We have a level 2 student named Prakash who recently wrote an article about how people can improve neuro skills and he listed dancing as his top 5 item. He recommends salsa dancing and TDS to learn. Check out the article on the website examiner.com

Top 5 tips to exercise your brain

Mental stimulation improves brain function and actually protects against cognitive decline, as does physical exercise. Most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. In short, use it or lose it.

By constantly participating in activities that you have not done before, you train your brain to go into uncharted territories, and pick up new skills. Health, or for that matter, anything flourishes, when you focus on eliminating the weakest link. i.e you are as strong as your weakest link.

Here are the top 5 tips for actively engaging your brain and in the process having fun too:

1. Break routine
Use your weaker hand to drive the computer mouse. Or try signing your name, or try punching in the phone numbers or brushing your teeth with your weaker hand. By doing it more often, you will be surprised how quickly your brain adapts!

2. Play games/sports
Any kind of new indoor or outdoor games that you haven’t played before. Or the latest craze – Sudoku. Sudoku rules are easy, and most websites carry free puzzles that you can download, and print and take it with you on your ride to work. www.krazydad.com/puzzles is a good resource to go to.

3. Juggling
Juggling is my favorite way to get my brain, eyes and arms coordinate, balance and do acts that I thought I could never do! Get yourself a good set of Juggling balls to begin with. There are a lot of youtube videos that show step by step on how to start juggling. You can drop me an email, and I can teach you myself or pass on the links. One of the best places to get juggling gear is from www.higginsbrothers.com.

4. Play a musical instrument
Learn a musical instrument. Anything that you always wanted to play. When I started learning the piano, getting the fingers and the brain tuned to the next note to play, can be really challenging and at the same time fun. Practice makes us learn it eventually and we then go on to play complex notes, songs or start learning the next musical instrument!

5. Learn a dance form
Salsa, could be a great choice. New moves to learn, new partners to dance with, and a great cardiovascular workout at the same time! If you are in Toronto, I would highly recommend torontodancesalsa.ca.

Thanks Prakash for a great article!

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“Salsa dancing can be a fun and effective exercise but if a U.K. study holds true, salsa dancing benefits may extend far beyond simple calorie burning. A recent study conducted in the United Kingdom showed that salsa dancing may be beneficial in lifting the mood of those who suffer from symptoms of depression.

In order to look more closely at salsa dancing benefits, a group of researchers in the U.K. recruited twenty-four volunteers previously diagnosed with depression to participate in a study to determine if salsa dancing could help relieve the symptoms of depression. The volunteers were given a standardized written depression evaluation before the salsa dancing classes began. The volunteers then participated in eight one hour salsa dancing classes over a nine week period. The depression evaluation was repeated after the nine week period to assess improvements in overall mood. The researchers were surprised to find that volunteers who had remained in the salsa dancing classes showed significant improvement in their depressive symptoms as well as on their scores on the depression evaluation. The researchers noted that the volunteers who dropped out of the study may have altered the results somewhat.

Although further studies would be necessary to make firm conclusions as to whether the benefits of salsa dancing extend to helping with depression, if effective it certainly provides a safe and effective all natural option for giving depressed patients a sense of accomplishment which may translate into improved mood and greater sense of well being.

It shouldn’t be surprising that salsa dancing might benefit depression. Exercise has long been known to improve moods in patients with depressive symptoms and salsa dancing is an energetic form of dancing that raises the heart rate and could potentially increase production of endorphins, the “feel good” hormones responsible for exercise related mood elevations. Plus, salsa dancing provides depressed patients with increased social interaction which reduces their sense of isolation which may have positive benefits. Salsa dancing also provides the depressed patient with a new skill which can help to raise levels of self esteem.

Hopefully, more studies on salsa dancing benefits will show whether or not the improvements in mood were real and sustainable. Many people suffering from depression are looking for alternatives to prescription antidepressants with their undesirable side effects. Salsa dancing could be an activity that would provide multiple benefits to their health and sense of well being. Could salsa dancing be a viable alternative to prescription antidepressants? Only time and further study will tell.”

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