Dancing Is the Best Medicine: The Science of How Moving to a Beat Is Good for Body, Brain, and Soul

Neuroscientists Christensen and Chang take a look at the benefits of dancing in this zippy guide to better health. They make a solid case that dancing can improve problem-solving skills, help the body relax, increase socialization, and strengthen one’s sense of community. They also describe the positive impact of dance on heart health, joint strength, and weight loss, and suggest that the progression of conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease may be slowed by dance. A “Dance Test” rounds things out and helps readers find a style to suit them: ballet is best for solo dancers, Argentine tango suits creative improvisers, and modern dance is great for those looking to express their feelings. Christensen and Chang are “dancers by night” and consider their subject as both scientists and participants, offering plenty of fun anecdotes, such as when Christensen was a child and missed her pony, she would perform a special dance to Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Waters,” despite not understanding the lyrics. Readers looking for a prompt to get their bodies moving would do well to start here. (Oct.)