Dance--a suitable form of exercise? A physiological appraisal.
Dance in its many forms has recently received much attention in the medical literature and considerable promotion in the lay press. This has been in keeping with current awareness of physical fitness, which has been the result of increasing evidence linking cardiovascular disease to physical inactivity, lack of cardiopulmonary fitness and obesity. Many authors have suggested dance as a suitable alternative to 'traditional' forms of exercise for modification of sedentary habits and the maintenance of physical fitness and ideal weight. This review considers the physiological demands and effects resulting from various dance forms and describes the unique alterations in body build and composition, musculo-skeletal and cardiovascular adaptations, and abnormalities in menstrual function and pubertal progression found in dancers.
D001824:Body Constitution; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003615:Dancing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008598:Menstruation; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010809:Physical Fitness