Dancing Helps Older Adults Stay Healthy and Happy

Carol Ross is 87 years old and loves to dance. She started a dance group called the Rodeo City Wreckettes 23 years ago. The group is for women who are 50 years old and older. Doctors say dancing is one of the best ways for older people to stay healthy and happy.

Ross and her 89-year-old husband John have been dancing their whole lives. They know that moving to music helps people feel better. Medical professionals agree that any kind of dancing works well. This includes Western line dancing, ballroom dancing, salsa, tap dancing, and Zumba classes.

Julio Loya works as a nurse at Tucson Medical Center. He helps take care of older adults. Loya says dancing is one of the most powerful activities for older people. Dancing helps people lose weight and get stronger. It also helps prevent falls and makes people more flexible.

Dancing is good for the brain too. It engages the brain, changes mood, and helps people make friends while exercising. Loya also said dancing is fun and everyone has a good time. Dr. Tom Johnson works with older adults in Colorado and remembers patients who danced until very late in life.

The Wreckettes practice their dance moves twice a week for two hours. They rent a dance studio for their practice sessions. Ross learned ballet when she was young and tried many different types of dancing as an adult. When she and her husband moved to Tucson to retire, she decided to keep dancing.