Exercise

Top 10 Best Dance Songs According to Science

It’s April Fool’s Day, but no one is in the mood for practical jokes during these trying times. Now, roughly three out of four Americans are, or will be, sheltering in place. But, while we aren’t interested in pranks, we are looking for a bit of fun. Many of us are feeling stir crazy. We need more exercise than we’re getting to stay healthy. That’s why we’re looking for more ways to exercise while inside. And why we’re talking about feel-good songs.

Believe it or not, a scientist created a mathematical equation to show which songs make us feel great. We are for anything that boosts our mood while helping us stay healthy. Dancing is an excellent form of exercise. According to some studies, it may be the best. It’s a whole-body work out that, unlike a lot of exercises, makes you feel great while you’re doing it. Many of us don’t like working out. While we may enjoy the feeling we have afterward, working out is hard and boring. Dancing is just a fun way of moving. Dancing can burn up to 200 calories in only 30 minutes.

It’s a great way to access all movement planes and access some muscles that get ignored in typical day-to-day activities,” says Lynn Berman, a physical therapist in New York. “Depending on the type of dance, it can offer cardiovascular benefits by increasing your heart rate, it can help strengthen the lower and upper extremities through repeated muscle contractions, and it can challenge coordination and balance.”

Dancing at home is also a great way to start if you aren’t already someone who dances regularly. If you usually feel embarrassed while dancing, you don’t have an audience in your own home. You can dance with a partner or by yourself! Or, if you have a friend you like dancing with, now is the perfect time to get on a video service and dance together.

When you’re feeling down, as many people are right now, it can be hard to get up and get moving, that’s why we looked into the best songs to get you happy and get you moving. Dr. Jacob Jolij, a cognitive neuroscientist, created a mathematical formula and evaluated songs according to various factors: the tempo, positivity of the lyrics and whether the song is in a major or a minor key.

It’s hard to know if the math is correct, we all have different favorite songs. So much of what makes a song great is what memories you have associated with it. If you met your partner while a particular song was playing, it may give you a giant boost and always make you smile. While Dr. Jolij’s list of songs can make you feel great, they might not be the best ones for you. For instance, White Christmas might be your favorite song if you love Christmas. However, it’s not a song that will get you out of your chair and dancing. And, if you like an instrumental song, it won’t ace the math but might still get you on your feet. For instance, how many of us don’t want to dance when we hear the big band hit “Sing, Sing, Sing”? However, they are all great dance songs.

If you are ready to get up, get moving and listen to some great tunes, try out this playlist:

10. Katrina & the Waves, “Walking on Sunshine”
9. Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive”
8. Bon Jovi, “Livin’ on a Prayer”
7. Cyndi Lauper, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
6. The Monkees, “I’m a Believer”
5. Survivor, “Eye of the Tiger”
4. Billy Joel, “Uptown Girl”
3. Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations”
2. ABBA, “Dancing Queen”
1. Queen, “Don’t Stop Me Now”

We don’t find it surprising when we read this list. They are all wonderful songs that have us dancing in the kitchen when they come on the radio. While we must limit our time outside, there’s no need to limit the fun you can have in your own living room!

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