The Beneficial Effects of Square Dance on Musculoskeletal System in Early Postmenopausal Chinese Women: A Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: This study was set to investigate the beneficial effects of square dance on musculoskeletal system of early postmenopausal Chinese women.Methods: Chinese postmenopausal women, who had been without menstruation for 1 to 10 years from the onset of menopause were recruited from community centers for this study. A standardized structured face-to-face interview was performed to collect demographic information, life styles, personal medical history, diet and menstrual status. Subjects who had been practicing regular square dance without participated in other sports activities for more than 2 years and over 4 hours per week (usually more than 45 minutes per time and more than 5 times per week) were assigned to square dance group. Those postmenopausal women who had not participated in regular exercises (no more than 0.5 hour per week) were recruited as the sedentary control group. Bone mineral density (BMD) of spine, total hip and femoral neck was measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Low limb muscle strength was measured for the non-dominant leg, body flexibility was measured by a simple trunk bend-and-reach test, and body balance was evaluated using a single-stance test for the non-dominant leg. Independent two-tailed Student’s t-test was used for data analysis.Results: 152 subjects from community centers were selected for this study and divided into square dance group (n=74) and control group (n=78). The square dance subjects had higher lumbar spine BMD (P=0.01) and total hip BMD (P=0.02) than control subjects, but there was no significant difference of femoral neck BMD (P=0.48) between these two groups. Functional testing indicated that square dance subjects had higher low limb muscle strength (P<0.01) and longer single-stance time (P=0.02) than the control subject, but there was no significant difference in trunk bend-and-reach (P=0.12) between these two groups.Conclusion: Our results show that postmenopausal Chinese women can get beneficial effects, like higher BMD, stronger low limb muscle and improved body balance ability on musculoskeletal system by participating in square dance regularly.

Association between walking and square dancing-oriented leisure-time physical activity and cognitive function among middle-aged and elderly people in Southwest China

“…Most of our surveys began after the COVID-19 pandemic, so the number of people gathering for square dancing may have decreased. However, our preliminary findings suggested that square dancing, which was beneficial for the musculoskeletal system [30] and incorporated the pleasurable experience of social communication [31] and musical rhythm [32], may provide greater cognitive protection with less time spent exercising and thus could be regarded as a recommended method of LTPA for elderly individuals.…”

Effect of Square Dance Interventions on Physical and Mental Health among Chinese Older Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Research indicated that square dancing could significantly improve the participants' family cohesion and subjective well-being. Moreover, square dancing has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in older adults [24] and increase the lower limb muscle strength and single-leg balance [25].…”

Effects of Weight-Bearing Exercise on Health-Related Physical Fitness and Sleep Indicators in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women

“…Dance sports [15], Pilates [16], yoga [17], and resistance exercise [18] are all exercises that improve the physical health of postmenopausal women.…”