There's no denying that dancing is fun. Whether you're teaching ballet, the tango, or even more eclectic dances, you have undoubtedly seen the joy in your students' eyes as they learn the moves for the first time. There's something so innately enjoyable about moving to the rhythm of any music.

However, dancing is not only enjoyable, but it is healthy too. If you are a dance studio looking to promote the benefits of dancing, here are seven health benefits you should know.

Improved Cardiovascular System

According to the Better Health Channel in Victoria, dancing improves the "condition of your heart and lungs." The fact that you are getting up and moving means that you're going to get your heart rate up a little bit. Dancing is quite a bit of exercise, especially for the more fast-paced variants. In addition, you'll be on your feet, and the motion will help get your blood flowing and strengthen your heart. In other words, dancing isn't just fun - it's good for the heart too!

Dancing Can Help People Lose Weight

Dancing burns a lot of calories. According to Teen Star UK, an intense hour of dance can burn as many as 500 calories. If your clients spend an hour learning how to dance and working at it, they could be partaking in one of the most efficient forms of exercise available. While dancing shouldn't be the only form of exercise, it can help keep weight in check. That alone is one of its primary health benefits.

To put those calories in perspective, the average person burns approximately 100 calories per kilometre of jogging. That means one hour of dancing is the equivalent of jogging five kilometres. That's quite a workout!

Dancing Can Improve Mental Health

Research out of the United States shows that dancing can also improve mental health. One hundred teen girls who were struggling with depression participated in dancing. These girls, on average, reported reduced feelings of depression and an overall boost in their mood.

Fascinatingly, it's not just teens that benefit. Seniors benefit from dancing too. A similar study showed that after taking 12 weeks of Zumba, seniors reported better moods and overall cognitive skills.

Indeed, if you want to improve your mental health, dancing is the way to go!

This Art Form Will Enhance Your Memory

One of the nice things about dance is that it engages your mind in multiple ways. When you dance, your brain coordinates multiple areas for your mind and body to create the moves and respond to the sounds of the music. Your cognitive abilities will be activated to remember the sequences, moves, and steps involved in each dance.

When you think about it, a lot of mental processing goes into mastering this art form. One of the aspects of your mind that it will enhance the most is your memory. Even the simplest of dances have somewhere between five and ten moves you need to master. And more complex dances can have hundreds of possibilities. Knowing what all these are, when to perform them, and what sequence they occur, all require an excellent memory. So, if you want to boost your memory and overall cognition, dance is arguably one of the best ways to do that.

Dancing Increases Flexibility

If you are a dance instructor, the fact that dancing requires significant flexibility comes as no surprise to you. Dancing requires people to bend, move, and shape their bodies in unconventional ways. Even simple dances require a level of dexterity not typically needed when walking or running.

Of course, when you work on your dancing, you also work on that flexibility. Over time, your dancing will lead to an increased range of motion. That flexibility is essential as you age. It keeps your body agile and mobile, thereby decreasing your overall chance of injury.

You Can Improve Your Posture

In today's world, back pain and posture problems are common in people both young and old. How many of us spend the bulk of our days sitting working in front of a computer? Even if you have a more physical job, it's often quite physical and has its own set of stressors on your back and spine. In our modern society, it's often tough to completely avoid posture issues.

The good news is that, according to the NHS in the UK, dancing will improve your posture! Think about dancing and how straight your back has to be. Your back needs to have proper alignment to have the balance necessary to pull off many standard dance moves (consider, for example, the plié in ballet). By focusing on the correct alignment for dance, you'll help your posture in other areas too.

Dancing Helps Improve Muscle Strength and Endurance

Most people find that dancing helps improve their muscle strength. It's worth noting that dancing won't improve it in the same way that weightlifting or running will. Those exercises focus on one particular area. Running, for example, focuses on your leg muscles. No matter how much you run, you won't get strong arm muscles.

Dance is different though, because it involves the entire body and it boosts muscle strength. Your arm, back, hip, leg, and various other muscles will get a workout when you dance. You'll use your muscles in a way that you would have a hard time replicating with other forms of exercise. Additionally, you'll give the muscles responsible for balance and agility a workout that they wouldn't otherwise receive.

There Are Many Health Benefits of Dancing!

While these seven health benefits of dancing are the most poignant, there are even more positives not mentioned here. It improves bone strength, increases hand-eye coordination, acts as a de-stressor, and improves physical confidence. There's even some evidence to suggest that dancing can lead to better social skills and self-esteem.

It's hard to point to another form of exercise that has the same level of impact on your wellbeing as dance. If you are a dance instructor or own a dance studio, consider discussing these health benefits with prospective clients. Many people are surprised and delighted to learn that such an enjoyable activity is also one of the best forms of exercise anyone can receive.