It all starts with the familiar first strains of a tune that perk you up. Then the music takes over, compelling you to move. The foot starts tapping and the body starts moving and grooving – you just can’t help yourself!
Music has a way of unconsciously taking control of us. In fact, according to Scientific American, music has been proven in studies to positively affect the pleasure and reward areas of the body, like the orbitofrontal cortex, which is located directly behind the eyes, as well as a midbrain region called the ventral striatum. The amount of activation in these areas matches up with how much we enjoy a particular song.
Moving to the beat also is a wonderful way to be active and exercise. Runners have a special playlist that keeps them propelled forward, especially when they begin to feel weary during their routine. Athletes have certain songs that get them pumped up before a game.
Music and dance also offer a multitude of health benefits for the body, mind, and soul, which senior citizens in South Korea are experiencing firsthand.
Daytime dance parties in Seoul exclusive to senior citizens are all the rage now as men and women kick up their heels and boogie to the beat all in the name of feeling better.
Getting your heart rate up every day is important for overall health, which dancing does. Dancing also helps stave off the onset of dementia, one study has shown. Aga Burzynska, assistant professor of human development at Colorado State University, studied adults ranging from their 60s to their 80s who had no signs of memory loss or impairment.
Participants were assigned to one of three activities: brisk walking, stretching and balance training or dance classes. At the end of the study, everyone received a brain scan and dancers fared better and had less deterioration in their brains than the other groups.
The mobility and balance required to dance has helped seniors ward off falls, too. Each year, more than one out of four adults age 65 and older suffers a fall that can be quite debilitating.
The seniors in Seoul love their daytime discos not just for the health benefits, but for the social rewards, too. South Korea currently has the fastest aging population of any developed nation in the world, so the government is funding the dance parties to help their seniors stay healthier longer.
It seems to be working, according to the seniors who spoke with the BBC.
“I have a bad back and legs but when the music comes on, my body is immersed in it and all my pain disappears. I’m full of energy for two or three days after this. No lie! I’ve even kicked my drugs and supplements!”
Another person could not believe what he’d seen happen.
“Some people are not even able to walk, but after coming here for a while, I’ve seen them throw down their canes and run around.”
One woman proclaimed that the club is “like medicine to me.”
“My body is healed and my face is brighter.”
Organizer Younghuui Lim said that each dance session has a theme. The last one was a masquerade party with masks provided for the seniors to wear along with glow rings and other fun things.
Dosun Lee, Welfare Centre director, told the BBC that some dances have certain rules or choreography, but the seniors at the daytime discos dance however they choose. As long as they are moving, the elderly at these dance parties are enjoying themselves and getting healthy at the same time.
“I hope this spreads around the world so every older person can be happy and healed.”
One man testified that he used to stay home alone all the time. But thanks to the dance club for seniors, he now has a social life — and a new girlfriend.
“When seniors are home alone, they feel fatigued … and keep getting sick. But when they come here, they make friends and good things happen.”
Dancing isn’t just for the younger folks, a point that these South Koreans are proving perfectly. The health benefits they’re reaping are impressive and the smiles on their faces show that this latest trend is something all countries should consider trying.
Watch how excited and mobile the seniors are in the video below. You can’t help but smile right back and maybe move a little to the music, too.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
