Brazilian dance could improve mobility in people with Parkinson’s, study finds

Researchers at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil compared participants in a 12-week programme, inspired by samba and forró dances, with those in a walking exercise programme to measure improvement in their functional mobility and gait.

The 18 participants had an average age of 68.6 and had all been diagnosed with Parkinson’s over a year ago.

The results, published in journal BMC Neurology, found that both groups showed significant improvements in mobility and balance tests. Participants in the dance group showed increases in stride frequency at a self-chosen test speed and a reduced swing time (the amount of time the foot is off the floor) at a fast speed.

The results indicated that dance was as “effective as walking in improving functional mobility”.

The researchers wrote: “It is essential to find different activities that can offer benefits to individuals… so that they can engage in the one that best ensures wellbeing and pleasure.”

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