Dancing for Better Aging: Evaluating the Impact of a Dance/Movement Therapy (D/MT) Program for Older Adults

Each DMT session follows a similar structure of Opening, Warm up, Development, Cool Down and Closure. Various themes dedicated to an aging population are addressed by the supervising dance/movement therapist through movement activities and using support material (i.e., props, music). This group is provided in a group setting of maximum 10 participants at a time and occurs 3 times per week for 1 hour each session over the course of 12 weeks.

The aerobics exercise program is composed of warm up exercises followed by cardiovascular training on a recumbent bicycle. The intensity is set and progressively increased using each participants' individualized maximal aerobic power obtained in the baseline VO2 evaluation. This program respects the recommendations made by the American College of Sports Medicine and their adaptations for aging populations. Each session is supervised by a kinesiologist with 2 participants at a time. The training occurs 3 times per week for 1 hour each session over the course of 12 weeks.