Would your grandparents enjoy ballroom dancing? We think they would!
Step away from the racks of cozy slippers, cardigans and scented candles. Present Grandma with a gift that is sure to put a smile on her face this Christmas. Whether Grandpa needs to brush up on their dance skills or start from scratch, your local Fred Astaire Dance Studios offers a variety of gift card packages designed to fit any budget this holiday season. Learning to cha-cha, salsa and waltz is a welcome change of pace for the senior in your life. Research suggests that dancing helps keep seniors spry, alert and healthy.
Top Three Benefits of Ballroom Dancing
- Boost physical fitness. Seniors need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, according to the World Health Organization. Dancing is a low-impact workout designed to increase balance and improve muscle strength. Dancing can lower blood pressure, improve coronary health and limit falls in the elderly.
- Improve mental health. Dancing releases endorphins that lower stress and anxiety and can alleviate depression. Learning to dance can help enhance memory, alertness and concentration. Participation in dancing is associated with a reduced risk of dementia, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
- Fun. Retirement is relaxing, but it is also isolating. About 28 percent of older adults in the United States, or 13.8 million people, live alone, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Learning to swing, samba and tango offers seniors the perfect balance of entertainment and social interaction.
If the research alone doesn’t convince you, take a look at some talented seniors twirling around the dance floor.
Two seniors perform a lively number at the “Rock the Swing” festival in Munich, Germany, this year.
An elderly dancer wows the audience with her energetic performance of the salsa on Britain’s well-known variety program, “Britain’s Got Talent.”
Hollywood dance legend Jean Veloz dances a routine she performed in “Swing Fever” in 1943.
Check out this elderly pair’s morally questionable performance on “America’s Got Talent” to the song, “Talk Dirty to Me.”
If you think a significant senior deserves a unique treat this holiday, stop by your local Fred Astaire Dance Studios to purchase a gift card for dance lessons.
