In France, in October 2018 (according to figures from the Ministry of Solidarity and Health), 8% of seniors aged 60 and over were dependent, a figure that rises to 20% among seniors aged 85 years and older.
Dependence is defined as “the state of a person who needs to be helped to perform the acts of daily living or who requires regular monitoring”. It is a “generic term which designates a loss of autonomy, both physical and mental”.
Good news: regular physical activity would push back the state of dependence, according to various international studies. And according to recent work conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology and published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, dance, in particular, would help maintain the autonomy of seniors.
Concentration, memory, endurance … Dance, an all-in-one discipline!
To reach this conclusion, the researchers (under the direction of Dr. Yosuke Osuka) worked with a group of 1003 Japanese women for 8 years. During this period, 13% of the participants developed a daily addiction. In contrast, women who danced regularly had, on average, a 73% lower risk than others of becoming addicted with increasing age.
“Dancing is a physical activity that requires balance, strength and endurance,” explains Dr. Yosuke Osuka. In addition, this discipline requires concentration, memory and a certain ability to adapt. All these elements participate in pushing back the physical and cognitive decline of the person, thus guaranteeing him a better autonomy. »Zumba, classical dance, waltz, acrobatic rock … the choice is yours!
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