Dancing is more than just a fun way to exercise. It comes with a host of amazing mental benefits too!
Looking to sign your child up for classes at a kids dance school so they can get some exercise? We’re sure you’ll be happy to know that they’ll get so much more than that when you do.
You see, aside from being a great way to get fitter and healthier, dancing also brings a host of amazing mental benefits to the table.
Let’s take a look!
Dancing promotes better learning
A happy child learns better—and dancing helps them be just that.
Just like any other form of vigorous physical activity, dancing promotes the release of endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine in the brain, which, in turn, helps regulate our mood and makes us feel happy. But that’s not all. Dancing can also help keep the level of stress hormones in the body low, helping us feel less overwhelmed.
Vigorous activities such as dancing are, in fact, so good at helping us feel amazing that researchers are already considering using it to help alleviate the symptoms of depression.
So, what does all this have to do with learning? Well, studies show that happy kids get better grades, participate and collaborate more, solve problems more easily, and just do better overall than stressed, unhappy ones—which should be more than enough reason to sign your child up for classes at a kids dance school, right? But we’re just getting started.
Dancing helps improve brain function and mental health
Aside from helping your child develop physical attributes such as flexibility, mobility, balance, and overall fitness and athleticism, dancing can also help promote cognitive development and improved mental health.
In terms of cognitive development, studies show that physical activities such as dancing can help boost brain function and memory and may even help reduce a person’s risk for dementia as they age by up to 76%.
Of course, what we’re particularly interested in here is the ‘dancing can help boost brain function and memory’ part because that’s what would help your child excel not only in school, but in everything else they decide to do as well—and isn’t this what we ultimately want for them?
Now, as for improving their mental health, dancing has time and time again been shown to have powerful therapeutic effects, helping keep those who do it calm, confident, and centered.
In fact, dancing’s therapeutic properties are so potent that there’s actually this thing called dance/movement therapy (DMT), which uses movement to boost the body’s intellectual, emotional, and motor abilities. Also known as movement psychotherapy, DMT is based on the idea that movement is a form of language and uses it to assess and address various mental health conditions.
Dancing helps promote self-discipline
That’s right. Another area dancing helps children with is self-discipline. Aside from the techniques and movements, classes at a proper kids dance school also help teach students, early on, how to commit to something, follow a schedule, show up to practice whether or not they’re in the mood, and ignore distractions.
And, since dance classes are designed to reward those who put in the effort with visible results, it also reinforces the idea that exhibiting self-discipline pays off, ultimately making the good habit stick more easily.
Of course, the more disciplined your child becomes, the easier it becomes for them to do well in whatever else it is they choose to dabble in outside the dance studio.
Dancing helps develop perseverance
Dance classes are not all fun and games—even if your chosen kids dance school has the friendliest, most supportive team of instructors. No matter how gifted your child is, there will come a time when they will encounter a challenge so overwhelming, it makes them consider throwing in the towel.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a seemingly-impossible-to-perform technique, a make-it-or-break-it audition, or a high-stakes competition, every time they encounter one of these situations and decide to push past it, they recognise the value of perseverance more and more. The actual outcome doesn’t even matter. The important thing is they get the chance to persevere in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and learn that there’s really no harm in trying.
The key here is to sign them up for classes at a kids dance school that’s known for having super supportive instructors so there’s someone to give them the extra push they need to go on whenever they feel like giving up.
Dancing helps instill the value of hard work
Everyone has weaknesses, and they become most visible when we’re put in a situation we’re not comfortable in—which is exactly what dance classes are. Sure, they’re fun, but they also force your child to go out of their comfort zone and learn new physically demanding skills.
Keep in mind that regardless of the style of dance they choose, they’ll need to develop above-average flexibility, balance, control, endurance, and athleticism to do well. Unless your child is physically gifted, they will most likely struggle in one or more of these areas, not to mention the complex dances they have to learn. And this is where they’ll start to understand the value of hard work.
The more they practice, the better they become, regardless of how much they struggle in the beginning. This shows them that they don’t really need talent as long as they’re willing to work hard to see the results they want.
Having a supportive team of dance instructors cheering them on helps a lot here too, so be sure to find a kids dance school that has just that.
The bottom line: dancing is not just a physical activity
Sure, dancing is a physically demanding sport. Not only does it require students to learn complex movements, it also makes it impossible for them to do well without developing above-average physical attributes as well.
What most people don’t realise, though, is that it provides a host of amazing mental benefits too. Not only can it help your child do better in school and real life, it also teaches them the value of self-discipline, perseverance, and hardwork—all while helping them become happier and more centered individuals.
Sign your child up for a free trial class with us here at Visions Dance Academy today!
