5 Benefits of Cha Cha

5 Benefits of Cha Cha

Cha Cha the Latin dance with small steps forward and back with swaying hips that is danced socially. Cha Cha Cha is counted as two slow beats followed by a syncopated ‘Cha Cha Cha’ though there are variations in the counting in ballroom and competitive ‘Cha Cha Cha’. Similar foot patterns can be found in Afro Cuban dances related to Santeria religion in Cuba.

Dance as an art form can have many benefits for participants health and wellbeing. Dance can improve memory and concentration, strength and stamina, balance and coordination, heart health and releases high levels of the happy hormone, serotonin, and which can help to reduce stress.

Dance is a social art form and so often encourages you to meet with like minded people and can reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The very nature of dancing encourages human interaction through touch and looking into the eyes of others encouraging feelings of sense of belonging and feel part of a community.

Dance has so many benefits for people of all ages and abilities and it is a great way to stay active in later years.

For further information about the benefits of dance read How dance improves physical and mental health

Cha Cha as a dance form is no different in benefiting the participants. In this blog we will highlight the 5 benefits of cha cha.

5 Benefits of Cha Cha

Improve cardiovascular health

Cha cha is a dance that incorporates small quick steps to match the fast Cha Cha music. The slow and quick rhythms are brilliant for strengthening the heart muscle and boosting your circulation.

Strengthen muscle and bones

Cha cha dance uses all the main muscle groups and the lateral and rotational movements can create resistance which maintains higher levels of muscle tissue and can help strengthen the bones. Transferring your weight from one foot to the other encourages your weight bearing bones to maintain bone density helping to prevent or slow bone loss related to osteoporosis.

Improve balance and coordination

The Cha Cha can really strengthen the lower limb muscles and core muscle groups, thereby improving coordination and enhancing gait performance and balance. While you may feel pretty solid on your feet now, there’s no denying the fact that as we age, balance and coordination seriously deteriorate. It’s one of the reasons that older adults are so prone to falls. However, the ability of dancing to improve these markers of health in older folks is promising.

One study on people over the age of 80 years found that social dancing helped improve balance and walking speed, as well as contributing to a more stable walking pattern.

Improve memory

Cha Cha has a 4/4 musical structure and the way you count the cha cha is 1,2,3,cha,cha and repeat. The key is to realize that the full beats are slower and the half beats are faster – That means as a dancer you need to concentrate to make sure you give the right amount of time to each beat. You also have to concentrate to remember the sequence of steps meaning that your brain works twice as hard than it would whilst doing other cardiovascular exercises.

Learning different cha cha steps and timing can encourage the brain to form new connections and neurons and makes existing neural pathways stronger or weaker.

Boost confidence and self esteem

Cha Cha has a carefree nature and the music should make you feel happy and create a party like atmosphere. Cha cha is great for encouraging you to eliminate your shyness and increase your self esteem. When you start dancing the Cha Cha you forget all concerning matters and simply concentrate on the music and your moves.

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC run weekly Keep Dancing classes which are suitable for people who are over 50. Keep Dancing will teach you dances from around the world (including Cha Cha) with no need for a partner as all danced are choreographed in a solo format. Keep Dancing classes are currently running across Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall and Sandwell and online. Find out more information here

If you have enjoyed reading our 5 benefits of cha cha, you may enjoy reading our 5 benefits of Rock N Roll