The health benefits of dancing (Hoffmann, Oschütz, Schaller. Z Gerontol (Geriat 32:207–212, 1999)
The exercise intensity was measured via pulse frequency for 12 women aged 59 to 77 years, while practicing three different types of dance. The results showed that dancing, even relatively slow types, demonstrated positive effects. In the sense of preventative cardiovascular training for women of an advanced age who were not particularly fit, it was tangibly possible to complement the achievable intensity of exercise with further exercise, individually targeted for the population, particularly with regard to exercise duration and frequency.
Effect of endurance training (Liesen et al., 1975)
33 study participants aged between 55 and 70 years carried out endurance training, whereby the aerobic energy metabolism and capillarisation in the muscles was improved and energy storage in the muscles was increased.
Training-related enzymatic adaptation in the skeletal muscles refutes the claim that it is no longer possible to increase enzymatic activities after the age of 60.
Effects of walking on mortality among non-smoking retired men (Hakim A, Petrovitch H, and Burchfiel C et al., N Engl J Med 1998;338:94–9.)
More than 700 men (61-81 years) were observed over a period of 12 years. The results showed that men who walked less than 0.9 miles (approx. 1.45 km) per day had a mortality rate almost twice as high as those who walked a longer distance (more than 1 mile / day). This means that a lower intensity of physical activity also appears to have a healthy effect.
