It’s International Dance Day! Here Are 10 Reasons to Dance More Often

 Graphic featuring a young woman dancing energetically, surrounded by a burst of colorful silhouettes that echo her movements.
Luz Media

When people think of exercising, their minds might immediately go to running, indoor spin, a HIIT boot camp, pumping iron at the gym, and more. Dancing rarely makes the top 5 when searching for top exercises, but it should! It’s not just an art form, it’s a whole-body exercise that can make you feel amazing. But dancing doesn’t just benefit your body, it also benefits your mind and even your soul. Not to mention that it’s a valid form of exercise for people of all ages that’s so fun, it doesn’t even feel like exercise.


Dancing promotes better brain health

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Dancing isn't just a workout for your body; it's also a workout for your brain! Research shows that busting a move can actually boost your memory and keep dementia at bay. Imagine getting better at remembering where you left your keys! Wouldn’t that be great? Plus, challenging yourself to master choreographies works your brain in all the right ways, improving your planning and organizing skills. Who knew shaking your booty could make your mind sharper too? The more you know…

It can make you more flexible

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Say goodbye to feeling stiff as a board! When you dance, you learn to move your body in ways you didn’t think possible for you. Dancing loosens up the joints and stretches the muscles, so it can improve your flexibility overall. It can also improve your mobility, which is particularly important as we get older.

Dancing melts the stress away

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Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or grumpy? Just dance it out! It’s amazing how quickly a little dancing session or workout can give you a boost of feel-good hormones. Sometimes, that’s all you need to get through the day or just give your mind a break. Dancing can be liberating, and it can feel like hitting the reset button in your mind. Once you’re done, you’ll have a bit of a clearer head and a better disposition to tackle whatever made you stressed or grumpy in the first place.

It can help with depression

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The thing that makes dancing so effective as a stress management strategy also makes it helpful if you’re dealing with depression. Dancing to upbeat songs is a natural way to increase your levels of serotonin. That’s why this activity never fails to lift our spirits, whether we’re doing it alone in our rooms, with a partner, or with a group of people. Combined with therapy work and other strategies, dancing can help you manage depression and other forms of mental health conditions.

Dancing can help you reach your weight loss goals

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If you’re working on shedding a few pounds and you often get bored with cardio workouts on the treadmill, dancing is a good alternative. For example, Latin dance classes may look easy, but you’ll work your entire body, and you’ll be sweating as much as you would on a stationary bike, treadmill, or stair master—if not more! Combined with good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, your weight loss goals will be easier to achieve.

You’ll get a burst of energy

silhouette of three woman with hands on the air while dancing during sunsetPhoto by Levi Guzman on Unsplash

Sometimes, we need a little pick-me-up, but we’ve already had too much coffee. Instead of having another cup of joe, why not play your favorite songs and get moving? Regular dance sessions will not only boost your physical performance but also give your energy levels a boost. When you’re done dancing, you’ll feel ready to take on the world or, you know, to just finish your work for the day, which is also a big feat.

Dancing can improve your cardiovascular health

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Dancing is good cardio and a form of endurance exercise, so it’s linked to improving heart health. Studies have found that dancing makes it likely to die from cardiovascular disease because it improves cardiovascular endurance. If you want to have a stronger heart, adding dancing to your daily routine is one of the habits that will help you achieve better heart health.

It will improve your coordination, balance, and strength

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When you’re dancing, you’re feeling the music, and you’re just in the zone. You don’t realize that with every twist and turn, you’re working on your coordination, balance, and strength. Dancing works your body from every angle, so all your muscle groups get involved in one way or another. Improved coordination, balance, and strength will help you in your everyday life because they’re essential for movement.

Dancing offers artistic expression

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Dance isn't just about following steps; it’s interpreting and feeling the music, it’s telling a story with your body. Whatever music genre you prefer to move to, dancing will allow you to express yourself in an entirely different way. Whether you're into urban, ballet, cumbia, ballroom, or anything in between, there's a dance style for everyone, and every style has a unique expression. We recommend you explore as many styles as possible to find the one that makes you feel the most alive.

It gives your self-esteem and confidence a boost

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Because dancing is all about learning how to move your body to express yourself, it’s a great way to improve your self-esteem and confidence. Every time you master a new dance move, you will feel great about yourself and your abilities. With that comes a sense of self-assuredness and confidence in your body. That will feed and strengthen your self-esteem, and even help you overcome body image issues.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.