It’s no surprise that dancing makes you feel good. Indeed it has been an important part of human culture for as far back as history. And there’s plenty of evidence it is great for physical health. Now there are studies that show that it can make you smarter.

A 21-year study of people 75 and older monitored rates of dementia by tracking mental acuity, and what cognitive and physical activities had an effect. The results of the study, led by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

They studied cognitive activities such as reading books, writing for pleasure, doing crossword puzzles, playing cards and playing musical instruments. Physical activities included playing tennis or golf, swimming, bicycling, dancing, walking for exercise and doing housework.

Surprisingly, most of the physical activities did not appear to influence the onset of dementia. Except one: frequent dancing.

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One explanation is that dancing involves learning, which creates new connections in the brain. The brain is always reinventing itself and if it doesn’t need the parts that assist with learning, those bits weaken. Learning something new creates new neural pathways. It really is a case of use it or lose it.

The study didn’t go into why dancing was better than other activities, or whether certain types of dance were better than others. However it is thought that the fast decision making involved in certain types of dancing, and the way it encompasses other brain functions such as music and emotions, compared to the repetitive motions involved in some other activities, contributes to building brain power.

Practically, this could mean that if older people engage in traditional dance styles, then changing partners will require more thinking. Or swap between leader and follower roles. The point to remember that it was frequent dancing that made the difference, so try to get out on the dance floor at least a few times a week.