There’s good news this week for New Yorkers looking to improve their quality of life. After 91 years, the “Cabaret Law,” a prohibition on dancing in most establishments that sell food or drink, was repealed Tuesday. It’s now a lot easier for Gothamites to get their groove on — and experience the health benefits that come with cutting a rug.
A 2012 study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine linked hoofin’ it to improved self-esteem and lower stress in girls. Researchers, observing young dancers, said the positive effects from the new hobby, including combatting depression, lasted up to eight months.
And if you’re feeling tired — and who isn’t? — a 2007 study in Perceptual and Motor Skills showed that dancing can boost your mood. The findings compared the benefits of hip-hop dancing to much-less-fun aerobics.
It can also help you lose weight. In 2005, Harvard Health Publications found that if a person who weighs 155 pounds boogies at high intensity for thirty minutes, they could burn up to 223 calories — about as much as jogging for the same amount of time.
And if you’re concerned about having a vodka soda at the bar, relax and drink up. According to a 2016 study in British Journal of Sports Medicine, a couple hours of exercise such as dancing each week mitigates the long-term potential effects of booze, such as cancer.
So, go ahead, New Yorkers, and heed the sage advice of ABBA: “You can dance! You can jive! Having the time of your life!”