If you have ever watched a salsa dance competition on television, you probably noticed how lithe and fit those sexy dancers looked. While many of us grew up watching our not-so-fit relatives salsa dance on the occasional Saturday night, the truth is that salsa dancing, when done consistently, can be incredible for your mind and body. Not only can Latin culture’s most beloved dance improve your cardiovascular endurance, muscular tone, and reduce excess body weight, but it can also improve you coordination and balance.
In fact, doctors are keen on trying to encourage aging and diabetes-prone Latinos to get on that dance floor again. “If you can get people to do it, it’s got to be beneficial both physically and emotionally,” said Markides, Annie & John Gnitzinger distinguished professor of aging studies at the university in a Chicago Tribune interview. “We know physical and social activity are important for quality of life but they’re also important in slowing down the negative effects of diseases like diabetes.”
Here are 13 more reasons why you need salsa dance lessons right now:
