Yes, it’s the Tango and it’s good for your brain.
While you having been hearing about the health benefits of walking and cardio exercise, there is something else far more sexier you can be doing to keep your brain in top form.
While dancing has proven to be an effective mental workout, it’s not the kind of dancing you contorted to during your teen years. It’s also not the kind you do locked in your bedroom, with the blinds drawn while using your kid’s iPod playlist.
This is serious dancing. The kind where you have a reason to get that party dress out of the back of the closet, or better yet, go out a buy a new one and step out onto the dance floor where you make actual physical contact with your dance partner.
The most famous version is the Argentina Tango which is described as simple to learn but takes a lifetime to master. The dance itself is sensual and dramatic as couples embrace facing forward with extended arms and clasped hands.
What makes the tango helpful for brain performance is it syncopated musical rhythm and staccato dance steps. The brain is stimulated by having to process musical sound and then coordinate complex body movements and dance steps into a seamless rhythmic flow.
Patricia McKinley of McGill University, Montreal found that seniors ages 68 to 91 who took tango lessons for 10 weeks improved in memory skills, as did those seniors who engaged in walking. But tango seniors also showed greater improvement in their multi-tasking skills.
It’s nice to know even at 68 to 91 the tango will still work for you.
Why wait?
You can start right now by watching the video below and running right out the door to sign up for lessons. If the man in your life is threatened by you doing the tango, just remind him the lessons are for brain improvement and if he wants to improve his brain he can take lessons too.
By Joyce Hansen
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