“Dance, when you are broken open. Dance, if you have torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you are perfectly free,” Rumi said.
Dancing as a type of physical work out for older has been studied but in Pakistan social dancing has not been as thoroughly investigated. This popular cultural and social activity can contribute to the life of older adults in a variety of ways. The purpose of this article is to identify the ways in which social dancing contributes to the well-being of seniors.
The idea came to my mind when I saw an old citizen dancing at Lok Virsa cultural festival (Islamabad). We all know that Showbiz, TV shows, stage shows tend to be dominated by young people and young celebrities. As Pakistan has a youth bulge and every Non Governmental and Governmental organizations are working for the development of youth but we should not ignore our old citizens. We are also going to enter the stage of ageing. The worldwide rise in the elderly population has also made its impact on Pakistan. Despite its political and economic instabilities; Pakistan has succeeded in improving lifespan, a fact clearly evident by its rising older population. A WHO report in 1998 estimated that six percent of our population was over 60, with a likelihood of doubling by 2025. Life expectancy has risen by almost three decades in last 50 years and will reach close to 72 years by 2023.
If an old woman is dancing and releasing her frustrations and anxiety, we should not isolate her and encourage her. Dancing has been shown to improve aerobic capacities, muscular endurance and strength, flexibility of the lower body, balance and agility, and gait speed of older populations. These attributes are essential elements of physical functioning and improvements in these aspects could increase quality of life for older adults. Physical activity like dance has had positive impacts on overall mood in older populations. People of retirement age above 60 can benefit hugely from regular dancing sessions, both physically and mentally. Neuroscientists have recently revealed that the number one exercise for slowing down the ageing process is dance. Dance has been shown to improve balance, agility and muscle strength whilst improving mood and cognitive function. Dance can be social, fun and engaging and therefore stimulate new friendships and contribute to a reduction in social isolation and loneliness.
Old age is a great time to sit back and enjoy your life. You are much wiser, people’s opinions do not easily confuse you, you are much more relaxed in your own skin, your kids have no time for home, and you have the freedom to do all the things you want to do. If you have not been exercising and dancing previously, it is not too late to start. Enjoying your life is an important contributor to healthy aging. Your hearts are still very young. Stay blessed.
The writer is doing PhD from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad and can be reached at: [email protected]