Effects of Dance Therapy on Physical Function, Menopausal Symptoms, and Stress in Middle-Aged Women

This study was conducted to examine the effects of an 8-week dance therapy program on physical function factors (body weight, body fat percentage, and balance ability), the menopausal index, and stress factors in middle-aged women. The participants in this study were healthy middle-aged women who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (19 participants) and a control group (18 participants). The dance therapy program was conducted for 8 weeks, 3 times per week, for 60 minutes per session, with weeks 1~4 focusing on tension relief and sensory recovery and weeks 5~8 using a program that could simultaneously strengthen psychological and physical aspects. The results of this study showed significant effects on lower-extremity balance ability and the menopausal index in middle-aged women following participation in the 8-week dance therapy program. In addition, among the stress factors, physical and behavioral responses decreased significantly following the dance therapy program. These results confirmed that an 8-week dance therapy program could have positive effects on improving physical function, alleviating menopausal symptoms, and reducing physical and behavioral stress in middle-aged women.