Dance exercise for older adults: A pilot study investigating standing balance following a single lesson of Danzón

Azucena Guzman, Leif Johannsen, Alan M. Wing

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Despite evidence that long-term dance exercise results in improved
functional balance in older adults, it remains unclear whether people must first
achieve a minimum level of skill before they can benefit from the exercise in terms of body balance. In order to evaluate whether or not exercise during early learning of dance is beneficial, we asked dance-inexperienced older adults to perform in pairs a 30-min lesson of danzo´n. Motion capture and ground reaction force recordings were used to determine the variability of body sway during quiet, upright standing before and immediately after the lesson. Significant reductions in variability of sway normalized by body height were found following the dance exercise. Interestingly, the taller individual who was instructed to take the ‘‘leader’’ role showed greater gains. Our findings indicate that learning to dance danzo´n at a beginner’s level may be beneficial for balance in the elderly, despite the increased cognitive load in the
early stages of skill acquisition.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)148-156
JournalAmerican Journal of Dance Therapy
Volume33
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2011

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • dance interventions
  • Danzon
  • aging
  • posture
  • balance
  • body sway

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