January 15, 2026 • 19 mins
Not only is dancing fun, but it has numerous health benefits. Anney and Samantha break down some of the reasons why you should bust a move.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, this Sinny and Samantha. Welcome you stuff I've never
told you production.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I heartradio, and welcome to a happy hour where I
talk about happy things, happy hoppy things. I think this
could have been a Monday many because I do talk
a little bit about research, and you know, we don't.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Do that typically, especially me for happy hours.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
But I thought I would bring this over here because
we need some happy topics along with that in our
happy hour tradition. If we are talking about a brand
or something very specific, it is not necessarily a sponsor.
Maybe one day, I don't know. I don't know what
that would look like. But hey, beautiful. Also, if you're
doing happy hourish things, do so responsibly. We love you
(00:56):
and we need you to take care of yourself, especially
right now.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Annie. Are you doing happy hourish things?
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
What is it?
Speaker 4 (01:05):
I'm still working on my mom's all the wine She's
got me from our hometown of Delanaga.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Uh, which has been featured in the Netflix show Did
you see this? No? What?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Literally they's tossed it's uh Punisher, the dude who played Punisher.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
He is in it. Uh and he comes in. Oh
and Tessa Thompson, Hello, but he starts. The scene starts
off with being Lumpkin County. Yeah, it's like they got
it right, and being in a Dealanaga National Force, which
I don't know if that's true. I don't think there's
a national force in Delannaga.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
But but but they say Delanaga and it isn't Lumpkin
County and I was like, oh, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Shout some stuff there.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
And they have a lot of woods. Delonaga has a
lot of woods.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
That is true.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
That's one of the reasons I liked it.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
But anyway, keep going.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So you got your wine from your local wineries?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Yes, there are a lot of local wineries in Delanaga,
which is very funny because I found out through friends
who never who were from like Tennessee. Yeah, you've never
been to the winer reason Delanaga, And it's like wineries
in Blowaga.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
This was a long time I was in college.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
But yes, every Christmas, every like holiday, my mom gets
me these wines. And uh, the one I'm trying today
is Synthiana slash Morton, which is one of my favorites.
I know it's kind of a divisive one. A lot
of people don't like it, but I really like it.
It's very like earthy, mushroomy kind of.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Okay, Okay, I don't know if I know about those bars.
I'm my knowledge stays in Lake Europe or California.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
So yeah, this is Washington.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
North Georgia and Monsieur. There's another Michigan. I think this
is m State.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
It also has it, yeah, very specific grapes.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
I am. It is cold here, it is like freezing cold.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
So I'm keeping up with coffee because I do uppers
around there in that level. But all with all of that,
I thought I would talk about dancing. Like a lot
of things have been coming up on my FYP about
the fact that there have been research, and there's been
a lot of research, but they're talking about it more again,
(03:33):
you know how it kind of fluctuates about how dance
can actually combat dementia, and so I was like, yeah,
dance does a lot for me, specifically when I have
a good dance class, when I have a great like
hip hop or zumba class, it just fills energetic.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I come home with extra pep.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I feel like I've been revived and I just want
to keep going.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I just love dance.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It gets to the point that when I have music on,
good music on a dancing and sweat immediately rolls and
then I'm like twenty minutes late because I have to
stop sweating and then get ready again. But I love
it so much, so I thought I would talk about
some of the studies that have been done recently. And
I will say they have started talking more about it
(04:16):
because a twenty twenty five study came out recently about
how it combats perimenopause, menopause and postmenopausal women and how
it really not combats but helps them. So there's a
lot of good information happening. I thought I would take
some time to talk about those benefits. So from a
Psychology Today article they actually this was written in twenty
twenty four, they talk about why we dance and how
(04:40):
it was dance has always been a thing.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
They say.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
They that if it's if evolution is your thing, understand
that primates we're dancing. Even before I see birds dance,
I think that's what they're doing. In my head anyway,
I feel like dogs dance sometimes, or just my dog
attacks me while I dance. I account that as dancing. Okay,
we're gonna go with that. But this is what the
(05:03):
Psychology Today article says. What is it about dance that
makes us want to move in response to the beat
and what happens in our brains when we do so.
Music stimulates the brain's reward centers, while dance activates its
sensory and motor circuits. Concurrently, the olympic system, which is
involved in emotion processing, triggers the release of feel good
hormones such as endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine, while the cerebellum
(05:27):
integrates input from the brain and spinal cord and helps
in the planning of fine and complex motor actions. Mirror
neurons also play a role in our enjoyment of dance.
As their name implies, mirror neurons are brain cells that
are activated when we see other people doing something. We
automatically yawn if the persons sitting opposite to us yawns,
(05:49):
Watching people dance makes us want to join them and dance.
When we do so, we are no longer alone but
feel part of the group. I think that's such a
great conversation in so many aspects, because yes, when I dance,
it feels good. It feels like I've caught onto something
learning a new line dance, which has been a big
(06:10):
thing right now, and I will say it's a challenge.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Some of these dances. It is, and I have so
much fun with it because.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
When you grasp it, being in sync with someone and
realizing you're doing the standing dance moves, there.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Is joy to that.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Choreography is a gift that I am trying to learn.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I will say that, but it's so fun.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
And in that same article they talk about how it
can help trauma and dementia. They write, one of the
remarkable things about dancing is the effect that has on
people with trauma and dementia. Kayla Koonik is a board
certified music therapist in Pensalcola, Florida. She spoke to the
Person recently about use of dancing movement with survivors of
trauma and people suffering from dementia. Referring to people living
(06:54):
in long term care settings, she remarked, many of these
people receive no visitors and spend their days with drawn
and silent, But when I come and play music from
the fifties or sixties, music that was popular when they
were young, they light up, start to tap their feet
or clap their hands. Some will stand up and begin dancing.
Others will even remember the lyrics for the rest of
the day. The participants as well as the staff are
(07:16):
happier and more present.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
There is we know.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
We've talked about our own connections with different types of
music and what that can bring out, what that some
of those memories, Some music helped people who have depression
and suicidal ideation. Stuff like that really can move you,
and you feel like you're connected to these lyrics and
these songs, and just like the emotions I have cried
(07:42):
at songs for like just feeling the depth of it.
I've also fallen in love with songs and came back
later thinking, man, that was really corny because I will
act these things out. Did you ever do like when
you would see a music video, like you would participate somehow,
like you are part of that music video?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Is that just me?
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I did? I think I did it?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
I mean, oh gosh, younger listeners, you won't remember this,
but there used to be like a music video. It
was just music video channel where I was. It was
called the Box. It was channeled thirty four, and we
my friends and I would try to learn the moves
and you had to like get ready for your song.
You never knew what it was gonna come on. But we
(08:26):
also would do like my mom once walked in on
me and my good friend Katie, who's been on the show, uh,
trying to sing and dance to Annie the musical. Yeah,
because we were going to we were going to audition.
We never did, but so did. I think I did
(08:48):
think similar to that. I'm not sure if I did
exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Okay, okay, see, I would like envision myself in these
music videos as if I was a part of it.
I would learn learn these dances like Paula Abdul. Yeah,
I was in there. I was doing it. Performed that
at a high school in a middle school musical. Straight
up was my song. I even had backup dancers. I've
talked about this before. I loved every bit of that.
(09:15):
There are some things to being able to do choreography.
We would make up numbers footloose number. I think I've
told you I remember a few.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Bits of that.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Uh, Mortal Kombat the soundtrack we use that for chair.
Don't worry about me, I got things under control. We
just mentioned earlier that the recent study where it says
(09:46):
it can help with perimenopause, menopause in postmenopause. It says
the study is called the Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on
Health related Outcome in perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal Women. So
they write, in recent years, dance intervention has increasingly been
applied to paimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women, with studies suggesting
(10:07):
its potential benefit for alleviating menopause related symptoms. For instance,
when study evaluated the effects of zooma dance intervention in
postmenopausal women, finding significant improvements in quality of life and
reduction in men apastal symptoms. Of course, they're talking about
how this study needs to go a little further because,
as we know, when it comes to women's health, not
(10:30):
a lot of research cording to that, and when we
talk about perimenopausal oh my.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
God, even less.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
So hopefully it's not a buzzword and trend and people
are actually going to study it. But they did go
into a bit more saying they observed similar stuff with
line dancing, saying significantly alleviated depression, anxiety, paranoia, and sleep
disturbances in menopausal women, enhancing psychological well being and overall
(10:56):
quality of life. So Today's Show did a segment in
twenty twenty one one in that same conversation, So of
course it sounds like they have gone on advancing in
their studies, and in that Today Show article they talk
about they do see benefits. Of course, they go back
and forth about there still needs to be more research
because we don't have a loss, but we do see improvement.
(11:17):
Exercise in general, we know can give a lot of help,
especially when it comes to alleviating depression and mental health things,
as well as giving you a good cardio.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Y'all, I sweat a lot.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
According to my watch, it tells me I burnt about
five hundred and twenty calories. I know that's not accurate,
but I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Go with it.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I sweat a lot, though, so I'm gonna count that
as a win.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
So their conclusion was the study included nine trials and
found that dance interventions had significant positive effects on health
related outcomes in perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women except for
psychotic symptoms. So I'm gonna leave that there because obviously
there's some lapsing and there's a lot of more conversation
we need to have about that whole community of women
(12:02):
that are going through the things.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
I believe my hand is raised probably to.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
That, but it is good to see that we are
talking about ways to do so that's not necessarily hormonal related,
although that is also a benefit that we need to
be talking about as well. Another time, another time. And
according to other studies, it helps with cortisol levels.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
And that has.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Been a buzzword that drives me crazy, but apparently it helps.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
And this is from jazzersides dot com. Don't hate it,
they done some research. We love it. We love it
over here.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
So they talk about dance cardio, which they say balances
hormones and reduces stress. So I think, when I think
you all understand when I talk about zumba dance cardio,
it's kind of all related. It's just the styles are
a little bit different. They say this, Let's talk cortisol,
the stress hormone that tends to spike with overly intense workout,
especially as we age. For women thirty five plus, high
(12:57):
stress exercise can sometimes do more harm than good, increasing inflammation,
disrupting sleep, and making hormone imbalances worse. Dance cardio offers
a powerful solution. The moderate intensity combined with joyful movement,
helps reduce cortisol while boosting feel good hormones like endorphins, dopamine,
and serotonin. This creates a hormonal environment that supports better sleep,
(13:19):
reduced anxiety, and even improved metabolism. And they also talk
about the fact that it helps with muscle preservation and strength.
But it is a low impact class unless you do
real big moves, which I do sometimes. So wat Yeah, okay,
just forewarning everyone, find your find your moderet And this
(13:41):
is from upbeat dot com. They talk about several other
ways that it helps, including it helps build self confidence,
it builds social connections, which it really does. This is
my this is my outgoing, outgoing these like I actually
made friends. We had a class last night and I
was able to be with people I hadn't been with
because you know, things change because people get different schedules.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And it was such a delight.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
It was like my old dance world plus my new
dance world came together. It was so fun that I
got text messages from people last night, like we went
out partying.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
I know, I'm so old, don't start with me anyway.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
That article talks about some of these things, including again
it can help with trauma. They say, this movement creates
a space where participants can release pent up emotions healthily
and constructively. The physical exertion strengthens the body and allows
for letting go of emotional burdens. Besides the obvious benefits
(14:39):
of exercise, dance provides an avenue for self expression, which
is crucial for mental health recovery. Every movement becomes a
means of communicating feelings that may be too difficult to
put into words. This form of expression allows women to
explore their emotions without fear of judgment, fostering emotional healing.
Dance fitness encourages participants to connect deeply with their giving
(15:01):
them an outlet to process past experiences in a safe
and supportive environment. In short, it creates an opportunity to
rebuild emotional strength while promoting overall mental well being. I
love that because there are moments where like, you just
really want to get into it and you just really
want to have at it, and there are moments that
you just need to learn to breathe and sit, and
(15:23):
it gives you both of those moments, and you can
put what you need into it as you need it,
hopefully if you're in a safe environment, which I've always
been in a good safe environment, And they conclude this way,
they say in conclusion, dance fitness transforms women's mental health
by offering a powerful blend of physical movement, emotional expression,
and mental resilience. Through dance, women can experience reduce stress,
(15:45):
improve self confidence, and stronger social connection. It provides a
therapeutic outlet for healing emotional wounds and encourages mindfulness, helping
participants stay present and grounded.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Or build a supportive community.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Dance fitness is an active way to achieve emotional balance
and well being. And I agree with all of those statements.
So being able to connect with people in a safe
environment where you're not hopefully not judged and you feel
welcomed is so important in doing all these things. Because
they also talk about again learning a choreography, a learning
(16:19):
a routine really helps you cognitively relearn things you know.
How you have to use your muscles in your brain
is one of those things that you have to use
and constantly use. And being able to learn routines it
really does help with your mindfulness and in combating dementia,
and they really encourage as you age.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
And start forgetting things.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
This could be one of those cognitive exercises that is
really good for you. I laugh it myself.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Yeah, that makes total sense to me. And it's not
quite the same. But we have talked about that before
with hiking, right, which can be a communal activity that
can be solo. But that's a lot of times when
I hike. That's what I get out of It is
sort of both a mindfulness and a connection and kind
of like a disconnect from where my brain is freaking
(17:10):
about freaking out about like whatever is going on, because
I just have to focus on the next step and
make sure I fall off the sprain my ankle and
fall and dancing yet like with the music going and
having those moves.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
And now that I think this makes complete.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Sense, all right and by let's dance twenty twenty six,
we're all dancing.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
No Ah, sure, sure sure. Back when I was still
on Twitter, when it was Twitter, I posted I had
I was dancing like no one was watching, and someone
was watching because I looked out my window and there
(17:55):
was this group of people that were just looking at
me apporting. I'm like, oh, like duct duction down embarrassing
quick embarrassingly quickly.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
They were just impressed with your movements.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I'm sure, I'm sure that's what it was.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Exactly what that was.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
It was fun.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
I was having an adult That's all that matters. Well, listeners,
we would love to know your thoughts about this. You
can email us at Hello at stuff Never Told You
dot com. You can find us on a Blue skyt
Mosstuff podcast or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff I
Never Told You for us on YouTube. We have sub
merchandise at Common Bureau and we have a book you
(18:38):
can get where you get your books. Thanks as always
to a super produced Christina executive producer My and your
contributor Joey. Thank you and thanks to you for listening
Stuff Never Told You Instruction by Heart Radio. For more
podcast from my Heart Radio, you can check out the
heart Radio app, Apple podcast or rep you listen to
your favorite shows.
Hey, this Sinny and Samantha. Welcome you stuff I've never
told you production.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I heartradio, and welcome to a happy hour where I
talk about happy things, happy hoppy things. I think this
could have been a Monday many because I do talk
a little bit about research, and you know, we don't.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Do that typically, especially me for happy hours.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
But I thought I would bring this over here because
we need some happy topics along with that in our
happy hour tradition. If we are talking about a brand
or something very specific, it is not necessarily a sponsor.
Maybe one day, I don't know. I don't know what
that would look like. But hey, beautiful. Also, if you're
doing happy hourish things, do so responsibly. We love you
(00:56):
and we need you to take care of yourself, especially
right now.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Annie. Are you doing happy hourish things?
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (01:04):
What is it?
Speaker 4 (01:05):
I'm still working on my mom's all the wine She's
got me from our hometown of Delanaga.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Uh, which has been featured in the Netflix show Did
you see this? No? What?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Literally they's tossed it's uh Punisher, the dude who played Punisher.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
He is in it. Uh and he comes in. Oh
and Tessa Thompson, Hello, but he starts. The scene starts
off with being Lumpkin County. Yeah, it's like they got
it right, and being in a Dealanaga National Force, which
I don't know if that's true. I don't think there's
a national force in Delannaga.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
But but but they say Delanaga and it isn't Lumpkin
County and I was like, oh, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Shout some stuff there.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
And they have a lot of woods. Delonaga has a
lot of woods.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
That is true.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
That's one of the reasons I liked it.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
But anyway, keep going.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
So you got your wine from your local wineries?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Yes, there are a lot of local wineries in Delanaga,
which is very funny because I found out through friends
who never who were from like Tennessee. Yeah, you've never
been to the winer reason Delanaga, And it's like wineries
in Blowaga.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
This was a long time I was in college.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
But yes, every Christmas, every like holiday, my mom gets
me these wines. And uh, the one I'm trying today
is Synthiana slash Morton, which is one of my favorites.
I know it's kind of a divisive one. A lot
of people don't like it, but I really like it.
It's very like earthy, mushroomy kind of.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Okay, Okay, I don't know if I know about those bars.
I'm my knowledge stays in Lake Europe or California.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
So yeah, this is Washington.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
North Georgia and Monsieur. There's another Michigan. I think this
is m State.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
It also has it, yeah, very specific grapes.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
I am. It is cold here, it is like freezing cold.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
So I'm keeping up with coffee because I do uppers
around there in that level. But all with all of that,
I thought I would talk about dancing. Like a lot
of things have been coming up on my FYP about
the fact that there have been research, and there's been
a lot of research, but they're talking about it more again,
(03:33):
you know how it kind of fluctuates about how dance
can actually combat dementia, and so I was like, yeah,
dance does a lot for me, specifically when I have
a good dance class, when I have a great like
hip hop or zumba class, it just fills energetic.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
I come home with extra pep.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
I feel like I've been revived and I just want
to keep going.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I just love dance.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
It gets to the point that when I have music on,
good music on a dancing and sweat immediately rolls and
then I'm like twenty minutes late because I have to
stop sweating and then get ready again. But I love
it so much, so I thought I would talk about
some of the studies that have been done recently. And
I will say they have started talking more about it
(04:16):
because a twenty twenty five study came out recently about
how it combats perimenopause, menopause and postmenopausal women and how
it really not combats but helps them. So there's a
lot of good information happening. I thought I would take
some time to talk about those benefits. So from a
Psychology Today article they actually this was written in twenty
twenty four, they talk about why we dance and how
(04:40):
it was dance has always been a thing.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
They say.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
They that if it's if evolution is your thing, understand
that primates we're dancing. Even before I see birds dance,
I think that's what they're doing. In my head anyway,
I feel like dogs dance sometimes, or just my dog
attacks me while I dance. I account that as dancing. Okay,
we're gonna go with that. But this is what the
(05:03):
Psychology Today article says. What is it about dance that
makes us want to move in response to the beat
and what happens in our brains when we do so.
Music stimulates the brain's reward centers, while dance activates its
sensory and motor circuits. Concurrently, the olympic system, which is
involved in emotion processing, triggers the release of feel good
hormones such as endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine, while the cerebellum
(05:27):
integrates input from the brain and spinal cord and helps
in the planning of fine and complex motor actions. Mirror
neurons also play a role in our enjoyment of dance.
As their name implies, mirror neurons are brain cells that
are activated when we see other people doing something. We
automatically yawn if the persons sitting opposite to us yawns,
(05:49):
Watching people dance makes us want to join them and dance.
When we do so, we are no longer alone but
feel part of the group. I think that's such a
great conversation in so many aspects, because yes, when I dance,
it feels good. It feels like I've caught onto something
learning a new line dance, which has been a big
(06:10):
thing right now, and I will say it's a challenge.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Some of these dances. It is, and I have so
much fun with it because.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
When you grasp it, being in sync with someone and
realizing you're doing the standing dance moves, there.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Is joy to that.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Choreography is a gift that I am trying to learn.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
I will say that, but it's so fun.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
And in that same article they talk about how it
can help trauma and dementia. They write, one of the
remarkable things about dancing is the effect that has on
people with trauma and dementia. Kayla Koonik is a board
certified music therapist in Pensalcola, Florida. She spoke to the
Person recently about use of dancing movement with survivors of
trauma and people suffering from dementia. Referring to people living
(06:54):
in long term care settings, she remarked, many of these
people receive no visitors and spend their days with drawn
and silent, But when I come and play music from
the fifties or sixties, music that was popular when they
were young, they light up, start to tap their feet
or clap their hands. Some will stand up and begin dancing.
Others will even remember the lyrics for the rest of
the day. The participants as well as the staff are
(07:16):
happier and more present.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
There is we know.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
We've talked about our own connections with different types of
music and what that can bring out, what that some
of those memories, Some music helped people who have depression
and suicidal ideation. Stuff like that really can move you,
and you feel like you're connected to these lyrics and
these songs, and just like the emotions I have cried
(07:42):
at songs for like just feeling the depth of it.
I've also fallen in love with songs and came back
later thinking, man, that was really corny because I will
act these things out. Did you ever do like when
you would see a music video, like you would participate somehow,
like you are part of that music video?
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Is that just me?
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I did? I think I did it?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
I mean, oh gosh, younger listeners, you won't remember this,
but there used to be like a music video. It
was just music video channel where I was. It was
called the Box. It was channeled thirty four, and we
my friends and I would try to learn the moves
and you had to like get ready for your song.
You never knew what it was gonna come on. But we
(08:26):
also would do like my mom once walked in on
me and my good friend Katie, who's been on the show, uh,
trying to sing and dance to Annie the musical. Yeah,
because we were going to we were going to audition.
We never did, but so did. I think I did
(08:48):
think similar to that. I'm not sure if I did
exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Okay, okay, see, I would like envision myself in these
music videos as if I was a part of it.
I would learn learn these dances like Paula Abdul. Yeah,
I was in there. I was doing it. Performed that
at a high school in a middle school musical. Straight
up was my song. I even had backup dancers. I've
talked about this before. I loved every bit of that.
(09:15):
There are some things to being able to do choreography.
We would make up numbers footloose number. I think I've
told you I remember a few.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Bits of that.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Uh, Mortal Kombat the soundtrack we use that for chair.
Don't worry about me, I got things under control. We
just mentioned earlier that the recent study where it says
(09:46):
it can help with perimenopause, menopause in postmenopause. It says
the study is called the Effectiveness of Dance Interventions on
Health related Outcome in perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal Women. So
they write, in recent years, dance intervention has increasingly been
applied to paimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women, with studies suggesting
(10:07):
its potential benefit for alleviating menopause related symptoms. For instance,
when study evaluated the effects of zooma dance intervention in
postmenopausal women, finding significant improvements in quality of life and
reduction in men apastal symptoms. Of course, they're talking about
how this study needs to go a little further because,
as we know, when it comes to women's health, not
(10:30):
a lot of research cording to that, and when we
talk about perimenopausal oh my.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
God, even less.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
So hopefully it's not a buzzword and trend and people
are actually going to study it. But they did go
into a bit more saying they observed similar stuff with
line dancing, saying significantly alleviated depression, anxiety, paranoia, and sleep
disturbances in menopausal women, enhancing psychological well being and overall
(10:56):
quality of life. So Today's Show did a segment in
twenty twenty one one in that same conversation, So of
course it sounds like they have gone on advancing in
their studies, and in that Today Show article they talk
about they do see benefits. Of course, they go back
and forth about there still needs to be more research
because we don't have a loss, but we do see improvement.
(11:17):
Exercise in general, we know can give a lot of help,
especially when it comes to alleviating depression and mental health things,
as well as giving you a good cardio.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Y'all, I sweat a lot.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
According to my watch, it tells me I burnt about
five hundred and twenty calories. I know that's not accurate,
but I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Go with it.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I sweat a lot, though, so I'm gonna count that
as a win.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
So their conclusion was the study included nine trials and
found that dance interventions had significant positive effects on health
related outcomes in perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women except for
psychotic symptoms. So I'm gonna leave that there because obviously
there's some lapsing and there's a lot of more conversation
we need to have about that whole community of women
(12:02):
that are going through the things.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
I believe my hand is raised probably to.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
That, but it is good to see that we are
talking about ways to do so that's not necessarily hormonal related,
although that is also a benefit that we need to
be talking about as well. Another time, another time. And
according to other studies, it helps with cortisol levels.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
And that has.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Been a buzzword that drives me crazy, but apparently it helps.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
And this is from jazzersides dot com. Don't hate it,
they done some research. We love it. We love it
over here.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
So they talk about dance cardio, which they say balances
hormones and reduces stress. So I think, when I think
you all understand when I talk about zumba dance cardio,
it's kind of all related. It's just the styles are
a little bit different. They say this, Let's talk cortisol,
the stress hormone that tends to spike with overly intense workout,
especially as we age. For women thirty five plus, high
(12:57):
stress exercise can sometimes do more harm than good, increasing inflammation,
disrupting sleep, and making hormone imbalances worse. Dance cardio offers
a powerful solution. The moderate intensity combined with joyful movement,
helps reduce cortisol while boosting feel good hormones like endorphins, dopamine,
and serotonin. This creates a hormonal environment that supports better sleep,
(13:19):
reduced anxiety, and even improved metabolism. And they also talk
about the fact that it helps with muscle preservation and strength.
But it is a low impact class unless you do
real big moves, which I do sometimes. So wat Yeah, okay,
just forewarning everyone, find your find your moderet And this
(13:41):
is from upbeat dot com. They talk about several other
ways that it helps, including it helps build self confidence,
it builds social connections, which it really does. This is
my this is my outgoing, outgoing these like I actually
made friends. We had a class last night and I
was able to be with people I hadn't been with
because you know, things change because people get different schedules.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And it was such a delight.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
It was like my old dance world plus my new
dance world came together. It was so fun that I
got text messages from people last night, like we went
out partying.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
I know, I'm so old, don't start with me anyway.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
That article talks about some of these things, including again
it can help with trauma. They say, this movement creates
a space where participants can release pent up emotions healthily
and constructively. The physical exertion strengthens the body and allows
for letting go of emotional burdens. Besides the obvious benefits
(14:39):
of exercise, dance provides an avenue for self expression, which
is crucial for mental health recovery. Every movement becomes a
means of communicating feelings that may be too difficult to
put into words. This form of expression allows women to
explore their emotions without fear of judgment, fostering emotional healing.
Dance fitness encourages participants to connect deeply with their giving
(15:01):
them an outlet to process past experiences in a safe
and supportive environment. In short, it creates an opportunity to
rebuild emotional strength while promoting overall mental well being. I
love that because there are moments where like, you just
really want to get into it and you just really
want to have at it, and there are moments that
you just need to learn to breathe and sit, and
(15:23):
it gives you both of those moments, and you can
put what you need into it as you need it,
hopefully if you're in a safe environment, which I've always
been in a good safe environment, And they conclude this way,
they say in conclusion, dance fitness transforms women's mental health
by offering a powerful blend of physical movement, emotional expression,
and mental resilience. Through dance, women can experience reduce stress,
(15:45):
improve self confidence, and stronger social connection. It provides a
therapeutic outlet for healing emotional wounds and encourages mindfulness, helping
participants stay present and grounded.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Or build a supportive community.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Dance fitness is an active way to achieve emotional balance
and well being. And I agree with all of those statements.
So being able to connect with people in a safe
environment where you're not hopefully not judged and you feel
welcomed is so important in doing all these things. Because
they also talk about again learning a choreography, a learning
(16:19):
a routine really helps you cognitively relearn things you know.
How you have to use your muscles in your brain
is one of those things that you have to use
and constantly use. And being able to learn routines it
really does help with your mindfulness and in combating dementia,
and they really encourage as you age.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
And start forgetting things.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
This could be one of those cognitive exercises that is
really good for you. I laugh it myself.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
Yeah, that makes total sense to me. And it's not
quite the same. But we have talked about that before
with hiking, right, which can be a communal activity that
can be solo. But that's a lot of times when
I hike. That's what I get out of It is
sort of both a mindfulness and a connection and kind
of like a disconnect from where my brain is freaking
(17:10):
about freaking out about like whatever is going on, because
I just have to focus on the next step and
make sure I fall off the sprain my ankle and
fall and dancing yet like with the music going and
having those moves.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
And now that I think this makes complete.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Sense, all right and by let's dance twenty twenty six,
we're all dancing.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
No Ah, sure, sure sure. Back when I was still
on Twitter, when it was Twitter, I posted I had
I was dancing like no one was watching, and someone
was watching because I looked out my window and there
(17:55):
was this group of people that were just looking at
me apporting. I'm like, oh, like duct duction down embarrassing
quick embarrassingly quickly.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
They were just impressed with your movements.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I'm sure, I'm sure that's what it was.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Exactly what that was.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
It was fun.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
I was having an adult That's all that matters. Well, listeners,
we would love to know your thoughts about this. You
can email us at Hello at stuff Never Told You
dot com. You can find us on a Blue skyt
Mosstuff podcast or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff I
Never Told You for us on YouTube. We have sub
merchandise at Common Bureau and we have a book you
(18:38):
can get where you get your books. Thanks as always
to a super produced Christina executive producer My and your
contributor Joey. Thank you and thanks to you for listening
Stuff Never Told You Instruction by Heart Radio. For more
podcast from my Heart Radio, you can check out the
heart Radio app, Apple podcast or rep you listen to
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