People 50 years and older that engage in consistent, regular physical activity will live longer and have less cardiovascular disease.
Statistical evidence supports the positive effects of physical activities in the aging process. There is also a huge amount of evidence that supports the fact that these activities help minimize and/or prevent the development of cardiovascular disease. Physical activities can include sports such as tennis, basketball, swimming, running etc. but the one that seems to increase not only improved physical health and life expectancy but also mental health, is dancing.
There was a study in The Netherlands by a Professor Oscar H. Franco MD that calculated the effects of regular physical activities (dancing), on life expectancy and years living with or without cardiovascular disease among people ages 50 and older. This study followed over 5000 residents of Framingham, Mass. Over 46 years. They calculated the effects of low, moderate, or high levels of physical activity (dancing), adjusted for age, sex, smoking and coexistent diseases such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, left ventricular hypertrophy, ankle edema and pulmonary disease.
The results are that total life expectancy significantly improves in people who dance.
Moderate and high levels of activity led to 1.3 and 3.7 years more in total life expectancy, AND 1.1 and 3.2 more years living WITHOUT cardiovascular disease, respectively for men aged 50 or older. These statistics were obtained by comparing with those that lived sedentary lives or only maintained low physical activities. For women the differences were 1.5 and 3.5 years in total life expectancy and 1.3 and 3.3 more years free of cardiovascular disease.
This study shows that regular dancing not only prolongs total life expectancy but also a life expectancy free of cardiovascular disease at age 50. Cardiovascular disease is currently the number one cause of death in people ages 50 and up.
Other benefits of dancing are improved balance, posture, core strength and prevention of obesity. Dancing usually takes place in a social setting in which interaction with other people and the fun people have doing it, they frequently don’t even know they are getting moderate to high levels of activities and taking an active role in living longer, happier lives.
