Study finds dance more effective than medication and walking for alleviating depression symptoms

Summary

This article reports on scientific research showing that dance is more effective than walking, yoga, strength training, and even standard antidepressants for alleviating depression symptoms. A 2024 review published in the BMJ examined 218 clinical trials and found dance to be superior for depression relief. The article features insights from neuroscientist Julia F. Christensen from the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics in Germany, who describes dance as "the language of the body" and explains how the brain interprets dance gestures as expressive language. The piece notes that communities have intuitively understood the healing power of dance for centuries, long before scientific research caught up.

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bskyStudy finds dance more effective than medication and walking for alleviating depression symptomsnikkei.com