The following is from a presentation at the Davis Phinney Foundation’s Victory Summit on October 4, 2008 in Westminster, Colorado.
Exercise, Your Options: Alternative Approaches for Those with Parkinson’s Disease by Gammon M. Earhart, PhD, PT, Washington University in St. Louis, Program in Physical Therapy, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Why tango instead of traditional exercise?
- Tango may target specific PD-related movement deficits such as:
· Movement initiation
· Bradykinesia
· Instability (particularly backwards)
· Reduced stride length
· Turning
- Tango music and partner may serve as cues to facilitate movement
- Tango dancing can benefit balance and functional mobility
- Tango subjects improved more than traditional exercise subjects on some measures
In a study comparing tango with waltz/foxtrot, Tai Chi and no intervention, the training sessions involved:
- 57 people who had PD for 5-10 years on average
- Assigned to one of following groups: tango, waltz/foxtrot, Tai Chi or no intervention
- Training consisted of two 1 hour lessons/week
- 20 lessons were completed within 13 weeks
- Assessments were performed within a week of beginning and completing 20 lessons
Results indicated that:
- All exercise groups improved on balance, distance walked in six minutes, and disease severity ratings
- Only tango groups improved on quality of life and backward walking
From my own experience in dancing with the Rockyettes, I have also found that dancing in a social setting improves my motivation to exercise.
In pursuit of anything that keeps me moving, I will be looking for tango dance classes.
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