5 Benefits of Flamenco Dance

Have you already heard of flamenco dance? It is the most famous Spanish art in the world. Probably  you’ve seen it in a movie, or that the image of a flamenco dancer comes to mind when you think of Spain. 

We all know that dancing is beneficial to health, which has even been proven in numerous scientific studies. It brings benefits not only for being a physical activity, but also for its important contribution to our mental and emotional health. People who dance improve their aerobic capacity, their agility, their balance and the resistance, strength and flexibility of their muscle mass, prevent premature aging of the brain and are much happier. With flamenco dancing, on top of all this, you can experience the art and passion typical of Spain. These are some of the benefits of flamenco:

1. It is cardiac healthy

Like any aerobic activity, flamenco is a good way to get our hearts in shape and is a recommended activity for people with obesity, high cholesterol or diabetes. 

Dances like this have been shown in patients with chronic heart failure to significantly improve their heart problems like other typical aerobic exercises.

2. It is a natural antidepressant

Flamenco – like other dances – is not only fun but also a natural antidepressant for our body. When we leave the house and interact with other people we fight loneliness and shyness, while keeping stress at bay.

Experts have concluded that dancing increases levels of serotonin, the so-called “wellness hormone”. The need to learn the steps of the dance and to adjust the rhythmic coordination are key to develop these benefits.

For this reason, dancing flamenco also improves our mood and puts us in a good position and, unlike medication, it has no side effects or contraindications, except in those cases where there is an injury or restriction in the practice of exercises, in which other activities such as Yoga or Pilates are more advisable.

3. Improves social skills

Group flamenco dance classes also have benefits for our social relationships. We develop skills such as tolerance, patience, to adapt to other people so that the choreography goes forward and not lose the beat.

Therefore, it is an exercise more than recommended since childhood.

4. It is a great ally of our brain

Flamenco dance is a fast-paced activity that requires quick responses. That is why it is a good activity to maintain and improve intelligence and even reduces the possibility of suffering from dementia, so it is highly recommended at any age.

In addition, in each dance class you will learn new steps. This learning helps you build different neural pathways essential for information to reach our brain and memorize things. So, the more steps you learn, the more mental gymnastics you will do and the better your memory will be.

And if you want to exercise your mind even more, why not learn to play the flamenco guitar or the cajón (typical flamenco drums)? Two of the most Spanish instruments that work on the memory, the perfect complement to dance classes.

5. Improve your coordination

A peculiarity of the flamenco is that it forces to work at the same time the two parts of the brain (the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere) because we need it to be able to coordinate the arms and the legs. They do not always move in the same direction or at the same speed and learning to dance it is a beneficial exercise for the brain that makes our coordination much better.

Conclusion

So if you want to be healthy both physically and mentally, and at the same time enjoy the magic that Spain has to offer, flamenco dance will be the perfect option for you.