don’t get enough exercise are bound to suffer from depression more than physically active ones.
Nothing beats professional help from doctors, but non-medicinal treatments should go alongside therapy. There are numerous physical activities that people of all ages can do. You can hike, practice yoga, do Pilates, or better yet, dance.
Dancing is an all-around exercise that sharpens your mind, works your body out, and is fun for the whole family. As you know, nothing beats that fresh surge of adrenaline to keep you happy.
Can dancing help with my depression?
Dancing has a unique ability to relax participants and allow them to dance along with others. Experts have found that lifestyle changes and physical activities can help relieve depression. Other studies that engaged people with depression with 12 weeks of dance and movement therapy have increased serotonin levels and overall happier mood.
Simply put, let’s start dancing!
How dancing can help lift your spirits up
Experience an increase in social and familial bonding. Enrolling in classes to learn to dance can allow you to interact with more people, create more opportunities to socialize, and form friendships amongst dancers. In your local community center, they’re bound to have classes. Dancing with others for the first time can be a daunting task, but dance lessons ease its difficulty. Your local dance instructors in your community will support you every step of the way.
All members of the family can take up dancing and make it a family tradition. When members of your family engage with one another in dancing, they experience bonding that helps you grow closer together. Dancing with your family enables you to be yourself with familiar people and eases the jitters that dancing with strangers gives you.
Dancing boosts your brain-body coordination. Proprioception, or awareness of your body and movement, comes hand in hand with dancing. When you continually practice dancing, you require your brain to coordinate all muscle groups at once to the tune of the music. Habitually practicing this can help improve your balance and make movement easier. Dancing could help improve confidence and makes you feel comfortable with your own body.
Dancing helps you express yourself. When you’re experiencing a hefty slump of depression, it may hinder your creativity and sense of fun. Dancing can help get your creative juices flowing again and give you a much-needed boost of positive emotions. Creating your dance style increases self-expression and enables you to connect with yourself and express yourself to others. You can move your body like no one’s watching as no one will judge you while you are having fun.
Habitually dancing reduces pain and stiffness in your body. Studies have shown that people with knee and hip discomfort could lessen their pain medication use by participating in a 12-week dance movement therapy.
Being in a dance studio puts you in an environment without silence. You’re never going to lull yourself in silence at a dance studio, unlike when you’re stuck at home mulling your thoughts over. Dancing along with music and the rhythm throughout the practice, gives your brain something to focus on.
Dancing shouldn’t replace what your mental health professional has advised you. But with how severely isolating depression can be, socializing and maintaining contact with people have never been more vital. Taking up dancing isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially for those who suffer from social anxiety. With your family and the local community’s help, you’ll soon be moving along to the rhythm of your soul.
