Dancing High to Low = Better Balance and Stability!

Did you know that moving and dancing at different levels can improve your balance and give your body sensory information to help prevent falls? 

This week in classes, we’re exploring the LEVELS in space where our bodies can move and groove.

​Think about your body divided into three parts. From your low toes and soles of the feet up to your hips is one section - this is what we call “low-level” space. Between your hips and shoulders is your “middle level”. And the space from your shoulders up to infinity is “high-level” space.

Challenging your body to move in and through the three levels supports your balancing system by strengthening and stretching muscles. For example, dancing down low with the knees bent and in a squatting position, strengthens the large muscles in your legs and core. Dancing up at a high level - even up on tip-toe - strengthens the lower leg muscles of the calves and feet and it also keeps the core engaged. Twisting and bending at your middle level lengthens and strengthens the muscles in the back that support the spine. Keeping your middle body supple helps you adapt during weight changes and to maintain your balance when transferring from one leg to the other. Moving through the different levels also engages your eyesight, helping you stabilize based on the visual information coming in through your eyes.

Want to experience for yourself how dancing your body through the different levels impacts your balance in just one hour-long class? Why not dive right in and give Dance Wise for Parkinson’s a try!