Dubstep on the rise

By Brittany Howard

Want to really feel young? Learn how to do this! Or at least try; I imagine it would be highly amusing.

For more dubstep, click here 

 

Dancing for your body and your mind

This is my best friend, or at least the back of his head. He loves to dance too. Photo by Courtney LeMay

By Courtney LeMay

I love dance music and I don’t care who knows it. With this thought in mind and a bit of time to kill before swim practice, I stumbled upon a very interesting study about dancing’s effects on the brain.

Essentially, some scientists ran a study about the effects of leisure activities, both physical and other, as they affected a person’s risk of dementia. The shocking results? Dancing was “the only physical activity to offer protection against dementia,” as Stanford University instructor Richard Powers states in his summary of the study. Moreover, this is even above mental activities such as reading or crossword puzzles. The study also states that, at least when it comes to dancing with a partner, women receive a higher benefit than men because of the required response as the designated “follower” in most dances.

“But how does this work?” you ask? Simple. Your brain continues to rewire its nerves as necessary in order to keep itself functioning properly. By keeping your brain active, your brain will keep itself in better condition. Conversely, if your brain doesn’t need to improve “cognitive reserve” as the study puts it, it won’t update its nerves and therefore will begin to slow down.

Of course, this great benefit requires frequent dancing, but I think of that as an even better excuse to dance. Go ahead; bust a move!

Check out Powers’ summary here, or view the original 2003 study on the New England Journal of Medicine website.