Dancing makes you more intelligent, study says

February 3, 2018  12:07

Dancing makes you more intelligent, according to TV doctor Michael Mosley.

A single salsa class boosts people's understanding of new information by eight per cent, focus by 13 per cent and memories by 18 per cent, according to a new study broadcast on the BBC's The Truth About Getting Fit.

Lead author Professor Michael Duncan from Coventry University, who has never seen such a response from any other kind of exercise, believes salsa is particularly challenging for the brain to process.

The Cuban style of dance forces people to learn and remember new steps to different patterns of music while staying in time with the beat, which means they cannot lose their concentration, according to Professor Duncan.

Although many use their hectic lifestyles as an excuse not to exercise, Dr Mosley argues dancing appears to make people more focused and therefore could help them become more productive with the time they have.

'Dancing requires a lot of cognitive manipulation' 

Professor Duncan said: 'Dance is physically active but it's also very coordinative.

'You have to think about the steps, you have to think about the pattern, you have to think about staying in time with the music.

'So that requires a lot of cognitive manipulation while the dance is going on, while you are also physically exerting themselves,' the BBC reported. 

How the research was carried out     

The researchers had volunteers complete a series of mental assessments.

These tested their decision-making skills, abilities to avoid distractions, working memories and capabilities to judge the speed of moving objects.

The study's participants then took part in a 30-minute salsa class led by dance instructor and exercise scientist Dr Pablo Domene. 

As the class progressed, the moves became faster and more complex.  

They were then reassessed on the aforementioned tests.   

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