FEEL MORE CONFIDENT: JUST DANCE
Get on your dancing shoes: the benefits for body and soul are undeniable
Our bodies were designed to move, and not just during the time we set aside for the gym. It’s not just about aesthetic results, and now, more than ever, we’re considering the broader implications of exercise on our overall wellbeing.
According to the Lexus report The Art of Feeling More, as we emerge from a period of regimented living and limited freedoms, we’re seeking out new avenues of pleasure and freedom through movement. The mental health benefits of dance are now well-documented, and Oleg Ivenko, master ballet dancer at the Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and recipient of the prestigious Positano Premia la Danza Léonide Massine, is a firm believer in the positive properties of his profession: “We’re witnessing a rise of interest in amateur ballet dancing, because more people are realising that dance improves your body’s condition. Moving your body can also help you discharge negative feelings and improve your overall mental health - it is a workout for the mind as well as the body and soul.”
The star of Ralph Fiennes’ The White Crow also sees dance as a primary way of sparking happiness: “Dancing can bring so much joy because it is akin to meditation. It is freeing, inspiring, uplifting and creative. It has the ability to stir such positive emotions in people, whether watching dance or dancing yourself. It can transport you to another world.”
Dance is as much a challenge for your brain (requiring a combination of vision, rhythm, balance, coordination) as it is for your body. Despite how you might feel at your friend’s wedding, the act of dance - of rhythmic movement - is a primal instinct. As Steven J. Mithen, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Reading, states: “dance and music likely became an important tool of social interaction as soon as humans could walk and talk.”
Ivenko agrees with this summation, saying that after a long time without social interaction, “I believe that there will be a return to those shared experiences and that communal dance will come back stronger. We are social beings, we need connection and dance is a beautiful way to make connections in a positive and healthy way.”
These emotional and physical connections aren’t just limited to the self: our interactions with other objects are just as important for a healthy approach to our lives, especially in pursuits like driving. The Lexus NX offers sharper steering with a redesigned steering wheel, and new, ergonomically advanced accelerator and brake pedals for a more comfortable drive. The unique Lexus Driving Signature offers an experience that is entirely obedient to the driver’s intentions – a seamless transition from braking to steering and acceleration through a corner. Advanced aerodynamics and a lower centre of gravity make you the centre of the action, immediately connecting you to the car and providing an exhilarating driving experience.
The Art of Feeling More report is available online at https://www.lexus.eu/discover-lexus//lexus-news/lexus-stories/the-art-of-feeling-more/#hero
Learn more about the new NX in https://www.lexus.eu/car-models/all-new-nx/