A Movement For Movement: Productivity and Well-Being from Dance
With the presence of mental health issues increasing worldwide, including depression (evidenced by a 2014 study by researchers from the University College London), many developed nations have focused on public health marketing and various organizations globally have employed workplace interventions to improve employee well-being. This effort has been undermined by the outcomes of the pandemic: according to the World Health Organization, global prevalence of anxiety and depression has increased by 25%.
In the midst of the pandemic, people are searching for different ways to combat the resulting social and mental isolation. One of these activities could be dance. According to a 2022 international study by researchers from the Middlesex University Business School in London, recreational dance can generally have a positive effect on well-being and productivity. A questionnaire was sent measuring subjective well-being, productivity performance and intrinsic motivation to employees who performed recreational dance and those who did not during the COVID-19 pandemic from three nations—Brazil, Italy and the United Kingdom.
In the midst of the pandemic, people are searching for different ways to combat the resulting social and mental isolation. One of these activities could be dance. According to a 2022 international study by researchers from the Middlesex University Business School in London, recreational dance can generally have a positive effect on well-being and productivity. A questionnaire was sent measuring subjective well-being, productivity performance and intrinsic motivation to employees who performed recreational dance and those who did not during the COVID-19 pandemic from three nations—Brazil, Italy and the United Kingdom.
A well-documented effect of recreational dance is its ability to improve in cognitive functions. One study that outlines this is a report from the Ruhr University Bochum that measured the mental performance of elderly individuals over six months after engaging with recreational dance.
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In the study, the answers of 537 recreational dancers were compared to those of 956 nondancers; those classified as dancers indicated a higher level of well-being and productivity than those identifying as nondancers. Additionally, indicators of intrinsic motivation were significantly greater for recreational dancers compared to those of nondancers.
Moreover, the documented effects of recreational dance hold major implications for corporations and public health programs. The Middlesex University study suggests that companies in various cultures can boost employee well-being and productivity by implementing recreational dance programs for workers. Moreover, it cites lack of exercise as a top ten risk factor worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, advising that marketing dance for its recreational value could improve public health and possibly lower health costs.
However, the Middlesex University Business School researchers discuss a few limitations of their research. For instance, they did not collect information on any other physical activity in which the dancers were engaged, which may have been contributing to their productivity and well-being. More so, the results could vary because the dancers were answering the survey questions themselves without a standardized ranking system. Lastly, specific factors involved in recreational dance that have not been analyzed, such as creativity, could be contributing to the results seen in the study.
The conclusions drawn from this study are supported by previous studies. Separate investigations analyzing the effect of dance on well-being--one on tango from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, one about circle dancing from the University of Bolton and one about Western African Dance from the University of South Florida—discuss its ability to reduce stress and improve relaxation. Also, two from Washington School of Medicine, St. Louis and from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg demonstrate the positive effect of recreational dance on cognition: specifically, individuals engaging in dance could improve their reasoning, memory, and learning abilities.
Overall, the Middlesex University Business School study points to the usage of recreational dance as a way to address declining well-being. With the pandemic continuing through its third year, a detailed, interdisciplinary and multi-solution approach is needed to resolve its isolating impacts, including mental health issues affecting worker and student productivity.
Moreover, the documented effects of recreational dance hold major implications for corporations and public health programs. The Middlesex University study suggests that companies in various cultures can boost employee well-being and productivity by implementing recreational dance programs for workers. Moreover, it cites lack of exercise as a top ten risk factor worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, advising that marketing dance for its recreational value could improve public health and possibly lower health costs.
However, the Middlesex University Business School researchers discuss a few limitations of their research. For instance, they did not collect information on any other physical activity in which the dancers were engaged, which may have been contributing to their productivity and well-being. More so, the results could vary because the dancers were answering the survey questions themselves without a standardized ranking system. Lastly, specific factors involved in recreational dance that have not been analyzed, such as creativity, could be contributing to the results seen in the study.
The conclusions drawn from this study are supported by previous studies. Separate investigations analyzing the effect of dance on well-being--one on tango from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, one about circle dancing from the University of Bolton and one about Western African Dance from the University of South Florida—discuss its ability to reduce stress and improve relaxation. Also, two from Washington School of Medicine, St. Louis and from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg demonstrate the positive effect of recreational dance on cognition: specifically, individuals engaging in dance could improve their reasoning, memory, and learning abilities.
Overall, the Middlesex University Business School study points to the usage of recreational dance as a way to address declining well-being. With the pandemic continuing through its third year, a detailed, interdisciplinary and multi-solution approach is needed to resolve its isolating impacts, including mental health issues affecting worker and student productivity.
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