Seniors who regularly put on their dancing shoes benefit from more than just having a good time. According to University of Missouri-Columbia researchers, participation by older adults in dance-based therapy can improve both their balance and walking speed, key factors in reducing the risk of falls and injury. The researchers used a program called the Lebed Method, based on a combination of low-impact dance steps, choreographed to music.

In the latest of a series of studies, volunteers at an independent-living community participated in 18 dance sessions over a two-month period. The seniors had so much fun that they continued dancing after the study concluded.