Health
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The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 2003 on a 21 year study carried out by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine New York, on the effects of recreational activities on the elderly.
The study examined cognitive activities such as reading books, writing, doing puzzles, playing cards and musical instruments. It also examined physical activities such as tennis, golf, swimming, bicycling, walking and doing housework.
The study found that almost none of the physical activities appeared to offer any protection against dementia. The only physical activity which did offer protection against dementia was frequent dancing.
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The study reported as follows;
Reading - 35% reduced risk of dementia
Bicycling and swimming - 0%
Doing crossword puzzles at least four days a week - 47%
Playing golf - 0%
Dancing frequently - 76%.
Dancing contained the greatest risk reduction of any activity studied, cognitive or physical.
It was believed that dancing had these benefits as dancing integrates several brain functions at once. Dancing simultaneously involves kinesthetic, rational, musical and emotional processes.
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​Of course the kind of dancing you do does matter, and further research is needed on this. However it seems sensible to conclude that folk dances such as garba and raas have many elements in them which make them suitable as dances for improving mental and physical health.
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