Did you know that the most viewed video on You Tube is Evolution of Dance?  As of this date, it's had 67,022,550 views and 85,479 comments.   There's just something about the motions and rhythms of dance that make us happy and feel alive, whether we're in the dance jam or watching Dancing With the Stars.  Dr. Mark Liponis, author of Ultra-Longevity, author of the bestseller Ultra-Prevention, and Medical Director of Canyon Ranch explains why.

Dance is a type of exercise and exercise is the number one antiaging medicine.  That's a pretty strong statement, but Dr. Liponis says the research stands behind it.  Dance and other forms of rhythmic movement benefit the cardiovascular system, which in turn boosts the immune system.  Studies also have revealed that dance lowers C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation in the body, perhaps indicating diabetes, hypertension, or cardiovascular disease. 

Rhythm is within.  We synchronize with the beat.  The heart beats, breathing is rhythmic, waves contracting and relaxing flow through the digestive system.  Most interestingly, the brain is affected by music, rhythm, and dancing.  It sends messages along the spinal cord to the immune system.    Other bodily functions follow a beat:  the menstrual cycle, circadian biorhythms, contractions of the uterus during delivery, hormone release from glands, and sleeping/waking. 

Rhythm is without.  Dr. Liponis refers to the beat around us as The Dance of Life:  sunset/sunrise, the changing of the seasons, rotation of the planets, the ebb and flow of the tides, the waxing and waning of the moon, a bird's wings flapping, and a suckling infant.

Whether waltzing or doing the swing, you can also bet on an elevated mood. Dr. Liponis notes the boom of the iPod, the positive effects of music on Parkinson's disease patients, and the addition of music to aerobics classes and gyms. A significant stress reducer, Alzheimer's patients have less anxiety while listening to music.

Historically dance and music span both time and cultures. Dance improves muscles, builds bone, induces weight loss, and helps to lower cholesterol, leading to a longer, healthier life.  Dance, the music of life, is both the universe without and the kingdom within.

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