Dancing as an intervention to promote neuroplasticity and motor function in old age

Project Code: J5-70191

Project Duration (ARIS Reference Number): March 1, 2026 – February 28, 2029

Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Marco Vincenzo Narici

Lead Institution: Institute for Kinesiology Research, Science and Research Centre Koper (ZRS Koper)

Physical exercise is an effective preventive measure for maintaining health. Therefore, promoting physical activity among populations susceptible to inactivity, such as the elderly, is of paramount importance. Although many older adults maintain a positive attitude toward physical exercise, their regular participation is influenced by numerous factors. Dance has been defined as a psychotherapeutic movement intervention that promotes emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration. The combination of physical exercise and sensory enrichment yields stronger and more long-lasting effects on brain neuroplasticity than either form of exercise alone. Consequently, dance—with its sensory, motor, and cognitive challenges—has been proposed as the equivalent of combined training. Dance can lead to physical outcomes comparable to established physical exercise programs, while simultaneously improving cognitive, social, and behavioral factors such as self-motivation, alongside emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.