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Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

journals.plos.org

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Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#11

Post by johnfn »

amelius wrote: post #4
didibus wrote: post #2

Hum... Now this makes me wonder if VR games could achieve a similar effect, such as Beat Saber. Since VR games could combine physical and mental activity into one.

How about DanceDanceRevolution? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_Dance_Revolution

As a guy who's played way way too much DDR, it's a fantastic workout but it also gets very monotonous once you've figured out all the tricks and patterns. (Monotonous in terms of novelty, mind you - it's still fun!) The difference from _real_ dance is that you're dancing with a partner who is continually thinking of new moves.

Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#12

Post by com2kid »

I wonder how kickboxing fairs, done properly it is mentally taxing and one of the highest calorie burning exercises out there (up to 500 calories/30 minutes as measured by HR strap).

The mentally taxing part comes from the complex weight shifting and footwork that is constantly needed, complex combos require sophisticated manipulations of body weight positioning and constant shifting of stances and physical location around the bag.

It is the only cardio-like activity I can stand, except it is way above the cardio zone, HR when active is above 150 (or even 160) and stays there for an entire 3 minute round.

Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#13

Post by Priem19 »

skookum wrote: post #5

If the postulated basis is correct and acts on a continuum, it wouldn't be a huge leap to think that doing physically challenging outdoor sports that require a high degree of reaction to constantly-changing surroundings would be even better than dancing. Sounds like a case for skiing, mountain biking, climbing, surfing, whitewater kayaking, etc.

“In our view, the more pronounced effects of dancing on the human brain can be explained by the fact that dancing promotes a large number of processes at the same time: spatial orientation, movement coordination, balance, endurance, interaction and communication.”

That means I'm golden with skateboarding as well; fantastic.

Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#14

Post by codr7 »

amelius wrote: post #4
didibus wrote: post #2

Hum... Now this makes me wonder if VR games could achieve a similar effect, such as Beat Saber. Since VR games could combine physical and mental activity into one.

How about DanceDanceRevolution? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_Dance_Revolution

It wouldn't surprise me if some of the effect comes from two minds working together. Working with a computer is...different.

Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#16

Post by hombre_fatal »

ByThyGrace wrote: post #15

> An extensive pre/post-assessment was performed on the 38 participants (63–80 y) Mind the n = 38. People already taking the title at face value in this thread.

I thought the "low sample size, checkmate!" without any other analysis was limited to Reddit dilettantes.

Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#17

Post by didibus »

bradlys wrote: post #6
Johnjonjoan wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd be inclined to think beatsabre is repetitive. Dance often involves moving your body in ways you haven't before or rarely do whilst beatsabre is pretty much different variations of the same move. I believe activating a relatively new pathways is vastly different to activating a relatively old one in terms of brain plasticity; which is why I don't think there is much promise with this particular game. Edit: when I…

Well, to be fair, I’ve danced quite a bit. Unless you’re actively trying, it’s quite easy to fall into a groove where you’re just doing the same things over and over again to every song. There’s probably more variation with dancing (in general) than some dance games but I do want to say, it’s possible to fall into a rut within dancing.

That's true, though they didn't simply have people dance. They had people learn different dance coreograhies and perform them.

Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#18

Post by aeturnum »

This feels like common sense to me.

The dance they describe isn't just physical movement, it's also staying within a group movement which requires both reading where "the group" is and giving space to individual differences.

Obviously the focus here is on exercise but I would be curious if a less physically demanding but similarly grouped activity would have similar effects on brain function. I suspect that linking physicality and social coordination is key. We are both brains and bodies and neglecting either is unhealthy in the long term.

Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#19

Post by Klinky »

com2kid wrote: post #12

I wonder how kickboxing fairs, done properly it is mentally taxing and one of the highest calorie burning exercises out there (up to 500 calories/30 minutes as measured by HR strap). The mentally taxing part comes from the complex weight shifting and footwork that is constantly needed, complex combos require sophisticated manipulations of body weight positioning and constant shifting of stances and physical location…

So long as you're not knocking your noggin around. Any contact sport involving blows to the head (even padded blows) is probably more detrimental than any benefit gained.

Re: Dance is superior to repetitive physical exercise for brain plasticity (2018)

#20

Post by Johnjonjoan »

didibus wrote: post #9
Johnjonjoan wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd be inclined to think beatsabre is repetitive. Dance often involves moving your body in ways you haven't before or rarely do whilst beatsabre is pretty much different variations of the same move. I believe activating a relatively new pathways is vastly different to activating a relatively old one in terms of brain plasticity; which is why I don't think there is much promise with this particular game. Edit: when I…

I'm not sure it's the repetitiveness of the physical activity that is the issue, though could be. The way I'm interpreting it, I read it as you need to combine physical activity with sensory and cognitive tasks. Which dance provides. Beat Saber is repetitive in the physical movement, but constantly challenges you in the sensory and cognitive department.

I do think your point that the physical repetitiveness isn't the only factor is correct, however I believe it is the main driver.

Almost all physically repetitive exercises combine sensory and cognitive tasks to varying extents.

I would also argue that learning and implementing new movements is a much more diverse task cognitively than getting better at beatsabre.

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