Movements that are similar to walking and its share of difficulties. For a person with Parkinson’s disease, dancing the Argentine Tango would allow them to find a better balance and improve their movements, according to a study conducted by Professor Gammon M. Earharta neurologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
“Tango includes many movements that are difficult for someone with Parkinson’s to perform, such as turning,” she explains. “The more I think about it, the more it seems logical, a lot of falls happen when patients have to step back. When you dance the Tango and let yourself be guided, you dance backwards and you have to find a strategy to do it “, she adds.
Reduction of symptoms thanks to Tango
For her research, she studied for one year the case of 52 people, suffering from Parkinson’s disease and presenting problems of balance and movement. At the beginning of the study, each practiced the same level of physical activity. Then, half of the participants learned to dance the Tango, under the supervision of Dr. Earhart and his colleagues. The other half kept their usual routine.
Result: those who practiced Tango regularly saw their symptoms decrease. They could walk longer, faster and had regained a better balance. In the other group, the symptoms did not change or even increased. During the year, the Tango also brought about benefits in the daily life of the participants. Thanks to this practice, they were more involved in household chores, shopping, but also leisure.
To take advantage of the beneficial effects, however, you need regular practice. Stopping the dance leads to the return of the symptoms that had subsided until then. But for Dr. Earhart, the playful side of Tango would make it possible to continue with more pleasure than any other physical activity. “People are more likely to stick with it if they’re having fun,” she explains.
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